Mastering the hunt can be a tough challenge in Red Dead Online. Even for seasoned hunters, locating Red Dead Online’s legendary animals can be the ultimate test. Thankfully, we’re here to give you all the information you need before you head out into the wide unknown in search of your prey. Will you be a hunter or researcher? That’s between you and the animals.
Finding Red Dead Online’s Legendary Animals
Before you start hunting down the elusive legendary animals, you’ll first need to reach level 5 in the Naturalist role. This is the role tied to researching and tracking legendary creatures. You’ll earn progress by completing tasks for Harriet (like photographing, sedating, and killing animals), and soon you’ll be well on your way to unlocking the legendary animal map.
Once you hit level 5 in the Naturalist role, you’ll be given the legendary animal map, which provides some general clues about where certain legendary animals might be found. Keep in mind that the map offers only a rough idea of their locations, not precise spots. This will help you begin your search for these rare creatures.
There are several ways you can gather more information about legendary animals and their locations:
Harriet’s Missions
Harriet will offer you various missions that allow you to track legendary animals. These missions often involve fending off enemies or other threats while tracking down the animals. Be mindful of one thing: Harriet does not like it if you kill animals, so you’ll need to sedate them rather than kill them if you want to keep her happy and progress in the Naturalist role.
These missions will respawn over time, so if you’re lucky, Harriet will have a new one available when you’re ready for it.
Free-Roam Events
There are two important free-roam events that might help you locate legendary animals:
- Protect Legendary Animal – In this event, you and other players will be tasked with rescuing a legendary animal from poachers and escorting it to safety. While doing so, you’ll need to fend off attackers, adding an extra layer of danger.
- Wild Animal Tagging – During this event, you and other players will tag and sedate various creatures out in the wild. Occasionally, a legendary animal will spawn during this event, so it’s a good idea to participate in it when you can.
Free-Roam
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to go off the beaten path, you can search for legendary animals directly in free-roam. Legendary animals spawn in specific locations on the map, though they may appear in various spots within those general areas. If you’re near a legendary animal when it spawns, you’ll get a notification at the top left of your screen and see a special icon appear on your minimap.
To make your search easier, Harriet’s pheromones can be used to narrow down the locations of specific legendary animals. These pheromones provide a helpful way to focus your efforts, but they won’t pinpoint the exact location—just the general area.
Red Dead Online’s Legendary Animals Locations
Below is a list of legendary animals and their general locations across Red Dead Online. While these locations are mostly accurate, please keep in mind that spawn areas can occasionally shift due to game updates.
- Banded Gator – Saint Denis
- Chalk Horn Ram – Scarlett Meadows
- Cogi Boar – Bluewater Marsh
- Cross Fox – Bayou Nwa
- Emerald Wolf – O’Creagh’s Run
- Gabbro Horn Ram – Rio Bravo
- Icahi Boar – New Austin
- Inahme Elk – Spider Gorge
- Iguga Cougar – Great Plains
- Iwakta Panther – Braithwaite Manor
- Katata Elk – Cumberland Forest
- Marble Fox – Ambarino
- Maza Cougar – Gaptooth Ridge
- Midnight Paw Coyote – Strawberry
- Milk Coyote – Blackwater
- Mud Runner Buck – Flat Iron Lake
- Moon Beaver – Kamassa River
- Moonstone Wolf – Cumberland Forest
- Night Beaver – Roanoke Ridge
- Nightwalker Panther – Bolger Glade
- Ozula Elk – Cholla Springs
- Ota Fox – Scarlett Meadows
- Onyx Wolf – Ambarino
- Payta Bison – Little Creek River
- Red Streak Coyote – Pike’s Basin
- Rutile Horn Ram – Rio Bravo
- Sapa Cougar – New Austin
- Shadow Buck – Annesburg
- Sun Gator – Lakay
- Snow Buck – Aurora Basin
- Tatanka Bison – Heartland Overflow
- Teca Gator – Lannahechee River
- Wakpa Boar – Stillwater Creek
- Winyan Bison – Lake Isabella
- Zizi Beaver – Owanjila
Now you should be ready to search out these rare beasts. Legendary animals offer some of the most rewarding encounters in Red Dead Online, and with the right knowledge, you can track down these creatures with ease. Remember that certain creatures may spawn in different areas depending on updates or time of day, so keep an eye out for new spawn locations or events.
For more Red Dead Online advice, why not check out our beginner’s tips article or our guide to making money in the Wild West.
