Here kitty, kitty, kitty. As much as you love cats, we don’t recommend trying to get up close and personal with Red Dead Redemption 2’s cougars unless you’ve already taken them down. Large sized mammals, they’re handy for obtaining crafting materials, and if you take the time to find the Legendary Cougar, you’ll even be able to craft a handy trinket.
Lone animals, they’re not widespread on Red Dead Redemption 2’s map, especially in the early stages. If you’ve been wondering where they’re hiding, we’re here to help: in this article we’ll teach you the best places to find and hunt cougars in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Where to find and hunt cougars in RDR2
Red Dead Redemption 2’s cougars can only be found in a few spots in the map, namely West Elizabeth and the far south of New Austin. Cougars are probably the most dangerous of the predators in the game, and will attack you quickly, springing out before retreating to a safe distance. If you’re going to hunt them, we recommend doing so from afar. Check the map above for the best locations, or refer to the list below for more detailed instructions as to their location.
- New Austin - Make it all the way to the very depth of Red Dead Redemption 2’s map and you’ll be in prime cougar hunting territory. Cougars largely only roam the west end of the region, northeast and southeast of Tumbleweed. Search around Benedict Point and down to the San Luis River, or in the west half of Cholla Springs.
- West Elizabeth - If you haven’t made it to New Austin yet, West Elizabeth is the only other area you’ll have luck. Cougars mostly roam the southern edges, notably in Tall Trees and the southeast end of the Great Plains, close to where the San Luis River meets Flat Iron Lake. You can also encounter cougars further north, west of Big Valley, where the Upper Montana River trails off the edge of the map.
- New Hanover - The last place you’ll have a chance of running into an oversized moggy is in the northeast of New Hanover, north of Annesburg near Roanoke Valley on the Kamassa River.
Cougars are often known as Mountain Lions, so you’ll typically find them rocky, hilly terrain with plenty of trees. A Large size mammal, your best choice of weapon to take them down is a Rifle as this will let you land a precise shot so that you don’t ruin the pelt, as well as letting you keep your distance from their claws. That said, you can also use a bow with poison arrows if you prefer. If you’re interested in crafting the Cougar clothing or Cougar Fang Trinket, you’ll need to hunt the Legendary Cougar.
If you’re looking to fill out the rest of your Compendium, we have a locations gude hub for all animals in RDR2. In it we'll teach you where to find beavers, badgers and even moose in Red Dead Redemption 2. If you’d prefer to discover creatures long dead, here’s the location of all the dinosaur bones hidden around the map. Want advice for the RDR2 story? Check out Shacknews' walkthrough and guide!