You’re driving through the dusty, heat-shimmered hellscape of Grapeseed when you see her. Maude Eccles. She’s sitting on the porch of a cluttered trailer, fanning herself, looking like the last person on earth who should be running a high-stakes bail bonds operation. But that’s the beauty of the GTA 5 Maude mission—it’s deceptively simple, weirdly charming, and arguably one of the most efficient ways to pad Trevor Philips’ bank account early in the game.
Maude is a trip. She talks about justice and "the passion of the hunt" while snacking on her porch, yet she’s the gatekeeper to a series of bounty hunting missions that take you across the entire map of San Andreas. Most players stumble into this after the "Mr. Philips" mission, but if you aren't paying attention to your emails, you might miss the chance to catch these bail jumpers entirely.
It isn't just about the money, though $10,000 per head (if you bring them in alive) is nothing to sneeze at when you're just starting out. It's about the chase.
Tracking the Bail Jumpers: It’s Harder Than It Looks
Once Maude sends you that first email, you’re officially a bounty hunter. She sends you a grainy photo and a general location. No GPS waypoint. No hand-holding. You actually have to look at the map and match the landmarks. It’s one of the few times Rockstar Games expects you to actually pay attention to the environment instead of just following a yellow line.
The first guy on the list is Ralph Ostrowski. He’s hiding out in the middle of a quarry. Honestly, the biggest mistake people make here is just rolling up and blasting him with a shotgun. Don't do that. Maude pays $10,000 for a living target and only $5,000 for a corpse. If you want the full payout, you need to bring them back to her trailer in Grapeseed breathing.
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How do you do that without getting shot? Use a Stun Gun if you’ve unlocked it, or just punch them once. Most of these guys are cowards. One hit and they’ll put their hands up and follow you to your car like a scolded puppy. It's hilarious, really. You’ve got Trevor, a literal psychopath, driving a terrified accountant across the desert while they make awkward small talk.
The Four Targets You Need to Find
- Ralph Ostrowski: Found at the bottom of the Davis Quartz quarry. He’s easy. Just drive down there, wait for him to try and bolt in his car, and ram him. He’ll give up almost immediately.
- Larry Tupper: This guy is hanging out at a deserted farm with some of his friends. This one is trickier because his buddies will shoot at you. You have to take out the goons but leave Larry alive. If you kill him, you’re losing out on five grand. Use a sniper rifle to thin the herd from a distance, then rush in and grab him.
- Glenn Scoville: This is the one everyone remembers. He’s at the very top of Mount Chiliad. You literally have to take a cable car or a dirt bike to the summit, then watch him base-jump off the edge. If you don't have a parachute, you're done. You have to jump after him, land near him, and corner him before he disappears into the woods.
- Curtis Weaver: Located at the Dignity Village homeless camp near the Great Ocean Highway. He’s cranky and will shoot at you. Just like the others, a quick smack or a non-lethal shot to the leg usually does the trick.
Why People Mess Up the GTA 5 Maude Mission
Most players get impatient. They see a red dot on the map and start throwing grenades. That's a waste. The GTA 5 Maude mission is a test of restraint. If you kill the target, Maude sounds genuinely disappointed in you over the phone, and your wallet feels the sting too.
Another weird quirk? The missions only trigger for Trevor. If you’re playing as Franklin or Michael and you head to Grapeseed, Maude will just sit there and ignore you. This is Trevor’s side hustle, a reflection of his weird, violent place in the social ecosystem of Blaine County.
There's also the issue of the emails. Sometimes players complain that Maude doesn't send the next target right away. Usually, you just need to wait about 24 in-game hours or switch characters and back again to "nudge" the game's script. Also, if you’re in the middle of a high-priority story mission, Maude’s emails will be put on hold. Go cause some chaos elsewhere and she’ll get back to you.
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The "Hidden" Reward
After you turn in the fourth and final bounty, Curtis Weaver, Maude tells you she’s retiring. She’s done with the "passion of the hunt." It’s a bittersweet end to a short questline, but it earns you the "Wanted: Alive or Alive" Achievement/Trophy.
But wait. If you’re playing the Enhanced Version (PS4, Xbox One, PC) or the newer Gen 9 versions (PS5, Series X), there’s actually a spiritual successor to this. In GTA Online, Maude’s daughter, Jenette, carries on the family business. Completing those missions unlocks the Stone Hatchet, which is basically a cheat code for melee combat. But in the base single-player game, Maude is your one and only source for this specific brand of desert justice.
Tips for the Perfect Bounty Run
If you want to breeze through these, grab a fast off-road vehicle. A Sanchez or a BF Injection is perfect for the terrain you'll be covering. The quarry and Mount Chiliad aren't exactly friendly to a lowered sports car.
- Bring a Stun Gun: It’s the safest way to ensure a $10,000 payout.
- Watch the skies: For Glenn Scoville, make sure you have a parachute before you even head toward the mountain. There’s usually one near the cable car station, but don’t risk it.
- Listen to the dialogue: The car rides back to Maude’s trailer are some of the funniest writing in the game. Each bounty has unique lines of dialogue where they try to bargain with Trevor. Watching Trevor shut them down is peak entertainment.
Honestly, the GTA 5 Maude mission is a relic of a different era of game design—one where the game didn't just point an arrow at everything. You have to look at a photo, check your surroundings, and hunt. It’s a break from the cinematic bank robberies and high-speed chases that define the rest of the game. It’s quiet. It’s gritty. It feels like the real Blaine County.
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Beyond the Bounty: What to Do Next
Once you've wrapped up with Maude, don't just leave Grapeseed. This area of the map is dense with "Strangers and Freaks" encounters. Since you’re already playing as Trevor, head over to the nearby shooting range or check out the various property hookups available in the desert.
The cash you earned from Maude—$40,000 total if you played it smart—is the perfect seed money for buying the McKenzie Field Hangar. That opens up arms trafficking missions, which are basically the "pro" version of what you were just doing for Maude. Instead of chasing bail jumpers, you're dropping packages from a plane or intercepting rival shipments.
If you're looking to maximize your 100% completion run, remember that Maude’s missions don't actually count toward the 100% stat in the pause menu, but they are required for the "Wanted: Alive or Alive" trophy. So, if you're a completionist, you can't skip them. If you're just here for the fun, do them anyway. There's something deeply satisfying about being a bounty hunter in a world where everyone else is just a common criminal.
Maximize your efficiency by hitting the Los Santos Customs in Sandy Shores between bounties to repair your car, because by the time you're hauling Larry Tupper across the dirt roads, your vehicle is going to be screaming for mercy. Keep your eyes on your inbox and your foot on the gas. Maude is waiting.