You're riding through the humid, thick air of the Bayou Nwa, or maybe you're cutting through the woods near Roanoke Ridge, and you see it. A massive wild pig rooting around in the mud. You want that perfect boar pelt rdr2 players need for the various satchel upgrades or those fancy Bear Grenadier Chaps at the Trapper. You aim. You fire. You walk up to the carcass only to see a "Good" or "Poor" rating staring back at you. It’s frustrating. Honestly, it’s one of the most common gear-grind roadblocks in Red Dead Redemption 2 because boars are deceptively tough.
Most people treat them like deer. They aren't deer. A deer is a fragile glass cannon of an animal; a boar is a tank with a thick skull and a bad attitude. If you use the wrong tool or hit the wrong spot, you’ve basically just wasted a few minutes of your life for a stringy piece of pork and a ruined hide.
The Hardware Problem: Stop Using the Wrong Gun
If you take nothing else away from this, remember that the Repeater is your enemy here. I know, the Lancaster or the Litchfield are great for shootouts with the O'Driscolls, but they are absolutely terrible for hunting large game if you want to keep the skin intact. The game's internal logic classifies the wild boar as a "Large" animal.
For a perfect boar pelt rdr2 hunt, you need punch. You need a Rifle. Not a Varmint Rifle, obviously, and not a Repeater. You need the Bolt Action Rifle or the Springfield Rifle. Even a Sniper Rifle like the Carcano or Rolling Block works, though those can feel like overkill when you're just trying to bag a pig.
Why? Because a rifle round is the only thing that consistently pierces the thick hide and skull of a 3-star boar without degrading the quality. If you use a Repeater, you often have to shoot it twice to kill it, or the single shot doesn't have the "power" to register as a clean kill. The moment that second bullet touches the animal, your 3-star dream is dead. It's gone.
If you're more of a traditionalist, the Bow is actually a top-tier choice. But—and this is a big "but"—you cannot use standard arrows. You have to use Improved Arrows. Standard arrows will often just piss the boar off, leading to a chase where you eventually ruin the hide with a panicked second shot.
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Where to Find the 3-Star Specimens
Boars are everywhere, which is part of the problem. They feel common, so we get lazy. But if you're looking for high-density spawns to farm that perfect boar pelt rdr2 requirement, you have to be specific.
The swamps of Lemoyne are the most obvious spot. Look around Bluewater Marsh and the areas surrounding Saint Denis. They love the mud. However, the Bayou is dangerous. You’re trying to line up a shot on a pig while an alligator is literally eyeing your horse’s legs. It’s stressful.
Personally, I prefer the area just north of Rhodes, specifically the woods around the "B" and "L" in Braithwaite Manor on the map, or the forests of West Elizabeth near Riggs Station. The visibility is usually better there than in the fog of the swamp.
- Bayou Nwa: High density, low visibility, dangerous predators.
- Scarlett Meadows: Good visibility, lots of rolling hills to use as cover.
- Tall Trees: Great for late-game hunting, but watch out for Grizzlies.
You also need to use your binoculars. Don’t just start shooting at every pig you see. Look through the glass and check the stars in the bottom right corner of the screen. If it isn't a 3-star "Pristine" animal, don't even bother. You can't turn a 2-star pig into a 3-star pelt regardless of how clean your shot is.
The Shot: Anatomy of a Clean Kill
The game tells you to hit "vitals." That's vague. For a boar, the vitals are basically the brain or the heart. Since boars tend to keep their heads down while rooting for food, the brain shot is actually a bit tricky from the front.
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If you're using Dead Eye—and you should be—look for the "red" glowing areas once you've reached Dead Eye Level 4 or 5. The brain is a very small target right behind the eyes. A more reliable shot is often the neck or the heart area right behind the front shoulder.
Wait for the boar to stop moving. If you’re whistle-calling to get it to raise its head, be ready. You have about two seconds before it gets spooked and bolts. A panicked boar is much harder to hit in the brain. If you hit it in the rump, the side, or the lower jaw, you’ve just downgraded your perfect boar pelt rdr2 to a "Good" one.
The Buck Antler Trinket Myth
Let’s talk about the Buck Antler Trinket. You get this by hunting the Legendary Buck and crafting it at a Fence. A lot of players think this trinket magically turns 2-star animals into 3-star skins. It doesn't.
What it actually does is give you a chance to "save" a pelt if you mess up the shot. If you shoot a 3-star boar and the kill isn't perfectly clean, the game might drop it to a 2-star. The Trinket gives you a percentage chance that when you skin that 2-star carcass, the pelt in your inventory magically becomes "Perfect" again. It’s a safety net, not a shortcut. You still need to find a 3-star animal to start with.
Why You Actually Need These Pelts
It isn't just about completionism. The perfect boar pelt rdr2 is a component for some of the most practical gear in the game.
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Specifically, the Boar Flap Woodsman Satchel. This is a big deal for players who like to stay out in the wilderness for long stretches without visiting a general store. You also need them for the Trapper. The Boar Riding Gloves are iconic, and the various saddles sometimes require them.
Then there’s the camp upgrades. Pearson needs a couple of these to make the camp look less like a hobo camp and more like a functional home for the Van der Linde gang. It’s about the vibes, sure, but it’s also about that sweet 100% completion stat.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using a Shotgun: This should go without saying, but Slug or Buckshot will shredded the hide.
- Trampling: If you run over the boar with your horse, the quality drops instantly. Even if the boar survives the hit and you shoot it perfectly afterward, the "blunt force trauma" from your horse has already ruined the skin.
- Water Skinning: If you kill a boar and it falls into deep water, you might not be able to skin it. Or worse, if it's shallow water, sometimes the game physics glitch out and the pelt quality degrades. Keep them on dry land.
- Fire: Don't use incendiary rounds. Just don't.
The Stealth Approach
If you're struggling to get close enough for a clean headshot, use Cover Scent Lotion. Boars have a decent sense of smell. If you're downwind, they'll catch your scent from surprisingly far away and start huffing and puffing before running off.
Crouch-walk. Use the "Call" button ($Square$ on PlayStation, $X$ on Xbox) when you have your sights lined up. This makes the boar lift its head for a split second. That is your window. Take it.
Actionable Next Steps for the Perfect Hunt
To stop wasting time and finally get those skins back to Pearson or the Trapper, follow this exact sequence:
- Check your weapon: Equip the Bolt Action Rifle with Express Ammo for maximum damage and range.
- Head to the right spot: Go to the woods north of Saint Denis or the areas around Bolger Glade in Lemoyne.
- Scout first: Use your binoculars to find a "Pristine" 3-star boar.
- Mask your scent: Apply Cover Scent Lotion if the wind is blowing toward the animal.
- The Shot: Aim for the head or the neck. Use Dead Eye to ensure you aren't hitting the shoulder blade or the torso.
- Skin immediately: Don't leave the carcass on your horse for too long; while carcasses rot, a pelt in your inventory stays "perfect" forever.
Once you have the perfect boar pelt rdr2 in your inventory, head straight to the Trapper or Pearson. Don't get into a random encounter shootout on the way back where a stray bullet might hit your horse's cargo. I've seen it happen—you get into a tiff with some Bounty Hunters, and your 3-star pelt takes a bullet. It’s heartbreaking. Go sell it, craft your gear, and move on to the next hunt.