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The world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is packed with all kinds of wildlife, including bears, wolves, horses, birds and fish, with more than 200 species in total. However, some of them are particularly special: the Legendary Animals. These are especially powerful and elusive creatures whose materials can be used to craft unique gear.
Before we get into the details, here's a quick overview of everything you need to know about these animals:
When you enter a Legendary Animal's territory, the game will notify you and add a drawing to the map. Explore the area using Eagle Eye and you'll soon find the first clue, which will appear as a question mark on the radar. This will reveal a trail leading to another clue. Once you've found the third clue, the trail will take you directly to the Legendary Animal.
Before facing one of these animals, equip yourself with powerful weapons and ammunition, such as rifles, sniper rifles or a bow with Poison Arrows. You should also make sure your health and Dead Eye are fully topped up. How you kill a Legendary Animal doesn't matter, as you'll always receive the same materials.
Remember that these animals are unique and won't reappear once you've killed them, so be sure to skin them and collect all their materials. If you leave any materials behind or lose the pelt, the parts needed to craft unique items will automatically be sent to the Trapper.
Below, you'll find every Legendary Animal and where to find it.
You'll encounter this vicious beast as part of the main story, with the mission serving as a tutorial on how Legendary Animals work. You can later return to the area northwest of O'Creagh's Run, west of Annesburg, to track it down and kill it.
It's extremely aggressive and will probably charge you before you even have a chance to stop it. If that happens, repeatedly press the melee button or it will kill you instantly. A shotgun is your best option. If you spot it approaching from a distance, activate Dead Eye and unload everything you have into its face before it pounces.
You'll find the Legendary Moose in the far northeast, beside the river. Follow the trail and you should locate it without too much trouble. It's a huge white animal and, fortunately, it isn't aggressive. Chase it on horseback and a well-placed shotgun blast should bring it down.
You'll find its hunting grounds west of Van Horn, along the riverbank. Search the shore for clues and, once you find the third one, make sure your horse is nearby. The animal isn't aggressive, but it will quickly run away if it spots you. It isn't particularly tough, so a carbine should take it down without much trouble. Keep your horse close in case it tries to escape.
You'll find the boar slightly north of Lagras, north of Saint Denis and southwest of Van Horn. Surprisingly, it isn't usually aggressive, but the thick undergrowth makes it easy to lose sight of. Shoot quickly.
Before you can make this beast appear, you must complete Country Pursuits. You can then hunt it in Lagras, north of Saint Denis.
Leave your horse untethered, because you're in alligator territory. That way, it can escape if one gets too close. Needless to say, don't let the Bullgator get near you and don't chase it into the water. As soon as you have a clear shot, wait for it to start turning around, then activate Dead Eye and unload your weapon into its head.
You'll find it east of Braithwaite Manor, but you must first complete Master Hunter Challenge 9. It's a panther, so if it pounces on you, you're dead. Try to remain on horseback and shoot it with a carbine, or use a shotgun and unload a full Dead Eye meter into it.
You'll find this animal at Mattock Pond, north of Rhodes. It's harmless but very fast, so keep your carbine ready and take it down before it escapes.
You'll find it northwest of Rhodes and southwest of Emerald Ranch. As with the fox, the main problem is how quickly it runs away once it sees you. Shoot before it realizes you're there. The territory marker is slightly misleading, as the actual search area is a little northwest of the drawing.
You'll find it northeast of Valentine, near Fort Wallace. Unlike the moose, the elk can be aggressive. Try to line up a shotgun blast to the head as soon as you have a clear shot to avoid any nasty surprises.
You'll find it northeast of Valentine and northwest of Fort Wallace. If you've encountered wolves before, you'll already know they're aggressive and dangerous animals. Try using a shotgun and aim for its snout as it charges at you.
If it manages to bite you, use a melee attack to stun it, then shoot immediately afterward to finish it off.
You'll find its hunting grounds in the far northwest of the map, near Colter. The biggest problem with this beast is that it will run as soon as it sees you and can take plenty of punishment. Your best option is to use a sniper rifle. Once you've located it, stand still, aim and select "Call" to make it look toward you. Then activate Dead Eye and kill it with a single shot to the head.
Otherwise, you'll have to pull out another weapon and fill it with lead before it gets away.
You'll find the ram northwest of Valentine. It isn't especially dangerous, but it has a habit of charging at you and then running away. If it manages to knock you down, it will probably escape before you can catch it.
It's a good idea to approach it at a gallop with a shotgun ready, minimizing its chances of getting away.
The search area is northwest of Strawberry. The buck behaves much like the moose and will run away when it sees you, so chase it on horseback.
You'll find it in Gaptooth Ridge, west of Tumbleweed. Once you enter the search area, make sure your health and Dead Eye cores are fully restored, using food or tonics to top them up. Cougars are among the most dangerous animals in the entire game—possibly the most dangerous—so be extremely careful during this hunt. If it catches you from behind, you're done for. Even if you see it coming, you'll have very little time to react, so use a fast-firing weapon such as a good revolver, carbine or powerful shotgun. Activate Dead Eye and fire at its vital areas without hesitation.
You'll find it at Rio Del Lobo Rock in Rio Bravo, east of Fort Mercer and south of Armadillo. You can travel to Armadillo by stagecoach, and it's very close to this Legendary Animal. Once you've found the third clue, crouch down and equip a sniper rifle. You'll spot the animal quickly thanks to its short white coat, which really stands out against the desert surroundings. Activate Dead Eye and a couple of shots to the head and neck should bring it down.
You'll find it in Hennigan's Stead, just southeast of MacFarlane's Ranch. Like the other bison, this animal is very tough, so the best weapon to use is a sniper rifle. By this point in the game, you'll have unlocked the final Dead Eye level, allowing you to see animals' vital areas. If you target those areas with another powerful weapon, you shouldn't have too much trouble either. The animal isn't very fast and the surrounding area is wide open, so it's unlikely to escape or disappear from view.
