Red Dead Redemption 2 has long since proven itself to be one of the most incredibly immersive and gorgeously vast open world games of the past decade, bringing all the western vibes players love with plenty of areas to explore, and wildlife to track and hunt as needed.
One of the most challenging animals to locate is the Cougar, as it moves quietly and can often end up stalking you from the shadows before you even realize it’s there. If you’re wondering just how and where to find these feline sleuths, here is our handy guide to all RDR2 Cougar Locations in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Where to Find Cougars in Red Dead Redemption 2
Cougars are notoriously difficult to track down in Red Dead Redemption 2, due to them being incredibly agile and silent predators. They certainly don’t stick out like a huge bear or a pack of wolves, as they’re solitary hunters, and they prefer to stay low to the ground and in the shadows to stalk their prey.
That isn’t to say that they’re not aggressive, because Cougars definitely are and can easily mow Arthur down in a heartbeat if he’s not careful. If you know that you’re in Cougar territory, it’s best to keep your weapon drawn and your Dead Eye bar filled, if possible. They also tend to hate going into water, so if there’s a lake or river nearby, it can be useful for standing your ground while keeping the cougar in view.
They’re typically found in very specific areas of the world map, and reportedly sometimes the time of day can affect their spawn rate. These are all of the confirmed areas where cougars are normally sighted:
- Great Plains
- South of Beecher’s Hope
- Broken Tree
- Rio Bravo
- The area between Plainview and Benedict Point
- Cholla Springs
- Big Valley
- Near Black Bone Forest
- Lavender fields north of Vetter’s Echo
- Gaptooth Ridge
- Area west of Tumbleweed
- South of Rathskeller Fork
- Roanoke Ridge
- Roanoke Valley (as seen above)
- Beaver Hollow
- Elevated areas on both sides of the river around Brandywine Drop
- Manito Glade
- Eastern side of Black Basalm Rise
- The Heartlands
- Tall Trees
- Specifically the Cochinay area
How to Kill a Cougar in RDR2
To take down a cougar, typically either the rifle or bow and arrow is recommended. For the latter, poison arrows are especially effective. They can be crafted using the following ingredients:
- 1 x Arrow
- 1 x Oleander Sage
- 1 x Flight Feather
A fully charged Dead Eye (as seen above) can help you make quick work of a cougar before it catches you off-guard. Simply use a poison arrow first to weaken it, as just one shot won’t bring it down, then use a regular arrow in the head to finish it. With good aim, this can help you get some Perfect Pelts as well.
Conveniently, you also need to kill and skin 5 cougars with a bow and arrow for the Master Hunter 6 Challenge. So all the more initiative to use this particular method.
That concludes our guide for all RDR2 Cougar locations in Red Dead Redemption 2. We hope you found this helpful, and let us know how it feels to continue playing the game years after its release.
Be sure to check out all of our other guides for Red Dead Redemption 2, such as the 10 best things to do first in the game.