[Top 10] RDO Best Animals To Hunt For Good Profit

Updated:

01 Oct 2022

Let’s find out the best beasts to hunt for profit in Red Dead Online

Hunting is one of the most essential activities in the Wild West. Whether you hunt for money or for your camp, it’s always fun to be a predator. It’s fun doesn’t really mean that it’s always easy. Hunting can be quite tricky in RDO.

You can find more than 150 species of animals in Red Dead Online. However, very few of them are actually profitable. Hunting each animal depends on its size. Their size determines how you can get a clean kill. You should always try to kill animals with a 3-star and with a single shot.

10. Bighorn Ram

Rams are highly overlooked as an animal worth hunting and skinning. Most cowboys in RDO are unaware of the value of bringing in a perfect Ram.

Skinning a wild Bighorn yields a Ram Hide, Gristly Mutton, and in the case of Bighorn Rams, Bighorn Horns.

Selling prices

Perfect hide: $2.75
Perfect carcass: $7.50

How to hunt them
Rams can be found in New Austin at Gaptooth Ridge, in Cumberland Forest near Fort Wallace, and in Big Valley near Mount Shann. Bows with Improved Arrows or Poison Arrows are effective against Rams.

9. Whitetail Buck

Whitetail Bucks are almost everywhere in the Wild West. They are very fast and gallop about sporadically when spooked. This can make it difficult to land a well-placed body shot that will not harm the pelt.

The buck can be found in virtually all locations though uncommonly in Grizzlies West. Greater concentrations seem to be to the east, with only sparse populations within New Austin.

Selling prices

Perfect pelt: $3.25
Perfect carcass: $10.00
Buck Antlers: $1.05

How to hunt them
The Whitetail Buck can often be found grazing alone. A headshot with a rifle or a sniper should get you a perfect kill. The Does, however, can be incredibly skittish. So, a stealthy approach to hunting them is required.

8. Alligator

Alligators are one of the largest predators in RDO. They are incredibly easy to hunt as they are slow. However, you should never get too close to them. You won’t stand a chance if they bite you.

Something that most players don’t realize is that a skin from a regular-sized alligator will take up the large carcass space on the back of the player's horse, but a skin from a small size alligator can be layered on like hides from deer, etc.

Selling prices

Perfect pelt: $3.50 (large)
Perfect carcass: $6.50 (large)

How to hunt them
Alligators can be found in the swamps of Lemoyne, Lagar, Blue Water Marsh, and near San Denis. The Bolt Action Rifle is the best weapon to use when hunting Alligators. If you use Dead Eye when hunting an Alligator, the brain will glow red, giving you an opportunity to get a perfect kill.

7. Black Bear

Although not as big as the Grizzly Bear, the American Black Bear is still dangerous enough to give you a run for your money.

Black Bears will flee from the player and are passive, but are still marked as hostile on the mini-map, and will spook the player's horse. A Long Scoped Rifle or a Bow with Improved Arrows are recommended when hunting this animal.

Selling prices

Perfect pelt: $3.50

How to hunt them

Black bears are spotted north of Annesburg regularly, and at times in Lemoyne near Shady Bell. A high-powered rifle loaded with special ammo is the best combination to take one of these beasts down. It is recommended that a player keeps a Shotgun loaded with slugs, just in case things get out of hand. This will risk damaging its pelt though.

6. Panther

Panthers are beautiful and majestic creatures. It is also true that they are deadly hunters. Panthers usually hunt at night and will attack your horse in the blink of an eye. Even in poor condition, a panther carcass is still worth $5.60 though, making the panther a great animal to hunt.

The safest method to hunt panthers is by killing them from a distance. For example, placing predator bait in an open area to lure a panther out and then shooting it with a scoped rifle.

Selling prices

Perfect fur: $3.75
Perfect carcass: $14.00

How to hunt them
Panthers’ hunting grounds are in Lemoyne, east of Lagras, and in the area of Scarlett Meadows. You should use a Bolt Action Rifle and Express Ammo while hunting them to avoid unnecessary damage.

5. Bison

The Bison is one of the largest herbivores roaming the Wild West. They are not seen often but are a nice haul if taken down.

By killing a Bison, the player will receive Bison Fur, Bison horns and Prime Beef. The latter can be used in the Thyme Prime Beef Recipe.

Selling prices

Perfect fur: $5.00
Horns: $0.60 each

How to hunt them
Bison can be found in the field of New Hanover west of Heartland Overflow, not far from Emerald Ranch. Bison also graze in southwest Elizabeth on Great Plains, southwest of Black Water. You should use a powerful sniper to hunt Bison. High velocity and express ammo will always give you an edge.

4. Cougar

Hunting a Cougar can be a thrill ride for an experienced cowboy and surely a deadly endeavor for the unprepared. Cougars are large and will most likely attack a player without any warning, so those hunting them would do well to stay on their toes.

These solitary predators have no natural enemies and sit atop the food chain. However, they occasionally compete with other predators such as bears and wolves for food. Skinning the cougar after killing it will net you Big Game Meat and Cougar Fangs.

Selling prices

Perfect pelt: $5.00
Perfect carcass: $13.50

How to hunt them
They can be found in New Austin near Gaptooth Ridge and south of Benedict Point. These mountain lions also live in West Elizabeth outside of Big Valley. Rifles are your best friends against a Cougar.

3. Elk

You can hunt both male and female Elk can in the Wild West. Sadly, Elk are too large for you to carry the whole carcass.

Their skin and antlers can be used for crafting, and their mature venison is a good source of food. A Perfect Elk Pelt can be crafted into a pair of Chaps.

Selling prices

Perfect pelt: $6.50
Antlers: $1.35

How to hunt them
The Rocky Mountain Bull Elk and Cow Elk can be hunted in the mountains of Ambriano. Elk are skittish, so it is best to use a sniper rifle from a distance to minimize the risk of them running away. Other ranged weapons can be equally effective.

2. Moose

The Moose is native to both West Elizabeth and the northern parts of the map. Their herbivorous diet includes shoots from willow and birch trees, aquatic plants and forbs.

Moose are extremely large and love the rather arctic areas of the Wild West. Moose is also a great food source, providing players with large portions of Mature venison.

Selling prices

Perfect fur: $7.50
Antlers: $1.75

How to hunt them
Powerful rifles work very well against Moose. A headshot will generally ensure a perfect kill. They're too big to carry away though, so there's no need to worry about damaging the carcass. Moose can be seen in the area around the Wapiti Indian Reservation.

1. Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bears are fierce and are relentless in their pursuit of players who stumble upon them in the wilderness. Grizzlies are extremely territorial and aggressive. If one attacks you, your chance of survival is slim to none and you will surely ruin the quality of the pelt if you fight back. A damaged pelt is still worth between $3.00 and $4.50 if you win the duel.

Grizzly Bears are endemic to Grizzlies East. Except for Predator Baits, the easiest way to take down an animal of this size is with a rifle with either High Velocity or Express Bullets. Bear meat, fat and claws you obtain by skinning it can be used for food or materials to craft with.

Selling prices

Perfect pelt: $7.50
Claws: $1.50

How to hunt them
The best way to hunt this beast is to use Predator bait and stay out of their view. You really don’t want to get in their line of sight.