One of the first animals you’ll want to test your hunting skills on in Red Dead Redemption 2 is the badger. These fuzzy little mammals are fairly common common across the map, but their small size can make them trickier to spot so don’t blame yourself if you’ve missed them so far! In this guide we’ll teach you where to find badgers across the map, as well as what weapon you should be using to kill them for a Perfect Pelt.
Where to find and hunt Badgers in RDR2
Badgers are a very common species, but they’re adverse to extreme cold temperatures, which means the only places you won’t see hair nor hide of them are up in the north of the map. Avoid northwest Ambarino and northeast New Hanover and you’ll be bound to run into some badgers eventually, but if you intend to put some time in with a dedicated hunt, there are a few areas that’ll suit you better. Check the list below for your nearest region, and don't forget that badgers are largely nocturnal creatures, so your best bet is to track them at night.
- Lemoyne - The best place to find badgers is in Lemoyne, west of the Kamassa River. Badgers can be found throughout the Scarlett Meadows and the area around Rhodes, even spreading north into The Heartlands in New Hanover.
- West Elizabeth - If you find yourself far to the west of the map and don’t fancy trekking back to Lemoyne, badgers are also pretty prolific in regions of West Elizabeth. Explore the edges of the map north/northeast of the Aurora Basin in Tall Trees, ranging the area towards the northern part of the Upper Montana River. You’ll also find a few in the northeast of West Elizabeth, in the vicinity of Monto’s Rest.
- Tumbleweed - It’s far from ideal, but Tumbleweed down in the far south also has a decent badger population to keep your rifle busy.
- New Hanover/Ambarino - Finally, if you do find yourself up north and in desperate need of some badger blood, head to the eastern side of the Dakota River. Badgers appear in the Cumberland Forest and up towards Bacchus Station in fairly large numbers, so you should have some luck here
Remember, if you want a perfect pelt from your kills, you need to find a three-star animal and be using the right weapon for the job. In the case of smaller animals like the badger, the Varmint Rifle is your best friend, so keep it handy while on the prowl so that you can land that headshot whenever needed.
Looking for more of Red Dead Redemption 2’s critters? Visit our animal locations hub to find more useful tips like the best spots to track down beavers, including the rare Legendary Beaver. Those after bigger game may want to check our guides for hunting the Legendary Buck and Legendary Grizzly.