Free Roam Legendary Animals

Here you can find information on how to find and catch Free Roam Legendary Animals, some tips and tricks to make it easier to find.

🕯️Some basic information

How To Start The Naturalist Role in Red Dead Online:
You will need to head over to the town of Strawberry. There will be a yellow icon with a magnifying glass that will bring the player to the Strawberry's Welcome Center. A cutscene will play. After the cutscene ends, Harriet will offer to sell an Animal Field Guide. Purchasing this will cost the player 25 gold bars. After you have bought Animal Field Guide and have reached level 4 of the naturalist role , you can search for Free Roam Legendary Animals.

To find a legendary animal, you need to follow 3 points:

• 🗺️A certain place of the animal's spawn
  
• ⛅️Weather conditions
  
• ⏰Animal spawn time

If one of the conditions is not met, the animal will not spawn. Even if ALL conditions are met, this does not guarantee that the animal will spawn. It is also worth noting that Free Roam Legendary Animals spawn ten times more often in the SOLO-SESSION.

So, if all the conditions have been met, then all you need to do to find the legendary animal, you just need to run in the current location in order to summon this animal and closely monitor the minimap.

When the "golden question mark" appears, it will indicate that the animal has spawned.

You need to track, kill, skin, study, sedate, take a sample and a photo of this animal to complete the compendium in the Animal Field Guide. You can't skin and take a sample animal during the same encounter. To fully study the legendary animal, you need to find it at least 2 times.

I have one last but no less important observation: You can find a legendary animal every ~48-55 minutes. If you find a legendary animal, and then kill or sedate it, then you can find the next one only after ~48-55 minutes. The new legendary animal will not spawn, before the expiration of ~48-55 minutes.

Legendary Pheromones and Blending Tonic

LEGENDARY ANIMAL PHEROMONES
Some players still believe that legendary animal pheromones help spawn legendary animals. But this is not the true. If you use pheromones in a location where a legendary animal can spawn and it really will be in this area, it will make a characteristic sound, and if it is not there, a message will be displayed on the screen that there is no legendary animal in this area. Buying legendary animal pheromones is strongly discouraged! You can find confirmation of my words in the screenshot on the left side.








BLENDING TONIC
You can buy a blending tonic to get closer to the legendary animals without being detected. But if you have a small amount of money, it is also not recommended to buy.

How to get solo-session

The First Way    🔥New🔥

Rockstar recently changed the number of people in a session, and also fixed connection errors. This is the easiest way to create a temporary solo session.This session will be single for about 10-20 minutes. This time is quite enough to find the legendary animal.

Let's start creating a solo session:





































1. All you have to do is click "L" button, select "Online options", then turn off social matching by switching from "on" to "off", then click "change appearance", after click accept.
2. Next, you will see the loading screen, and after it you will see the window for changing the appearance, do not touch anything here, just wait 15-20 seconds and exit.
3. You will continue the game near the same place where you left it.
4. You will have a solo session while the delivery mission is active.
5. You should click "L" button again, select "Online options", then turn off social matching by switching from "on" to "off".

This session will be single for about 10-20 minutes. After a while, other players will start connecting to this session.

The Second Way

1. You need a friend's help.
2. Since the method is based on correct timing, there must be a text or voice communication between you and a friend (discord, facetime, etc. are suitable).

Let's start creating a solo session:
1. You and your friend must be in different game sessions.
2. Go to the nearest poker table, create a private game and send an invite to your friend (you cannot invite through the Social Club). At the moment your friend is waiting for your team, he should not accept the invitation yet!
3. While in the game, open the Social Club (Home button) and find the friend you will be joining. Be prepared to click Join.
4. Tell your friend to accept the poker invitation you sent earlier, and as soon as he starts downloading (spinning wheel in the lower right corner) - quickly click "Join" in the open Social Club window.
5. At this point, your friend will be in the solo lobby, and you will be transferred to a completely different session. In the process of connecting, you will see a message on the screen about a failed connection.
6. Ask a friend to invite you to his session (you can use the squad). Up to six players can be in such a session at a time.

The session will remain single even if your friend logs out. In such a session, all random events and legendary animals appear.

The Third Way

1. Butcher's Table is required

Let's start creating a solo session:
1. Go to your camp.




































2. All you have to do is click "L" button, select "Online options", then turn off social matching by switching from "on" to "off", then click "change appearance", after click accept.
3. Next, you will see the loading screen, and after it you will see the window for changing the appearance, do not touch anything here, just wait 15-20 seconds and exit.
4. You will spawn near your camp, go to the Butcher's Table and start distant delivery mission.
5. You got a solo session for about 20 minutes, do not deliver supplies and look for the animals calmly, when the timer is about 1 minute, you will need to change the session. You will have a solo session while the delivery mission is active.

How to get a legendary animal pelt coat

As you can see in the screenshot in the description of the recipe it says: You need to sell Gus the SKIN of the legendary animal, NOT THE CARCASS.

Don't make the same mistake that I made as the other players

⚔️Weapon Loadout For Hunting

The Carcano Rifle is especially good, it is an indispensable item for hunting, then I would recommend taking an elephant rifle or a semi-auto shotgun, and as a secondary weapon Mauser pistols, or Semi-automatic pistols, or sawed-off shotguns.

Hunting wagon

If you have not bought a hunting wagon yet and you have extra money, then I would recommend you to buy this wagon. If you bought a hunting wagon, but haven't used it yet, then I would recommend doing it.

This wagon has many advantages:

• All your skins and animal carcasses are kept in the wagon, even if you change sessions.
  
• If your wagon is destroyed, the carcasses and skins will still be stored in it.
  
• You no longer need to go to Gus and sell 1 skin each time. You can sell it at any time convenient for you.
  
• Even if the game disconnected you from the session, your skins will remain in the wagon, unlike the horse.

There's one little flaw:
The wagon costs $875 + ~$120 insurance (I don't remember the exact cost of insurance)

Panther Nightwalker     🔥𝗡𝗘𝗪🔥

🗺️Location: Lemoyne
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during foggy weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at the end of the day(between 6 PM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Rhodes

Panther Ghost     🔥𝗡𝗘𝗪🔥

🗺️Location: Lemoyne
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during rainy or foggy weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at night (between 9 PM and 6 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Lagras

Moose Snowflake

🗺️Location: Ambarino
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted in rainy weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at night (between 8 PM and 8 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Colter

Moose Knight

🗺️Location: New Hanover
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted in any kind of weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 8 AM and 8 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Annesburg

Bear Owiza

🗺️Location: West Elizabeth / New Hanover
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted in clear or rainy weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at night (between 8 PM and 8 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Valentine

Bear Ridgeback Spirit

🗺️Location: West Elizabeth
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during dry, clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 8 AM and 8 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Strawberry

Gabbro Horn

🗺️Location: New Austin
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 5 AM and 5 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Tumbleweed

Chalk Horn

🗺️Location: Ambarino
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during clear or foggy weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 9 AM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Wapiti Indian Reservation

Alligator Teca

🗺️Location: Lemoyne
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during thunderstorms, rain or foggy weather
⏰Spawn time:This species is most active at night. (between 9 PM snd 6 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Saint Denis
📝Some additional notes: If you get too close to an alligator, then this animal can instantly kill you, so I recommend you keep a safe distance, but at the same time, I recommend that you be prepared for the animal to start running away quickly and if this happens you need to kill it is as soon as possible because the alligator might swim away. If you kill this animal in the water, then there is a chance that the carcass will drown and you will not be able to skin it.

Alligator Sun

🗺️Location: Lemoyne
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during foggy weather
⏰Spawn time:This animal is most active in the early morning (between 6 AM snd 9 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Lagras
📝Some additional notes: If you get too close to an alligator, then this animal can instantly kill you, so I recommend you keep a safe distance, but at the same time, I recommend that you be prepared for the animal to start running away quickly and if this happens you need to kill it is as soon as possible because the alligator might swim away. If you kill this animal in the water, then there is a chance that the carcass will drown and you will not be able to skin it.

Beaver Zizi

🗺️Location: West Elizabeth
⛅️Weather conditions: any kind of weather
⏰Spawn time: This species prefers the low light of dusk and dawn (between 6 AM and 9 AM or 5 PM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Strawberry
📝Some additional notes: If you try to shoot or sedate this animal in the lake, it will drown and you will not be able to get a skin or sample. Try to drive this beaver away from the lake to get a sample or skin.

Beaver Moon

🗺️Location: New Hanover
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during rain
⏰Spawn time: This particular species is most active at the start and end of the day. (between 6 AM and 9 AM or 5 PM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Van Horn Trading Post
📝Some additional notes: If you try to shoot or sedate this animal in the river, it may drown and you will not be able to get a skin or sample. Try to drive this beaver away from the river to get a sample or skin.

Bison Tatanka

🗺️Location: New Hanover
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during rain and drizzly weather
⏰Spawn time: They are most commonly spotted during the day (between 9 AM and 6 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Emerald Ranch Station

Bison Winyan

🗺️Location: Ambarino
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during dry, clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This bison is most active at night (between 9 PM and 6 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Colter
📝Some additional notes: This Legendary Bison will spawn along with 3-4 usual Bisons. If you start shooting the Legendary Bison before you kill the usual bisons, be sure that the usual bisons will trample you and the Legendary Bison will run away. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is to deal with usual bisons. You need to get down from the horse before you start shooting usual bisons, because you'll wind out from the saddle. Your character runs much slower in the snow and also spends more stamina than without snow. This animal runs much faster than your character, so make sure that your horse will always be close to you.

Boar Cogi

🗺️Location: Lemoyne
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during dry, clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This boar is most active during the day (between 6 AM and 9 AM or during the day)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Lagras

Boar Wakpa

🗺️Location: West Elizabeth
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during rain
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 9 AM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Manzanita Post

Buck Mud Runner

🗺️Location: New Hanover
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during dry, clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 9 AM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Valentine

Buck Snow

🗺️Location: West Elizabeth
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during dry, clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the early morning (between 5 AM and 10 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Manzanita Post
📝Some additional notes: Buck Snow is very jittery and fleetfooted. This animal runs much faster than your character, so make sure that your horse will always be close to you.

Cougar Iguga

🗺️Location: West Elizabeth
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during thunderstorms and rain weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the the end of the day (between 5 PM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Blackwater
📝Some additional notes: If you get too close to the cougar, then this animal can instantly kill you, therefore, you can climb any obstacle and if you do this, the cougar will not be able to attack you, but if there are no stones or obstacles nearby, I recommend you keep a safe distance, but at the same time, I recommend you be prepared for the animal to start running away quickly. So make sure that your horse will always be close to you.

Cougar Maza

🗺️Location: New Austin
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during the clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 9 AM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Tumbleweed
📝Some additional notes: If you get too close to the cougar, then this animal can instantly kill you, therefore, you can climb any obstacle and if you do this, the cougar will not be able to attack you, but if there are no stones or obstacles nearby, I recommend you keep a safe distance, but at the same time, I recommend you be prepared for the animal to start running away quickly. So make sure that your horse will always be close to you.

Coyote Red Streak

🗺️Location: New Austin
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during any kind of weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 8 AM and 10 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: MacFarlane's Ranch

Coyote Midnight Paw

🗺️Location: West Elizabeth
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day (between 6 AM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Strawberry

Elk Katata

🗺️Location: New Hanover
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during heavy mist and fog
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active during the day, but also It can be spotted at night (between 8 AM and 6 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Valentine

Elk Ozula

🗺️Location: New Austin
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during foggy weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at the end of the day and into the night (between 6 PM and 6 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Armadillo

Fox Ota

🗺️Location: Lemoyne
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during the clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at the start and end of the day (between 6 AM and 9 AM or 5 PM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Rhodes

Fox Marble

🗺️Location: Ambarino
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during spells of clear weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active in the middle of the day or at night (between 6 AM and 9 AM or 5 PM and 9 PM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Colter
📝Some additional notes: Your character runs much slower in the snow and also spends more stamina than without snow. This animal runs much faster in the snow than your character, so make sure that your horse will always be close to you.

Wolf Emerald

🗺️Location: Ambarino
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during any kind of weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at night (between 8 PM and 8 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Emerald Ranch Station
📝Some additional notes: This Legendary Wolf will spawn along with 3-4 usual wolfs . These animals are extremely dangerous and can kill you easily. Therefore, the first thing you need to do after the wolves chase you is to climb any obstacle (for example, a stone). The second thing you need to do is to deal with usual wolves. Then when you start shooting at the Legendary Wolf, after a while it will start to run away. This animal runs much faster than your character, so make sure that your horse will always be close to you.

Wolf Onyx

🗺️Location: Ambarino
⛅️Weather conditions: It can be spotted during dry weather
⏰Spawn time: This species is most active at night (between 9 PM and 6 AM)
🚏The Nearest Fast Travel: Wapiti Indian Reservation
📝Some additional notes: This Legendary Wolf will spawn along with 3-4 usual wolfs . These animals are extremely dangerous and can kill you easily. Therefore, the first thing you need to do after the wolves chase you is to climb any obstacle (for example, a stone). The second thing you need to do is to deal with usual wolves. Then when you start shooting at the Legendary Wolf, after a while it will start to run away. This animal runs much faster than your character, so make sure that your horse will always be close to you.

INTERACTIVE RDO MAP

You can also open the interactive map with legendary animals and more
by this link[jeanropke.github.io].

Conclusion

Thank you for taking the time to view my guide. I hope you find this information useful. If this is not the case, then accept my apologies please.
I might haven't written something in the guide. Therefore, if you notice any mistakes, inaccuracies, if you have any difficulties or you want to know more about something, write about it in the comments.

[~Mighty Cat]

In order to unlock Gus's items, you need to sell him the pelt of a legendary animal, not the carcass as mentioned in the guide earlier. So if you sell him the whole carcass of a legendary animal, you won't unlock anything, but you will get some money. I don't remember exactly, but for some recipes, the whole carcass of an animal is required. If I remember correctly, regular animals are required for this kind of recipe

[Ni Hao Fine Shyt]

what happens if i sell the carcass? please reply

[Ze IED]

[Karambo]

no problem, thx

[~Mighty Cat]

Updated. I'm so sorry. I apologise for the delay.

[Karambo]

im asking, because this guide had helped me a lot.

[Karambo]

there are new legendary animals (two new cougars). will you update this guide for them?

[~Mighty Cat]

Hey, don't worry buddy, I'll add information on how I find legendary animals soon. To date, I have found all the legendary animals and almost all animals I have met at least 2-5 times. I really spent a lot of time searching for legendary animals. But I have to warn you that you need to be patient.Because this is pretty long process.

[Nathunder]

got the sun gator about 7 times and only the sun gator, my luck...

[~Mighty Cat]

Oh... Yes, you need to sell the skin to Gus, and then you will have the possibility to buy a coat. I'll add this information to the guide just in case.