Outdoorsman

Outdoorsman is a Fallout, Fallout 2, Van Buren, J.E. Sawyer's Fallout Role-Playing Game and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel skill. It was replaced with Survival in Fallout: New Vegas.

Starting level
The initial skill is determined as follows:
 * 5% + (Intelligence + Endurance)/2
 * and : 2 × (Intelligence + Endurance)

Uses
The Outdoorsman skill's job is to decrease the likelihood of bad random encounters with the possibility of increasing the odds of special encounters. In Fallout, it increases map speed significantly, while in Fallout 2, a successful Outdoorsman check will give the choice of avoiding an encounter.

Ways to increase
In both games the motion sensor will provide a 20% bonus to Outdoorsman when in inventory.

Fallout

 * Scout Handbook. Permanent boost up to 92%.
 * Tycho. Talk to him, agree for a drink and talk about wilderness knowledge for a 5% bonus. There's only one chance to gain it.
 * The Survivalist perk increases your outdoorsman skill by 20% with every rank.

Fallout 2
Though the player can raise the Outdoorsman to 200%, or 300% in Fallout 2, the real cap is 95%, which provides maximum chance to avoid encounters.


 * Scout Handbook. Permanent boost up to 92%.
 * Slim Picket. Depending on the Barter skill, the player can buy 5% worth of Outdoorsman for $100 or $50.
 * Save Smiley the trapper. Once the player brings him back to Klamath, they can get a random 1 to 6% bonus to Outdoorsman from him.
 * Both the Ranger and Survivalist perks can increase your Outdoorsman skill, by 25% and 15% respectively.

Behind the scenes
The icon is most probably a reference to the Looney Toons, as the Vault Boy is dressed as Elmer Fudd and is hunting a mutated version of Bugs Bunny.