What are your go-to forest and river habitats for hunting in Red Dead Online?
With the introduction of the Naturalist specialist role for the Frontier Pursuits update, tracking and studying wild animals is now one of the best activities in the game. Because the terrain of the Wild West is so wide and diverse, you will have to get familiar with the different habitats of each animal to find them quickly.
Two of the most common habitats in Red Dead Online are the forest and rivers. Because most of the terrain in the late 19th century United States has not yet been developed into towns or settlements, you will find a forest almost anywhere you go. Rivers, on the other hand, are the main body of water being utilized for fishing and traveling.
If you want to master hunting around these areas, check out our detailed guide on where to find forest and river habitats in Red Dead Online.
Where to Find the Forest and River Habitats
One of the categories you will find in your Animal Field Guide is the Forest and River Habitats. This includes a complete list of all the animals that live in these locations, and Naturalists will want to study, track, take samples of, and hunt them one by one. Although this may seem easy at first, it gets harder once you have to find the Grizzly Bear and other rare species.
Most of these animals can be found in the northern woods of the map, but some are much harder to find than others. To complete your Animal Field Guide, you must track, study, photograph, sedate, take samples of, kill, and skin every single animal on it.
For the Forest and River Habitats section, here are all the animals and how to find each one.
North American Beaver
The North American Beaver is one of the easiest animals to find for this section. This large but harmless rodent can be found around Roanoke Ridge. Walk along the banks of the Kamassa River and you are very likely to find them hanging out in groups. Because of their size, you will not need a lot of sedative for them.
After you do the standard photographing, sedating, and sampling of a North American Beaver, you can come back later on to hunt and skin another one.
American Black Bear
The American Black Bear is a terrifying creature if you get caught off guard. It can charge at you at lightning speed and will maul you to death just as quickly. It is smaller than a Grizzly Bear, but is still bigger than almost any other predator in the forest.
There are several locations where you can find this predator. You can check the woods around Big Valley, Tall Trees, and Roanoke Ridge for the American Black Bear. Because it is such a huge animal, you may need a few shots of sedative before you can safely approach it.
Grizzly Bear
The Grizzly Bear is the largest and strongest animal on our list. This massive predator will kill you very quickly if you miss your sedative or rifle/repeater shots. You will also need a lot of sedatives before you can put the Grizzly Bear down, so bring everything you can.
You will only find these predators in the Grizzlies East.
North American Raccoon
The North American Raccoon may be harmless and non-aggressive, but this animal can still be difficult to catch. It is easily startled and is much faster than you are. You will have to approach slowly to avoid scaring it away. Once you get close enough, one or two sedative shots should be enough to drop it.
You can find this animal around West Elizabeth, New Hanover, and Lemoyne. Try moving away from settlements and roads as North American Raccoons are easily scared off by people, horses, and carriages.
This is one of the first animals to look for to complete your Forest and River habitats in Red Dead Online.
American Red Fox
The American Red Fox is rarer than other small animals like raccoons or beavers. You will have to look for it around the woods or grasslands of West Elizabeth, New Hanover, and Lemoyne. Although quite rare, you should easily recognize its thick red fur as soon as you get close to one.
Because it is bigger than a raccoon, you will need to hit it with several shots of sedatives.
American Gray Fox
The second fox on our list is the American Gray Fox. It looks almost exactly like the American Red Fox other than the color of its fur. You will find it in the same locations as the American Red Fox as well. A few sedative shots should be enough to render it unconscious.
Its gray fur may be harder to see at night, so look for it during the day. Make sure you study and photograph it before approaching, as it is easily startled. If you find the chance, you can even kill and skin it after taking your samples, as you may find it difficult to find another one.
Silver Fox
One of the rarer fox species in Red Dead Online, the Silver Fox can be found in a few locations throughout the map. You will recognize its shiny silver fur immediately. It may look like a dog from afar, but if you get close enough, you cannot mistake it for anything else.
Look for the Silver Fox around the forests in New Hanover or Ambarino.
Virginia Opossum
The Virginia Opossum is fairly easy to find in swampy areas or near bodies of water. They are slightly rarer than skunks, but not by much. Look for it around Black Bone Fores or Lone Mule Stead in Big Valley. If you are in the Grizzlies East, you should find them near the Wapiti Indian Reservation as well.
For those coming from Scarlett Meadows, the Virginia Opossum is sometimes found in Siltwater Strand.
Striped Skunk
The Striped Skunk is one of the most common animals in Red Dead Online. You will find it in almost any forest on the map. You should immediately recognize its black and white-striped fur.
It is a medium sized animal, so a couple of sedative shots should do the trick.
American Muskrat
Another common animal, the American Muskrat lives around the banks and shores of any body of water. Just walk around rivers or lakes, and it should be the first animal you will come across. American Muskrats are one of the most common animals in the Forest and River habitats in Red Dead Online.
You typically only need one or two shots of sedatives to catch this animal.
American Western Moose
The American Western Moose usually grazes around the forests or grasslands of West Elizabeth, New Hanover, and Ambarino. This large animal will need a lot of sedative before you can approach it.
American Western Bull Moose
Similar to the American Western Moose, this massive mammal is found around the forests and grasslands of West Elizabeth, New Hanover, and Ambarino. Make sure to bring a lot of sedatives as well.
Black-Tailed Jackrabbit
The Black-Tailed Jackrabbit is a very common animal in Red Dead Online. You have probably come across a lot of them on the road. They are very small, fast creatures, so you should approach carefully.
Simply walk around at a distance away from roads so as to not scare them off. One sedative shot should be more than enough.
