Of the many animals you can hunt in Red Dead Redemption 2, the legendary beasts are the rarest and most difficult to kill.
Not all legendary animals are made equal and the Legendary Buck is among the easier ones to take down. Unlike some of the other animals, like the Giaguaro Panther, the Legendary Buck doesn't have any progression prerequisites.
If you follow the instructions in this guide, you'll find a Legendary Buck in no time.
Article Contents
Legendary Buck Location
The animal will be unlocked upon completing the Exit, Pursued by a Bruised Ego mission in Chapter 2, which is when many of the game's open-world aspects become accessible.
You can find the animal nearby Strawberry, in the area west of Mount Shann and north of Owanjila Lake. If you have unlocked the Trapper in the area, the buck is to the east of it.
A common issue players encounter when they reach the area is that they can't track the animal. If the game says that there is too much activity in the area to track the Legendary Buck, simply resting or killing a few other animals may do the trick. However, several players find that the message still appears after doing so.
In that case, we suggest you complete the bounty missions in Strawberry, the missions given by Leopold Strauss, the missions given by Hosea Matthews, the random encounters that spawn in the area and clear the nearby gang hideout. You might not necessarily need to do all of these - reports vary on which or how many activities ended up in getting rid of the obstacle.
Hunting The Legendary Buck
Legendary Animals never spawn randomly, so you won't just accidentally happen upon them. When you are in the right area, the game will tell you as much by indicating you are in Legendary Animal Territory. If you look at your mini-map, you'll see a white question mark which you need to approach. While in this zone, you need to activate Arthur's Eagle Eye vision by pressing both analog sticks.
Here, you'll find various clues - dung, fur or hoof prints - that you need to examine. Doing so will then reveal a faint yellow trail leading you first to two other such clue sites, then to the animal. You'll need to listen for the Buck's cry to track it. The Legendary Buck is distinguished from its regular kin by its unique white and brown fur, so once you see the animal be careful not to frighten it.
Legendary Pelts are not affected by the method of killing the animal, so you don't need to worry about being gentle. Use the most powerful weapon and ammo you have access to and make sure Dead Eye is fully charged. Shotguns with slug ammo are recommended. When you are in range, activate Dead Eye and aim as many shots for the head as you can. The Legendary Buck can take a lot of damage before going down, however, attacking it will cause it to try and escape.
Should the Legendary Buck get away, resting for 72 hours outside the Legendary Animal Territory will make it respawn, but you need to go through the whole tracking process once more.
Rewards
If you succeed in killing and skinning the Legendary Buck, you'll gain the Legendary Buck Antler and Legendary Buck Pelt. Using these items the Trapper can craft a talisman and an outfit (with additional ingredients) for you, and selling the carcass will net you $31. The Legendary Buck trinket will increase the quality of skinned items while it is equipped, with can be useful for future crafting.
