There are ten Survivalist challenges in Red Dead Redemption 2. This guide will let you know how to complete all of them.
Survivalist 1
Catch 3 Bluegill Fish:
You can find Bluegills almost everywhere, but the creek south of Clemens Point is a good area for this kind of fish.
Jse Cheese as a lure and keep fishing until you catch three of them, doesn’t matter if you keep it or throw it back into the water.
Survivalist 2
Hand 5 Animals Into Camp Or Trapper:
To complete this challenge, you will need to hand 5 animal carcasses, not just the pelts.
The easiest way to complete the challenge is by co or any small animal that can be stored inside.
You can sell everything to the Trapper or donate the animals to the camp at Pearson’s table.
Survivalist 3
Kill 5 Animals Using A Varmint Rifle:
The entire area of The Heartlands is full of animals that you can kill using the Varmint rifle.
If it’s a big prey, use the DeadEye and place various marks on its head. For this challenge, you don’t need to make a clean kill.
The easiest way to complete it is by shooting at flocks of geese in the sky.
Survivalist 4
Craft A Dynamite, Fire. Improved, Poison, And Small Game Arrow:
To craft the five types of arrows, you need the related recipe, an arrow, and a Flight Feathers with a third unique ingredient.
You can either collect the recipes around the world, bought from Fences, or learn them after specific missions.
The arrows are available at any store/gun store, and a Flight Feather is collected by plucking any medium-sized flying bird.
The “Dynamite Arrow” pamphlet is located in a lockbox tucked under a small wooden bridge to the South of the Wapiti Indian Reservation.
You will need an arrow, a feather, and a dynamite stick that you can purchase from any Fence.
You’ll be able to craft a “Fire Arrow” from the beginning of Chapter 2.
You will need an arrow, a feather, and one cube of animal fat, obtainable by skinning Bears, Beavers, Boars, Ducks, Geese, Peccaries, and Pheasants.
You’ll be able to craft an “Improved Arrow” from the beginning of Chapter 2.
You only need an arrow and a Flight Feather.
You can find the “Poison Arrow” pamphlet inside a lockbox beside the “Mysterious Hill Home” in Anier.
You will need an arrow, a feather, and Oleander Sage plant, a common plant found along Kamassa River, south of Saltwater Strand.
You’ll be able to craft a “Small Game Arrow” from the beginning of Chapter 2.
You will need an arrow, a feather, and one shotgun shell.
Survivalist 5
Catch A Fish While Boating In The Bayou And While Standing On Railroad Tracks:
For the first objective, you can either use a boat or a canoe.
You have to roam around the Kamassa River to find one, docked or used, get on it, and start fishing.
For the second objective, you will need to reach Bayall Edge in the Bayou Nwa area, stand on the railroad tracks and start fishing.
Make sure you are in the Bayou Nwa area and that you’re standing on the train tracks; otherwise, the objective won’t unlock.
Survivalist 6
Kill An Animal Scavenging A Corpse 5 Times:
It is easier and faster than it seems. You can use both Predator and Herbivore baits instead of a corpse for this challenge.
Place the bait, and move away from the area. Then wait for the animals to move towards the bait and kill them.
You can also use their carcasses to attract scavengers and kill them as soon as they prey on dead animals.
Survivalist 7
Kill 8 Small Game Animals With Consecutive Shots, Using Small Game Arrows:
Before starting, make sure you have enough Small Game Arrows to craft one. You will need an arrow, a feather, and one shotgun shell.
If you don’t care about the honor, you can hunt chickens at Emerald Ranch; otherwise, you can fish with the bow.
You have to reach Cattail Pond, northwest of Valentine, and use the DeadEye to ensure that every Small Game Arrow is a fish kill.
If you can’t find any fish near the shore, swim in the lake and push the fish towards the edge.
Survivalist 8
Craft A Homing Tomahawk, Improved Tomahawk, Volatile Dynamite, And Volatile Fire Bottle:
You can find the “Homing Tomahawk” pamphlet inside a lock box in the Flattened Cabin southwest of the Moonstone Pond.
You will need a Tomahawk and an Owl Feather. You can buy the first one from any Fence. Owls can be found at night flying around Emerald Ranch.
You learn the ingredients for the “Improved Tomahawk” without reading a pamphlet from the beginning of Chapter 2.
You will need a Tomahawk, an Eagle Feather, and a Hawk Feather. You can buy the first one from any Fence.
You can find Hawks around Emerald Ranch but can also be attracted anywhere by leaving a carcass to rot.
For the Eagle Feather, you will need to kill and pluck the Eagle that can always be found sitting on the rocks facing the Owanjila Lake and Dam.
The “Volatile Dynamite” pamphlet is inside a big chest under the wagon at Hani’s Brothel, northwest of Heartland Overflow.
To craft one of them, you need a stick of dynamite that you can buy from any Fence, a High-Velocity Cartridge, and a cube of Animal Fat.
Animal Fat is obtainable by skinning Bears, Beavers, Boars, Ducks, Geese, Peccaries, and Pheasants.
The “Volatile Fire Bottle” pamphlet is inside a chest in the abandoned campsite in the burned forest northwest of Horseshoe Overlook.
To craft one of them, you need a bottle of Moonshine that you can buy from any Fence and a cube of Animal Fat.
Animal Fat is obtainable by skinning Bears, Beavers, Boars, Ducks, Geese, Peccaries, and Pheasants.
Survivalist 9
Catch A Fish That Weighs At Least 19 Lbs:
Except for the Legendary Fish, there are 5 species of fish that weigh over 19 lbs.
They are the Muskie and Lake Sturgeon (Lake), the Northern Pike (River), the Longnose Gar, and Channel Catfish (Swamp).
The easiest way to complete the challenge is by catching a legendary fish, but there’s still a chance if you have already caught them all.
You have to head to the Pier on the Kamassa River at Fishing Spot, in Lemoyne, west of Lagras.
Equip the fishing rod, use a swamp lure and activate the Eagle Eye while holding the fishing rod to see the big catfish.
Once you found one, cast the line towards the fish and hope for the best.
Survivalist 10
Catch One Of Each Type Of Fish Throughout The World:
This challenge is time-consuming but not too difficult. There are exactly 15 fish species to catch in specific spots with the correct bait and lures.
O’Creagh Run: Bluegill (Cheese), Chain Pickerel (Corn), Perch (Bread), Rock Bass (Cheese), Sockeye Salmon (River Lure), Muskie (Lake Lure).
Cattail Pond: Northern Pike (River Lure)
Dakota River’s Estuary: Redfin Pickerel (Bread), Largemouth Bass (Crayfish), Steelhead Trout (Worms).
Sisiska Island: Bullhead Catfish (Corn), Channel Catfish (Swamp Lure).
Lagras’s Swamp: Longnose Gar (Swamp Lure), Smallmouth Bass (Crickets), Lake Sturgeon (Lake Lure).
