Dark, watching eyes glint in the brush as you track the untamed shadows of Red Dead Redemption 2’s wild frontier.
On this page we have provided information to help you hunt in RDR2. Thanks to this guide you will learn how to track animals, how to prepare for the hunt, and how to find the specimens you are interested in.
Where to find the designated species?
By exploring the world in RDR2 you’ll uncover a huge map. Your hero will be filling it in real time. If, for example, while performing a mission, you come across some animals, they will be marked on the map from now on. Before going hunting, open the map and choose the animals you are interested in.
How to prepare for the hunt?
Remember to take your best weapon for hunting. This, of course, depends on the animal you are going to hunt. For big game, such as a bison or a bear, it’s best to take a shotgun or a rifle. For roe deer and deer, however, take a bow instead. One precise shot to the head of kill the animal without destroying its skin.
How to track down the animals?
For quick and easy tracking in RDR2, use Eagle Eye (L3 R3). This allows you to see traces of animals. By following them you will reach the animal and be able to kill it easily.
Eagle Eye will not only show you the tracks of animals, but will also highlight the animals moving around the area. This way you can see animals that are not visible at first glance, e.g. frogs, squirrels or snakes.
How to hunt?
The easiest way to hit an animal is to use Dead Eye. This mode slows down the movement of enemies and highlights their vital points.
Ideally, you shouldn’t get too close to the animal or you’ll force it to flee.
If you care about the quality of raw materials gained from the animal, check out our guide on how to get perfect skins.
The animals are escaping, what can I do?
There are three ways in which you prevent the animals from fleeing:
- Keep your distance from the animals and shoot them with long-range weapons;
- Use cover scent lotion. This will mask the smell of your character so you can sneak up to the animals without being detected;
- Use Dead Eye, this will slow down the animals and prevent them from escaping.
Cover Scent Lotion can be crafted:
Ingredients: 1 scent gland.
How to unlock: you will get this recipe when starting chapter 2 of the game.
What can I do with the acquired resources?
The raw materials can be donated to the camp, sold or used for crafting. Perfect skins will help you craft items at the trapper’s, and animal meat can provide you with food for a few days’ worth of journey.
Best weapons for perfect pelts in RDR2
For perfect pelts in RDR2, the most reliable setup is a bow plus a varmint rifle, with ammo matched to animal size and always going for one clean head or heart shot. The game also has strict rules about using specific weapon types per animal size, so using anything heavier (like shotguns or pistols) on smaller animals will usually ruin the hide.
Core weapon loadout
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Bow: Works for almost everything when you use the correct arrow type and land a one-shot kill to the head or vital organs.
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Varmint rifle (.22): Best for small-medium animals (rabbits, squirrels, many birds, and “moderate” creatures) because it kills cleanly without over-damaging pelts.
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Bolt-action / Springfield / Rolling Block rifles: Ideal for large and huge animals (deer, elk, bison, moose, bears) when used for precise head or heart shots.
Best weapons by animal size
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Tiny / small animals (birds, squirrels, very small critters): Bow with small-game arrows is the safest choice for perfect carcasses.
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Small-medium animals (rabbits, smaller birds, some rodents): Varmint rifle with standard .22 rounds gives consistent one-shot kills without lowering pelt quality.
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Medium animals (foxes, coyotes, pigs, beavers): Bow with regular arrows or a suitable rifle/repeater used for a single clean headshot.
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Large animals (deer, wolves, boar, big cats): Bolt-action or Springfield rifle, or bow with improved/poison arrows, aimed at the head or heart.
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Huge animals (bison, moose, elk, large alligators, grizzlies): Rolling Block or other sniper rifle, or bow with improved arrows, again with a single precise vital shot.
What to avoid
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Shotguns: Even with precise hits, they often downgrade small and medium animals from perfect to good or poor; use them only on very large targets and preferably with slugs.
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Repeaters, pistols, revolvers: The game often downgrades perfect pelts from smaller animals when these are used, even with clean headshots, so reserve them for combat rather than hunting.
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Multiple hits: Any extra bullet or arrow beyond the killing shot risks lowering pelt quality, so always line up a one-shot kill with Dead Eye if needed.
If you tell which chapter you are in and what animals you mostly hunt, a focused two-weapon recommendation (with specific ammo types) can be suggested for your current stage.
Which weapon for each animal species for perfect pelts
Perfect pelts depend on the animal’s size class, not just species, so the same weapon types work across groups of animals (for example, deer, wolves, and pronghorn all use the same options). Below is a compact “by group” cheat-sheet that will work for every species in the game as long as the animal is 3-star and you land a single clean head/heart shot.
Pocket-size / tiny animals
Covers: frogs, bats, rats, very small birds that go straight into your satchel.
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Weapon: Bow with small-game arrows only.
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Tip: Anything heavier (varmint, repeater, pistol) usually downgrades the carcass.
Small & “moderate” animals
Covers: rabbits, squirrels, many ground birds, beavers, iguanas, armadillos, muskrats, possums, raccoons, skunks, larger birds of prey, etc.
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Primary: Varmint rifle (.22) with standard ammo for almost all of these.
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Alternative: Bow with small-game arrows for the very small ones if you prefer.
Medium animals
Covers: coyotes, foxes, pigs and similar “medium” mammals.
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Safe universal options:
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Bow with regular arrows (or poison arrows if you need extra damage).
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Any rifle or sniper rifle (no explosive ammo) with a single head/heart shot.
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Many hunters simply treat these like “large” animals and always use a bolt-action/Springfield-type rifle for consistency.
Large animals
Covers: snapping turtles, small alligators, boars, bucks, cougars, panthers, big-horn rams, wolves, deer, pronghorns, goats, sheep, peccaries and similar.
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Best choices:
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Bow with regular or poison arrows.
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Any rifle (bolt-action, Springfield, etc.) or sniper rifle using regular/split-point/high-velocity/express, but no explosives.
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Extra method: Lasso from horseback and finish with a knife for a guaranteed perfect pelt on many of these (for example, deer and rams).
Massive animals
Covers: bears, bison, bulls, cows, elk, moose, oxen, big alligators and anything that takes one large pelt slot on your horse.
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Recommended:
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Bow with improved or poison arrows.
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Any rifle or sniper rifle (again, no explosive ammo).
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Shotgun slugs are acceptable only for these huge animals; avoid buckshot.
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Simple loadout that covers all species
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Bow
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Small-game arrows: pocket-size animals and tiny birds.
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Regular / improved / poison arrows: medium, large, and massive animals with a single vital shot.
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Varmint rifle (.22)
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All small/moderate animals listed above, from rabbits up through beavers and most birds.
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Optional big-game rifle (bolt-action/Springfield/Rolling Block)
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Everything coyote-sized and larger using one head/heart shot for easy consistency.
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If you want, the next step can be a short table listing a few specific animals you care about most (for example, deer, cougar, wolf, rabbit, turkey) with the exact weapon + ammo for each.
