Hunting Badgers and Muskrats

[The Minted Lady]

I would love some tips for finding these critters more regularly, because I am ready to tear my hair out. The fandom wiki said that Badgers could be found largely near Rhodes, so I spent a good amount of time riding around the fields there. Got a perfect boar and deer pelt, but only saw two badgers and they were both sub-par.

I went to the island where the Iguanas are because the wiki said that was also a good place to find Muskrats. Only saw one muskrat on the entire island, and it was sub-par as well. Anyone have a better idea of where to find more of them? I swear, I've managed to get more perfect squirrel pelts in the time I've tried to get a single muskrat or badger pelt, and squirrels can be just as frustrating to me.

Bonus question: Are we supposed to hunt the tiny birds like the cardinals, blue jays, etc.? I've only ever seen them as they flittered off a rock I happened to be riding past. I've pocketed a few because they ran into me/my horse, but the carcass is always poor.

[Toastie Buns]

Badgers appear around Scarlett & Heartlands. You'll find more during night in my experience.

[Scrogdog]

Badgers can be a tough kill. You'll find them in the woods, not the fields.

In SP, there is a dedicated badger and double-raccoon spawn near the second camp at the lake. It is also very near the horse fence (if you've unlocked it).

At the end of the trail when you come out of the camp, turn left. There is an intersection with a road that goes right just down the way. Just past that are two trees on a hill. The badger hangs out in front of the tree on the right. A raccoon hangs out between the two trees and a second one is behind the tree on the right.

These are tough spawns because of the number of passers by. But, you can cheat it a bit by killing them if they are not 3 star, then riding away a bit and come back. You don't need to travel far to get the re-spawn.

You will also find both creatures in the woods near the camp and across the road.

As for Muskrats, anywhere with water. Like along the banks of the Dakota River.

Varmint rifle works for tiny birds in terms of carcass quality.

[The Minted Lady]

Thanks, Scrogdog, I appreciate your answer. Still working on hunting them at the moment, but that gives me a lot to work with.

[cerebus23]

also badger ans muskrat tend to hang in the same areas.

and funnily enough badgers do not seem to hang where the king badger hangs out.

beyond that i spent a few days at a lake staking back and forth and the only FFFFFFFF thing about that it the lake got deep very qucik and if the badger got out in the water the pelt was gone.

lost a few perfect badger pelts that way hence i had to camp out there 3 days to get the skins i wanted.

think the ign or another guide recommended it as a badger spot and yea u see them around there a ton.

[The Minted Lady]

Originally posted by cerebus23:

beyond that i spent a few days at a lake staking back and forth and the only FFFFFFFF thing about that it the lake got deep very qucik and if the badger got out in the water the pelt was gone.

Ugh, this happened to me when I was hunting Iguanas. My first perfect Iguana kill was one step too far in the water, and because Arthur would start swimming everytime I approached it, I lost out on collecting it. Fortunately, the island west of the Chapter 3 camp site is crawling with them. I've successfully hunted a lot more since then.