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This content, below level 5, is available for all players. Players wishing to gain XP beyond level 5 in this content will need to subscribe.
The parts within this section that are for members only will be indicated accordingly with a  icon. |
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Introduction
Getting started with hunting
To begin training the Hunter skill, you will need to set aside those dreams of tackling hulking
graahks, taming a
falcon and scanning the horizon in a full-set of
sabretooth kyatt camouflage; these abilities and items will come with time and patience. To begin Hunter, instead, you will have to study the art of
deadfalling,
bird snares and
tracking. This is the joy of the skill - there are so many different ways of becoming a proficient Hunter and a whole host of catchable creatures to help you on your way.
The best place to begin would be at one of the Hunter stores in Yanille or Nardah. These two stores will provide you with everything you need to start raising your Hunter stats; from butterfly nets to box traps. These shops can be identified via their Hunter store icon 
.
Once you are stocked with the required tools (if your are starting out, it is advised that you buy a Noose wand, a Bird snare, Butterfly net and Butterfly jar) then it is time to trek to one of the many Hunter areas in Gielinor. These are identified by their paw icons on the map 
.
It may be worth going to either the Rellekka Hunter Area or Feldip Jungle area first; at the Rellekka area you will find Polar kebbits, which can be 'tracked', while the Feldip Jungle has the Crimson swift, a red bird that can be found on the shoreline of the Hunter area. Each of these need level 1 Hunter, and are thus the perfect starting point for an enthusiastic rookie.
Once you have arrived at a Hunter area it is time to embark on your hunting career - one that will involve stealth, patience, camouflage and more than a little bravery. For any additional help, talk to the Hunter guides at the north of the Rellekka area, or the west side of the Feldip Jungle area.
Equipment
Main article: Hunter Equipment
You can't hunt with your bare hands in Gielinor: you need the proper equipment. Depending on which type of trap you wish to make, you may want to visit the Yanille or Nardah hunting stores where you'll find a selection of useful tools.
Locations
Main article: Hunter Locations
There are several training areas with a diverse variety of high-level and low-level Hunter creatures. The training areas also allow you to test the breadth of your Hunter trapping techniques, with a selection of trackable, nettable, snareable and pitfall beasties.
Other areas are inhabited by one or two creatures only and so require specialist knowledge to hunt there successfully.
Getting Hunter Experience
Hunting Techniques
Hunter XP is granted for successfully catching an animal using the correct trap or bait. There are many different ways to do this, and the one you need to use will vary depending on the animal you want to catch.
Bird Snaring
Main article: Bird Snaring
| Levels |
1 - 19  |
Bird snaring is a part of the Hunter skill that is suitable for the less-experienced, requiring a bird snare, available from the Hunter stores. These wooden contraptions look like simple perches for birds to land on. However, the weight of the bird on the lightweight perch will cause it to drop away and a small loop of wire to close around the bird's feet.
A bird snare should be laid in an area with many birds circling above for maximum results. Once caught, a bird will leave feathers that can be used when Fletching or even for catching the fabled 'rainbow fish'.
Tracking
Main article: Tracking
| Levels |
| 1 - 49 |
Often the starting point for many a rookie Hunter, tracking is the pursuit of an animal by following their tracks; whether they be paw-prints, nibbled twigs or scent. An animal that requires tracking will not appear on the map or game screen like other animals. Instead, these reclusive and shy creatures will move about the world away from your gaze. It is up to you to find the animal and trap it.
Tracking targets all start from a burrow in the ground, such as the one below.
'Inspecting' the hole will reveal a path of pawprints away from it. This path will show the direction that the creature went, and you should follow that trail. It is up to you to 'search' the bushes, grass, cacti, disturbed sand and logs, amongst others, surrounding the path to see where that animal went to next. Sometimes the tracks will even loop - wily kebbits - and you will still have to search the surrounding areas. Don't worry - there will still be a kebbit reward at the end!
Keep searching - sometimes the next piece of bush, grass, log, etc, may well be quite a way away from the original tracks.
The path will always end with a kebbit hiding area, and a search of the final spot will bring up a message in the chat window of the interface.
It is now time to use your Noose wand, bought from any good Hunter store. Using it on the hole (or clicking the hole with a noose wand equipped) will, with any luck, catch the creature - leaving you with a series of items that can be used later on.
Logging out will cause your tracks to disappear and you will have to start again.
Netting
Main article: Netting
| Levels |
| 15 - 45 |
Those Hunters in possession of a butterfly net and empty jar can try their hand at butterfly netting - if they have the requisite skill level, of course. Not every clumsy adventurer has the skill and panache to catch a butterfly, so these are often higher level Hunter creatures.
Caught by left-clicking when holding a net and with an empty butterfly jar in the inventory, the butterflies of RuneScape hold magical properties and can be unleashed on other players in multi-way combat areas for positive effects.
Deadfall
Main article: Deadfall
| Levels |
| 23 - 51 |
This trap uses a well-propped boulder to catch a creature. This method can only be used on particularly stupid targets, and as such, are only available for use on particularly stupid kebbits. You can 'Set-trap boulder' while holding any form of log and a knife in your inventory, which will place the log underneath the rock and prop it up. Any kebbit that knocks the prop will have an unfortunate demise, leaving rewards for use later on.
Deadfall kebbits will be drawn to the trap by their specific baits.
Box Trapping
Main article: Box Trapping
| Levels |
| 27 - 77 |
Box trapping is suitable for trapping creatures alive, and suits those animals that could be useful to you. This method allows you to trap chinchompas and ferrets, which can be later used as a form of ranged explosive.
To set the trap you must first lay the box and then open it up ready for catching the creature. It is wise not to lay the trap and move away quickly, as the trap will not be properly set. Once opened it is possible to bait the trap - chinchompas love spicy mincemeat and spicy tomato, while ferrets love raw meat - and move away, awaiting a curious creature to walk inside.
Rabbit Snaring
Main article: Rabbit Snaring
| Levels |
| 27 |
The practice of rabbit snaring will only be available to you once you have completed the Eagles' Peak quest. Having finished the quest, Nickolaus will have shown you how to box-trap ferrets in the south-west region of the Piscatoris Hunter area, past the Tree Gnome Stronghold.
These ferrets, once caught via a box trap (also requiring level 27 Hunter), will become invaluable to you when rabbit snaring. A rabbit snare, bought from the Hunter stores of Yanille and Nardah, will also be required for your first rabbit snare.
Once these two have been collected, it is time to travel to one of the rabbit burrow areas in the Piscatoris Hunter area. These are recognisable by the pattern of six burrows, all facing towards each other.
To catch the rascally rabbit, you will need to lay a rabbit snare in the area that the burrows face (though it is advised to lay as many as your level allows; see the Rabbit Snaring page to see how many you can lay at a time). Once this is done, simply 'use' the ferret on a rabbit hole, and wait to see if the blindingly fast rabbits get caught in one of your snares. They streak across the area randomly, so you may not be lucky every time.
Net Trapping
Main article: Net Trapping
| Levels |
| 29 - 67 |
This trap uses the bendy young trees that grow around RuneScape to trap lizards and salamanders. With any net and rope in your inventory, you can use them on the various young trees to make a net trap. The salamander's favourite baits are identified in the Net Trapping page.
Stepping away from the trap, you can catch these reptiles and amphibians for later use as a two-handed Ranged weapon!
Go to the Hunter Locations page for salamander and swamp lizard locations, as they are often found away from the Training Areas, in more hazardous locations.
Pitfall Traps
Main article: Pitfall Trapping
| Levels |
| 31-55 |
The prize of many a seasoned Hunter, these beasts may not be the most difficult of creatures to hunt, but they are certainly some of the most impressive. They are also sought after for their pelts and hides which are traditionally made into camouflage gear for the stalking of prey (as well as being a sign of a Hunter's status).
Pitfall traps use the pits in the ground that dot the landscape around pitfall targets. These dips can be changed into spiked pits with the simple use of logs from a tree and a knife in your inventory. The difficult part comes next, just in case you felt this was too easy.
With the aid of a teasing stick, bought from any Hunter store, a particularly brave hunter can prod a creature and cause it to run after him or her. If that brave hunter happens to be you, make sure you lead it toward your pitfall and then jump over. With any luck (and a high Hunter skill) the beast should fall into your spike trap, leaving it ready to have its hide gleaned.
These hides can be made into animal-skin clothing for aiding you with hunting, more specifically in those areas where the animal-skin was gleaned. A sabretooth kyatt, trapped in polar regions, will increase your chance of Hunter success in polar regions. A full-set of kyatt-skin clothing will increase that chance even further.
Falconry
Main article: Falconry
| Levels |
| 43-69 |
Elegant masters of the air, falcons have been tamed in some corners of the RuneScape world for the purpose of sport and hunting. Often used by wealthy merchants on their trips near the Piscatoris Fishing Colony, these beautiful birds of prey will bring down even the speediest of kebbit.
To have a go with the falcon, you will need to pay its owner 500gp for the privilege. When holding the bird, left-click on one of the kebbits in its enclosure to cause the falcon to fly speedily towards it and hold it down with its talons. A swift walk to the downed kebbit will produce various pelts that can be used to create lightweight clothing for furthering your other skills.
Magical Imp Box
Main article: Magical Imp Boxes
| Levels |
| 71 |
The magical imp box is like catnip to the imp. He cannot help but be drawn to its throbbing tones and kaleidoscopic colours, getting caught inside it. Luckily for the imp community, the magic box can only be used by masters of the Hunter skill. Those imps that are caught - unfortunate blighters - will have to perform a couple of tasks for their master before they are released. So, when you have an imp caught in your magical box, you can force him to deliver two items to your bank at any point in the game. Watch out, though: the imps are quite temperamental and will often turn down your demands, and will flat-out refuse if you are too deep in the Wilderness.
These two requests for banking items in your inventory can be used separately, or together, if you wish. More than one boxed imp can be contained in your inventory at a time.
Charm Sprite Blasting
Main article: Charm Sprite Blasting
| Levels |
| 72 |
A gnome hunter by the name of Yaktwee has discovered that the Taverley druids' constant venturing into the Spirit Realm has had an effect on Gielinor. Creatures native to the Spirit Realm have 'invaded' an area just south of the Tree Gnome Stronghold, and are 'attacking' the local neverberry bushes.
You'll need a 
sprite lure and a 
Yaktwee stick. If you head over to Yaktwee he'll happily sell you one of each and teach you how to hunt with them, though the process is quite simple. First, you'll need to keep an eye out for any rustling neverberry bushes. Then, simply throw your sprite lure at the bush and zap the lure with your Yaktwee stick - this will make any nearby sprites visible. All that's left now is to give the critters another blast with the Yaktwee stick turning them into a charm slice.
If you capture enough charm sprites to get ten charm slices of the same colour (gold, green, crimson or blue), then you can 'combine' those fragments to gain a charm of that colour to use in your Summoning training.
Advanced Hunting Techniques
Smoking traps
A creature can be put off by your appearance and smell. Smoking a trap (level 39) will remove your scent from it, so that the creature will feel less like it is being lured somewhere it shouldn't be! To smoke the trap you will need a torch, bought from your local Hunter store, and a Hunter level of 39. Lighting the torch and using it on a selected few of your traps will increase your chances of Hunter success. The traps that can be smoked are bird snares, deadfalls, box traps and net traps.
Camouflaging
Finally, your appearance can often be enough to stop an animal walking into a trap. Don't take it personally - a creature just feels slightly wary when humans are about. Walking far enough away or hiding behind an obstacle is normally enough to help trap a creature, while wearing camouflaged outfits garnered from Hunter creatures of that area (jungle camo-tops for the jungle, for example) will also increase your chances of success. A full suit of a specific animal's fur (headdress, top and trousers) will give an additional boost to your Hunter potential.
Ogre Hunting
Those hunters who have reached certain stages in As a First Resort... will learn the cunning methods the ogresses of Oo'glog have developed for hunting the odd creatures around their home.
The key to hunting these creatures (Diseased kebbits, Wimpy birds and platypodes) is the use of correct herbs located outside the town. Some of these herbs will attract one creature while making another enraged. To attract an ogre Hunter creature, you must smoulder these herbs (by using a tinderbox on them); you can use the same herbs as bait in traps, and the diseased kebbit can also be baited with raw meat placed in the deadfall.
Note: Using the wrong herbs may result in the creatures attacking you!
- Wimpy birds will attack if you smoulder lavender.
- Diseased kebbits will give you a nasty bite (and infect you with a disease) if you smoulder tansymum.
- Platypodes will use their viciously barbed rear feet to poison you if you smoulder fever grass near them.
Diseased kebbits' fur can be sewn into a Davy Kebbit hat if you take one to Frawd, the ogress who runs the Oo'glog general store. Platypodes can be kept as pets (with a Summoning level of 10), which you may then choose to dismiss (using the pet interface) into the reeds at the beach in the east of Oo'glog to receive a reward.
Hunting Thalassus
The Fishing Guild is the place to embark from if you want to hunt the fabled Thalassus. After completing the Deadliest Catch quest, you will be given 10 opportunities to hunt the creature again, so make your way to the west side of the Fishing Guild and talk to Jones.
If you are able to hunt Thalassus, you will be taken out to sea by The Guns. As in the quest, you must first click on the driftwood with a flashing yellow arrow above it, and then try to anticipate where Thalassus went next by clicking on other shipwrecks. Follow Thalassus's true path for long enough and you will confront it and gain some Hunter XP. Watch out: you only get ten opportunities to hunt Thalassus, and they get increasingly difficult, with fewer mistakes allowed. If you are unsuccessful in hunting the Thalassus, you will be able to retry that attempt and you will not lose that opportunity.
| Hunting Trip |
Mistakes Allowed |
XP |
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Hunting Trip |
Mistakes Allowed |
XP |
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Hunting Trip |
Mistakes Allowed |
XP |
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Hunting Trip |
Mistakes Allowed |
XP |
| 1 |
4 |
3110 |
2 |
4 |
3590 |
3 |
4 |
4070 |
4 |
3 |
4550 |
| 5 |
3 |
5030 |
6 |
3 |
5510 |
7 |
3 |
5990 |
8 |
3 |
6470 |
| 9 |
3 |
6950 |
10 |
2 |
7430 |
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Catching Pets
Using your Hunter and Summoning skills, you can catch a number of baby animals to raise as pets.
Boosting Experience Gain
Training Hints and Tips
- Animals have a better sense of smell than humans and are easily frightened by foreign odours. To ensure success, make sure to smoke your traps, or even take a bath at Oo'glog to mask your scent.
- You won't be able to approach an animal stealthily in a full set of plate armour, so make sure to wear animal skin clothing, preferably of the same colour as the area you are hunting in, for maximum success.
- A hunter cannot catch their prey without the right equipment so prepare yourself before you set out. Take note of the animals found in the area you will be hunting in and which traps you will need to catch them.
Hunter Boosts
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The Hunter potion can raise your Hunter level temporarily by 3. |
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A yellow Spicy stew has a random chance to increase your Hunter level by up to 6 levels (or decrease it by the same). |
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The Hunter cape raises your Hunter level by 1 when equipped. |
Using the Summoning skill, you'll find that there are a few familiars that might be useful for training Hunter. Of particular note are the Wolpertinger, Spirit graahk, Sprirt kyatt and Spirit larupia, whose special moves can increase your Hunter level by 5. The Arctic bear can increase this further with a +7 boost.
Useful Items
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The Ruby harvest, when released, boosts another player's Attack. |
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The Sapphire glacialis, when released, boosts another player's Defence. |
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The Snowy knight, when released, restores another player's life points. |
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The Black warlock, when released, boosts another player's Strength. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Hello! Matthias here - expert falconer and kebbit hunter - ready to answer your questions about the Hunter skill and the finer points of falconry. They better be paying me well for this...
1. I am a free-to-play member. Can I use the Hunter skill?
Only up to level 5, young adventurer. The rest of the Hunter skill is only available to members, and as such you will not be able to get to grips with the beautiful falcon and study its plumage, for example.
2. How can I make the bait necessary for the chinchompas?
Those cute little chinchompas can't help but be attracted to spicy food! My advice is to use a tomato on an empty bowl with a knife in your inventory. Add some gnome spice and Bob is your falcon's uncle; you have spicy tomatoes and the bait for a normal chinchompa. The red chinchompa is a little more carnivorous and loves spicy meat. You'll need some cooked meat for that, using it on an empty bowl with a knife in your inventory. Add gnome spice and you have a tasty chinchompa meal!
In fact, that sounds pretty tasty. Pardon me while I nip in my hut and cook up a little something...
3. The fur traders won't accept my animal fur: why?
It seems to me, you cheeky falconer, that you are trying to sell them some fur that has been won from my falconry area. I praise you for your choice of training area, but unfortunately fur traders will not take this fur as it is too thin to make strong clothing with. I wish they did - then I'd be in the money.
4. I can't leave the falconry arena without leaving the falcon!
Less a frequently asked question, and more a statement of frustration, there! Anyway, that is entirely right; I won't let you leave with my beloved falcon in tow! They take a huge amount of skill to train, and they are getting rare now. I'll let you try them out; I'll even let you keep any rewards you get with it. I won't, however, let you leave with one. Sorry!
5. My butterflies aren't working! I am getting no bonuses from them whatsoever. What am I doing wrong?
The butterflies are magical and intelligent creatures - don't let their seemingly random flutterings deceive you! They despise greed in particular, and will not aid a player who wants their powers just for him or herself. Those who wish benefits on others, however; those are the people that butterflies will aid.
It is best to save your butterfly for a multi-way combat area, my friend, and use it on one of your compatriots there. Then they will receive the full use of the beautiful little blighters- although leaving you without a boost, I am afraid. Oh, and while I remember, your friend should have 'Accept aid' on. Phew, nearly forgot that bit!
6. Why am I not able to lay any more traps?
If you cannot lay any more traps then you are most likely at the limit of how many traps you can lay. See the Game Guide page for the trapping type you are employing to see what your limit would be. It is most likely that you have a trap readied that you have forgotten about - search around the area for it or simply wait until is dismantles itself. That should do it.
It is also possible that you are trying to lay more than one deadfall trap. Sad to say that the deadfall trap is the only 'place and wait' trap that can only be laid one at a time.
7. Do I get further bonuses for wearing a complete animal outfit?
That is right, you do. Dress yourself hat-to-ankles in one animal's fur and you will have a slight advantage over other hunters, with a higher chance of succeeding. You will be expertly camouflaged and will even smell slightly of that creature! Oh, wonderful.
8. Do I have to use the imp's favours up in one go?
I believe not, though I have never caught one myself. My Hunter friends tell me that with a little persuasion, the imp will take one item to the bank at one time, and then will take another item at a later date. Obviously you don't have to send them one at a time - an imp will happily use up both favours in one go to take two items to the bank. I, for one, have no use for banks (I have a hiding place in my hut, and no - I won't tell you where and you won't be able to find it).
See Also
Hunter Related Skills
The following skills help with the Hunter skill:
- Summoning - Using the Summoning skill, you'll find that there are a few familiars that might be useful for training your Hunter. Of particular note is the Arctic bear, who counts as two pieces of arctic camouflage.
Hunter Related Quests
For quests that give Hunter experience as a reward, please refer to the Hunter Rewards page.
Hunter Related Minigames
The following minigames help with the Hunter skill:
Hunter Related Distractions & Diversions
The following D&Ds help with the Hunter skill:
Hunter Related Equipment
