RDR2 Legendary Animals: All 16 Locations and How to Hunt Them

There are 16 legendary animals in Red Dead Redemption 2 Story Mode. Most of them can be hunted from Chapter 2, after the mission "Exit, Pursued by a Bruised Ego", but the Bullgator, the Giaguaro Panther and the three in New Austin have extra conditions. You only need 5 for the game's 100% completion, and each one drops a unique pelt the Trapper in Saint Denis turns into outfits and accessories.

Locations below match in both GamesRadar's and rdr2.org's legendary animal guides. The last rows include late-game areas, so skip them if you want to avoid map spoilers.

All 16 legendary animal locations

#	Legendary animal	Where to find it	Available
1	Bharati Grizzly Bear	North of O'Creagh's Run, Grizzlies East	After "Exit, Pursued by a Bruised Ego" (Chapter 2)
2	Bighorn Ram	East of Cattail Pond, a short ride from Valentine	Chapter 2
3	Wolf	Cotorra Springs, south-west of the Wapiti reservation, Ambarino	Chapter 2
4	White Bison	Lake Isabella, far north-west Ambarino	Chapter 2
5	Moose	Lake near Roanoke Ridge, east of Doverhill	Chapter 2
6	Beaver	Butcher Creek, along the Kamassa River west of Van Horn	Chapter 2
7	Elk	East of Bacchus Station, Cumberland Forest	Chapter 2
8	Buck	Big Valley, West Elizabeth, north-west of Strawberry	Chapter 2
9	Boar	Bluewater Marsh, north of Lagras, Lemoyne	Chapter 2
10	Fox	Mattock Pond, north of Rhodes, Lemoyne	Chapter 2
11	Coyote	Scarlett Meadows, Lemoyne	Chapter 2
12	Bullgator	Bayou Nwa, west of Lakay, north of Saint Denis	After "Country Pursuits" (Chapter 4)
13	Giaguaro Panther	Lemoyne, west of Shady Belle and south of Bolger Glade	After Master Hunter challenge rank 9
14	Cougar	Gaptooth Ridge, west of Tumbleweed, New Austin	Epilogue
15	Pronghorn	Rio del Lobo Rock, Rio Bravo, New Austin	Epilogue
16	Tatanka Bison	Near Manteca Falls, New Austin	Epilogue

Some guides spell the last one "Takana Bison". It's the same animal. New Austin isn't open to you until the Epilogue, which is why the last three come so late.

How to hunt a legendary animal

Legendary animals don't just wander around. You have to trigger and track each one.

Ride into its territory. Each animal has a marked zone on the map. When you enter it, a message in the top-left corner tells you you've entered legendary animal territory and should look for clues.
If nothing happens, reset the area. If you get a message that the area is too busy, there's usually a random event nearby. Deal with it or leave, set up camp and sleep, then ride back in.
Find the clues with Eagle Eye. Activate Eagle Eye and look for highlighted clues such as tracks, scratch marks or fur. There are usually around three to inspect before a scent trail leads you to the animal.
Kill it fast. Fill your Dead Eye before you go in, then use it the moment the animal appears.
Skin it and take the pelt to the Trapper. Carry the legendary pelt to the Trapper in Saint Denis. If you lose the pelt, PowerPyx notes it's sent to the Trapper automatically.

Unlike normal hunting, the way you kill a legendary animal doesn't change the quality of what you get. You can unload a shotgun into one without ruining the pelt, which makes the dangerous ones much easier.

Best weapons to bring

Both guides lean on the same tools:

Rolling Block or Springfield Rifle with Express ammo for most of the list, including the bear, bison, elk, moose and Bullgator
A Varmint Rifle or a bow for the beaver, which goes down in one hit
A shotgun as backup for the Cougar and Panther, which close distance quickly

Make a manual save before the dangerous hunts. If Arthur dies, the animal can take a long time to respawn, and loading a save is faster than waiting.

The hardest legendary animals

Legendary Bullgator

It's one of the strongest animals in the game and only spawns after you finish the Chapter 4 story mission "Country Pursuits". Snipe it from range with a Rolling Block Rifle. It charges fast, so don't let it get close.

Legendary Giaguaro Panther

The panther is the toughest and the most time-consuming, because it only appears after you reach rank 9 of the Master Hunter challenges. Those challenges have to be completed in order, and they include skinning bears, getting perfect rabbit pelts and killing cougars with a bow.

Once it's unlocked, its clue trail ends at a tree rather than at the panther. Back away from the tree as you approach, because the panther ambushes you there. A shotgun and a fortified Dead Eye bar are the safest combination. Its eye can be made into the Panther's Eye trinket, which slows Dead Eye drain for a few seconds.

Legendary Coyote and Legendary Fox

Neither is dangerous, but both bolt as soon as they notice you. Move in slowly, consider using scent cover so they don't smell Arthur, and make the first shot count, because finding them again in the brush is a pain.

Where to find your legendary animal map

Early in Chapter 2, Hosea gives Arthur a legendary animals map. It's incomplete, but you can open it any time from the satchel under Documents, then Maps. The table above fills in the gaps.

Do you need all 16?

No. The 100% completion checklist only asks for 5 legendary animals. You'll need every one if you want to fill the hunting side of the compendium, and the Trapper rewards are only available for the animals you've actually brought in.

Hunting is also a steady earner for regular pelts and carcasses. For the best ways to fund your gear, see our guide on how to make money in RDR2. If you want a horse that can outrun the dangerous ones, read our best horse guide.

Frequently asked questions

How many legendary animals are in RDR2?

There are 16 legendary animals in Story Mode. They're spread across every region of the map, including three in New Austin that only become reachable in the Epilogue.

Where is the legendary bear in RDR2?

The Legendary Bharati Grizzly Bear lives north of O'Creagh's Run in Grizzlies East. You meet it with Hosea in the Chapter 2 mission "Exit, Pursued by a Bruised Ego" and can return to kill it any time after.

Why won't a legendary animal spawn?

You need to see the legendary animal territory message when you enter its zone. If it doesn't appear, or the game says the area is too busy, leave, set up camp and sleep, then ride back in. The Bullgator and Panther also have unlock conditions.

How do you unlock the Legendary Panther in RDR2?

Reach rank 9 in the Master Hunter challenges. After that it spawns in Lemoyne, west of Shady Belle and south of Bolger Glade.

How many legendary animals do you need for 100%?

Five. The 100% checklist only needs five legendary animal kills, but the full compendium needs all of them.

Do legendary animal pelts have to be perfect?

No. Legendary animals always give their legendary pelt no matter which weapon you use, so you don't need to worry about a clean kill.