By Stephanie Mazzuca
Players can spend hours hunting animals in Red Dead Redemption 2, including going after some pretty difficult non-legendary critters.
One of the most fun activities inRed Dead Redemption 2 is to hunt in its vast wilderness. As most players notice in their first few minutes of open-world exploring, this game's map is teeming with a wide variety of animals. They can all be killed, skinned for pelts, sold for meat, and sometimes plucked for feathers. In addition to being an easy and consistent way to earn money, hunting inRed Dead Redemption 2also allows players to craft unique items. Who doesn't love dressing Arthur in a skunk hat and booties? A lot of these items are crafted from Legendary Animalsthat are easy to find; Arthur gets a map of their locations after Chapter One.
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However, there are many other rare animals in the game thatare prettytough to locate. And their pelts are required for many critical trinkets, satchels, apparel, and saddles. It takes a lot of patience and a little luck, but if players know where to look, hunting these creatures will be a lot less frustrating.
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10 Panther
The panther is probably the hardest non-legendary animal to hunt inRed Dead Redemption 2. It's rare, quick, and deadly. Avoid getting too close to a panther; it is very aggressive and can quickly maul players to death with its claws. The best approach is to lay out some predator bait and shoot it from a distance. No matter what, keep a powerful rifle handy.
To find a panther, ride to the southernmost tip of Lemoyne and enter the small forest directly southeast of Braithwaite Manor. This area is called Bolger Glade. The nocturnal-ish panther is most commonly encountered at night and sometimes during sunrise/sunset. Just walk slowly in circles and be patient!
9 Moose
The antlers from a moose are required for a unique game trinket. This solitary, majestic animal can be found in several small spots across the map. The first area is on the edge of O'Creagh's Run. The moose likes to swim across this small lake, so to spot it, grab your binoculars, and sit on top of the middle island.
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Another prime moose location is northeast of Donner Falls in the Grizzlies East. Specifically, next to the 'I' in Ambarino on the game map. Make sure to use a powerful scoped rifle if you want a clean kill; aRed Dead Redemption 2 moose is tough to take down with a single shot.
8 Musk Ox
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to kill an ox without losing some honor. They're domesticated animals but their pelts are required to craft some unique items at the Trapper. If you're going for 100% completion, it's a necessary sacrifice.
Oxen can be found ata few farms, particularlyon the northwestern edge ofLemoyne and in the Heartlands near Emerald Ranch. Use a long-scoped rifle for a clean kill and quickly grab its hide. Farmers tend to get angry when people shoot their livestock.
7 Iguana
Even thoughRed Dead Redemption 2 is set far from the tropics, the invasive iguana species can be found in one small spot on the game map. Travel to Rhodes, then head due west until you reach Flat Iron Lake. Thereis a large, hook-shaped island directly across the water. Swimming to this place from the mainland may stretch your horse's stamina to its limit so make sure to choose the most direct route possible.
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The bright green iguanas will be pretty easy to spot. Mostly, they gather in twos or threes near the waterline. Use the Varmint Rifle for a clean kill and, for a perfect pelt, it's best to shoot the iguana in the head. Grab as many skins as possible to maximize your crafting potential.
6 Grizzly Bear
It's pretty obvious to say that the North American Grizzly Bear is a very dangerous animal. Both in real life and inRed Dead Redemption 2. They are very aggressive and will often charge at players instead of running away. The safest way to bring one of these guys down is to get a non-skittish horse, try to snipe the bear from horseback with a long-scope rifle, and gallop in quick circles if you miss your shot.
Grizzly Bears can be encountered in several areas of the map, but they're still rare spawns. One of the most common places to find this animal is in either the East or West Grizzlies. Too obvious? Specifically, look in the forest northwest of Wallace Station.
5 Muskrat
The muskrat is easy to find only if you know where to look. Though they can be found in several areas across the game map, their small size makes them difficult to spot. You also need the right equipment to get one of the many perfect muskrat pelts that are required for unique items from the Trapper.
Always look for muskrats along the edge of rivers or lakes. One of the most common places to find them is along Dewberry Creek, or even along the river that leads into Owanjila Lake. They look like a tiny brown rabbit or squirrel that is easily missed and/or ignored. To get a clean kill, use the Varmint Rifle, and try to get a headshot if possible.
4 Cougar
Cougars, like the panthers ofRed Dead Redemption 2, are ruthless ambush predators. They'll usually spot you before you spot them; your only warning is the cougar's signature growl as it sprints towards you. Cougars are extremely fast too. Make sure your Deadeye meter is filled and you have a powerful rifle handy.
The cougar is most commonly found in the plains of West Elizabeth; however, players can only access this area after completing the Epilogue. The easiest place to find a rare cougar for those who haven't gotten far enough in Story Mode is in Black Bone Forest. This area is on the far east side of Big Valley, upriver from Owanjila Lake. Trot back and forth along the main road and a cougar will likely spawn once per day. Or twice if you have the day extension mod.
3 Silver Fox
Silver foxes are tough to spot because they're small and always alone. Plus, they're skittish, so they'll run and hide as soon as they detect an approaching player. There are two approaches to hunting the silver fox: either charge it on horseback before it can run away or use some cover scent lotion and stalk it.
To get a perfect pelt, use a repeater and shoot the fox in one of its red 'critical' zones. Perfect fox pelts from the rare silver fox are used to craft many unique apparel items at the Trapper.
2 Bald Eagle
Eagle feathers can be used to craft several unique trinkets and accessories. They're a lot harder to track because, obviously, they can either be on the ground or in the sky. Luckily a clean kill isn't required to get an eagle feather. However, using a Varmint Rifle from a distance will increase the chances of getting more than a single feather from this bird.
One of the Bald Eagle's most frequent spawn locations is on the bridge of Bard's Crossing. Try not to let the bird take flight before shooting; it's a long way down from the top of the bridge to the river below. Good luck finding the eagle's carcass in there.
1 Beaver
The beavers ofRed Dead Redemption 2 are pretty large rodents, which makes them easy to spot. But they're still difficult to find unless you know where to look. Beavers spawn in a few select areas of the map and they will always be found near a body of water. The best place to find a beaver is actually where the Legendary Beaver is located. Ride southwest of Butcher Creek until you reach the river that flows from Elysian Pool. Look for the dam surrounded by beavers.
Another prime beaver location is anywhere on the beaches of Owanjila Lake. Once you spot one, shoot it quickly with a Varmint Rifle, because these guys like to swim away from you. They're easy enough to shoot in the water but you won't be able to skin them. Happy hunting!
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