In Red Dead Redemption 2, the bow stands out as one of the most powerful and versatile weapons in the game. In this guide, I cover everything you need to know about how to use bows to hunt for three-star animal pelts and how you can use the different arrow types to your advantage.
What You Will Read Here
Why the Bow Is the Best Stealth Weapon in RDR2
You pick up the bow really early in the story, right during the “The Aftermath of Genesis” mission. From that point on, I always recommend carrying it with you. One of the best things about bows is that their condition never degrades like any other weapon in the game.
Not to mention, you don’t have the option to customize it at the gunsmith either. As for getting arrows, the Night Folk or the Skinner Brothers sometimes drop them.
What I really like about bows in RDR2 is how fast I can aim compared to any rifle or revolver. It’s completely silent, so you can sneak into heavily guarded camps or clear out gang hideouts, especially when it’s raining and harder for enemies to spot you. If someone gets too close, there’s this brutal melee move where you can stab them right in the face or neck with an arrow. It never gets old.
Which Arrow Type Should You Use?
There are six different arrow types you use for different purposes in Red Dead Redemption 2: Regular, Improved, Small Game, Poison, Fire, and Dynamite arrows. To craft these arrows, you need to find and read their specific pamphlets. You can buy them from Fences or find them in the wilderness.
For regular stealth kills and hunting medium-sized animals, just stick with basic arrows. When you need more stopping power for big or massive animals, craft Improved arrows. Those things hit so hard they can sometimes over-penetrate and take down two enemies standing in a line with a single shot.
For small animals like squirrels and snakes, provided you want to maintain perfect pelts, use Small Game arrows. For Fire arrows, you automatically get the pamphlet in Chapter 2. They’re great for lighting up dry grass or setting enemies on fire when you don’t want to waste your Dynamite arrows.
If you’re going after big predators like bears or cougars, or if you want to take down farm animals without ruining their hides, use Poison arrows coated with Oleander Sage. A good hit to a vital spot drops them fast and even a non-vital hit will weaken them until they go down.
You can buy the Poison arrow pamphlet from a Fence, but you can also find it in a lockbox outside the Mysterious Hill Home.
For when you really need to cause chaos, Dynamite arrows are perfect. You can take out groups of enemies or caravans from a safe distance while staying completely hidden. They’re also excellent for hunting Legendary Animals because the explosion doesn’t damage their special pelts.
You can find the recipe in a lockbox under a small bridge near the Wapiti Indian Reservation, though the Fence sells it as well.
Tips for Hunting with the Bow
The bow is easily my favorite weapon for hunting because it doesn’t spook nearby animals with loud shots. When you try to get perfect pelts, make sure to study the animal first and use the right arrow type for its size.
I recommend you do a lot of night hunting for trapper outfits, if that’s your goal. Set up camp near Emerald Ranch and sleep until it gets dark. Then use a Poison arrow to the head to drop an ox or cow without anyone noticing. This is just an example.
Even though you can only carry one large carcass on my horse at a time, take down several three-star animals in the same area with the bow and skin them all. Head back with a bunch of pelts. When you combine the bow with your Varmint Rifle and the Legendary Buck trinket, it feels like you have the perfect setup for hunting pretty much any animal in the game.
FAQ
Can you customize or repair the bow in RDR2?
You never need to clean or repair this weapon because its overall condition doesn’t deteriorate over time. Additionally, gunsmiths don’t offer any modification or customization options for it.
Why is the bow considered the best hunting weapon?
In Red Dead Redemption 2, unlike rifles that create loud noises and frighten nearby wildlife, this silent weapon allows you to take down animals without disturbing the surrounding area.
It also causes significantly less damage to the animal, which helps maintain perfect pelt conditions much better than other weapons.
How do Poison arrows affect aggressive predators?
You coat an arrow in Oleander Sage to create a highly effective defense against charging wolves and cougars. Once you strike them by this crafted toxin, aggressive animals will instantly break off their attack. They will eventually collapse and die from the poison, even if the you don’t manage to land the shot perfectly.
