Hunter

By: ßarbeque
Special Thanks to: Albert2006xp, Anywher3, Breaker, Cannabis, Cxkslei, Da Scotsman, Damaged500, Eman, Evolution, Jbui8000, Mark Segedin, Masao, Pudd In, Reixx, Stobbo, Terrorelmo

Have you longed to have an imp to do your bidding? Would you like a cape that reduces your weight by 4-5kg? Or do you just want to raise your hunter level? Let's take a look at this, one step at a time.

Table of Contents



Training

Levels 1-9

To start your hunting experience, head to Yanille, and buy some gear: Butterfly net, 2 bird snares, and a few butterfly jars. This will cost no more than 200gp.

First, head down south to the Jungle Hunting Area, and on the east coast there should be some red birds, Crimson Swifts, set up your first bird snare around them, be sure to take a few steps away first though!

Jungle hunting area map

A bird may land on your trap. If it does it will either, a) get caught and when you check your trap, give you 34 xp and 6 red feathers(keep these if you'd like), raw bird meat (drop this) and bones (bury or drops these), or b) it may set off your trap but escape. If it does escape, your trap will look as shown in the image below. After a certain amount of time, your trap may fall over if nothing happens to it, simply pick it up and set it back up if this happens, remember, other people can see your snare after 1 minute, so be careful. You will catch Crimson Swifts until level 9, which means you must successfully catch 29 Crimson Swifts.

Hunting for birds - caught a copper longtail!

Congratulations! You are now a level 9 hunter! You can now catch Copper Longtails at the Piscatoris Hunting Area:

Piscatoris hunter area map

Good job on getting level 9 hunter, you! Your next step is to take about 1000 gold an axe and a knife if you plan to train past 43 without stopping, if not bring about 200gp to be safe, MAKE SURE you have your butterfly jar(s) and net! Make your way to the Fishing Colony and head South-west to the fairy ring, and slight more south-west until you reach a small forest with about 5 Pine Trees. This is where you will be training! Set up your trap here (remember the steps from Crimson Swifts, it's the same process as before) and wait for a bird to land.

Levels 9-43 (Method 1)

Required Items: 1 Bird snare, Butterfly net, and a few (5 or more suggested) Butterfly jars.

This particular method will lead you into the woodlands, and then to the winter hunting area and focuses mainly on butterflies.

Once you are level 9, head over to the Woodlands (Piscatoris Hunting Area) and catch 24 Copper longtails which will get you level 15 hunting.

From here until level 43 you will be catching butterflies. Once you are level 15, you can catch Ruby Harvest Butterflies. You should catch 227 of them until which will get you level 25. Which means you are now able to catch Sapphire Glacials in the Snow Hunting Area (Near Trollheim), catch 429 of these until level 35, this will allow you to catch Snowy Knights. Continue catching Sapphire Glacials as well as Snowy Knights until level 43. You will need to catch 822 Sapphire Glacials or 635 Snowy Knights (or any combination of the two).

Levels 20-43 (Method 2)

Required Items: Any woodcutting axe (rune or dragon is preferred), a knife, 2 bird snares, a butterfly net, and some (2-5) butterfly jars. A chisel may also be useful.

Note: If you skipped to here from the level 1-9 section, catch Copper Longtails until level 15. Once you get 15 hunting, which is 24 copper longtails, you can also catch Ruby Harvest Butterflies, which give 24 xp. Once you have reached 20 hunting, you can set up 2 traps! Always remember to drop the meat and bury the bones (or drop them).

Ah! Congratulations! You now have 20 Hunting! Now that you can set up 2 traps, your hunting experience will be even easier! Continue catching Copper Longtails (using 2 traps) and Ruby Harvest butterflies (while you wait) until level 37.

Setting deadfall traps - catching butterflies and kebbits

At level 37, with that axe and knife, you can cut down the surrounding trees (regular ones) and use those logs to make deadfall traps (each trap uses 1 log), you will get 204 xp when you catch a spiked kebbit. Adding spiked kebbits to the mix will make those last 6 levels go faster. While hunting Spiked Kebbits, you can use a Chisel to fletch their spikes into bolts (requires level 32 Fletching), which can then be equipped to save inventory space. These bolts can be sold for 38-40gp each, and each spike makes 6 bolts. If you're doing a lot of hunting for Spiked Kebbits, this can fetch a decent amount of money!

Once you reach level 40, you can set up 3 traps (2 snares and a deadfall). At this point, you shouldn't have enough time to catch butterflies, so focus on your 3 traps at hand. Keep doing this routine until level 43! Once you are level 43 hunting, you can use a falcon to hunt spotted kebbits!

Levels 29-43 (Method 3)

Required Items: 5 or more Ropes, 5 or more Small Fishing Nets.
Required Quests: Priest in Peril.

At level 29, you should begin hunting for Swamp Lizards. These levels usually go by quickly, and once you reach level 40 you will be able to set up to three traps at once, making it event easier to train. Each Swamp Lizard will earn you 152 experience when caught, and if you train efficiently you can complete this part of your training in as little as two hours.

Begin by travelling to the Swamp Lizard area in Morytania, located southeast of Canifis.

Swamp Lizard hunting area map

Once you've arrived at the hunting area, use the nearby branches and set a Net Trap using a Rope and a Small Fishing Net. Use two of the three branches available (until you reach level 40, when you can use all three branches).

Set a trap and wait for a Swamp Lizard to trigger it

If you catch a Swamp Lizard, you will see a ball of net on the branch. Collect the lizard and set the trap again. If you fail, you will see your Rope and Fishing Net on the ground. Pick them up and re-set the trap.

Set TrapTrap SuccessFailed Trap

Rinse and repeat the above steps until you reach level 43.

Levels 43-60 (Method 1)

Required Items: At least 500gp (or more in increments of 500 (1000, 1500, etc.)

You should use the falconry for this whole block of levels, it may seem like a lot, but once you reach 57 hunting you can catch dark kebbits, so it'll make life easier (there's less crowd and they give 132 experience). At level 43 hunting you can hunt spotted Kebbits.

They live on the eastern area of the Piscatoris Hunting Area. In order to get a falcon, talk to* Matthias (who is inside the fenced area with the falconry kebbits).

Note: you must not have any weapons, shields or gloves on and you must have at least 500gp in your inventory. He will then give you a large leather glove and a falcon (you cannot leave with these).

Now that you have your falcon simply click on the Kebbit (in your case a spotted one (which give 104 experience)) you would like to attack and the falcon swoops down. You will succeed in catching a kebbit as long as it doesn't move (too much) from the square where you clicked it. If the falcon fails to kill the Kebbit it will simply fly (slower than when it left you) back to you, and you can try again. If it succeeds, you will simply have to click on your falcon to retrieve it and you will get the Kebbit's skin (spotted, dark, or dashing) and it's bones. Then simply rinse and repeat. Remember to switch to Dark Kebbits at level 57.

Hunting with falcons

Currently there seems to be no time limit on how long you keep the falcon for, as long as you are in the falconry area (you will still have it equipped even when you log out and switch worlds). Drop the hides and drop or bury the bones and keep training. Once you get level 60 hunting, you'll be done in the falconry until you want a spottier cape (or want more Gloves of Silence (which DO break after time)).

Levels 43-60 (Method 2)

Required Items: 3 Or more ropes and small nets.

If the falconry gets too crowded, or doesn't appeal to you, or for whatever reason, you can try catching Swamp lizards in the Swamp Hunting Area.

A map of the swamp hunting area

It will take one net and one rope to set up each trap, and you get them back after you check the trap. If you'd like you can get some bait, as it's stackable, but it might take a while to accumulate a good amount check the Hunter Skill Guide for more information on what bait to use). Remember to keep an eye on your traps and check them whenever a lizard gets caught. Switching between training spots too often will interrupt your training, so try to stick with method one, or method two; don't switch between too much. Once you are level 47, you can head to the Desert Hunting Area to try to catch orange salamanders. Remember the same concept. Keep training here until 60, then it's onto red salamanders.

Desert hunting area map

Level 60+

Required Items: 4 Or more small nets and ropes (the same amount of both).

Good job on making it this far in hunting! You can now set 4 traps! This means you can train on Red Salamanders faster than kebbits. Red Salamanders give 272 xp when caught, and once you find an empty world you'll be cruising through levels. You will need one small nets per one rope (bring 5 of each in case you lose one) in order to catch salamanders. Red Salamanders live south-west of Ardougne near the Scorpius Shrine.

Red salamander hunting area

Try to find an empty world (this may take a while, but it'll be worth it in the long run) and start setting up your traps. If you can't find an empty world, find one with one person, and if they are rude when you set up a trap, 'steal' their world. If they ask politely, leave. I won't go into exact details of trap 'stealing' (I hate calling it stealing, but most people understand what that is), but normally if you can take all four traps, the other person will leave. This means you want to focus on the closest 3 trees (the ones farther west) and then finish with the eastern one. You will deplete your run energy if you try to set up traps at the east tree.

With 4 traps you'll be running all over the place, so keep calm. Try to walk if your energy gets to 50% so you don't have to walk if someone tries to take the world you're training in. If someone happens to come across the world you're in, they may or may not switch worlds. If they don't, you may have to give up your world if they can 'steal' your traps. It's not worth competing if you lose ropes/nets in the process. Keep in mind you'll get faster xp with your own world than if you try to compete with someone better than you, so it may be worthwhile to find a new world. Be polite and ask others to leave with a 'please' don't demand it, they can do whatever they please.

Level 69+

Hunting kebbits

Using Falconry to train on Dashing, and Dark kebbits in the Piscatoris Hunting Area shown above is faster exp per hour than red salamanders. Another positive aspect is that you don't have to run around much since both creatures spawn close to each other, and less time wasted setting up traps. The kebbit combo is 288 experience total compared to 272 with red salamanders. Also don't have to worry as much about thieves or your traps falling apart.

Level 80+

Shaking Box

When you can lay 5 traps at a time your training should go faster at the Red Chinchompas. Red Chinchompas are found in the Jungle Hunting Area and there are a lot of good spots in the western part. Make sure you have about 10 traps with you in case you lose some. Also this can be profitable when you sell your Red Chinchompas for 700-800gp each (regular Chinchompas sell for about 250-320gp each). They are stackable so you don't even have to bank. Enjoy the fastest hunter training and good luck on getting the skill cape.

Tips

In the hunting world, random events can be your worst enemy. You know how you longed for that mime, or that drill demon? Well when hunting they may make you lose your traps. When you get teleported you lose sight of your traps and after a while they will fall apart and disappear. Be respectful and give people their traps back if you happen to see them get teleported away, it may come back to you sometime. Make sure you have extra nets and ropes, or risk having to go back to the bank and possibly losing an empty world.

Be patient. Hunting is similar to runecrafting, you don't get lots of xp in large quantities. Stick to this guide, and take a break if you get frustrated. When you get angry, you mis-click and in the process lose possible experience. Remember to be kind in hopes of sending some good vibes your way.

Rewards

At level 40 Hunting you can wear a spotty cape, which reduces your weight by 2-3kg (depends on your current weight) and is made by using 2 spotted kebbit furs and 400gp at the fancy dress store in Varrock:

Spotty cape

At level 54 hunting you can wear gloves of silence, which increase your chances of successfully pickpocketing, and are made by using 2 dark kebbit furs and 500gp at the fancy dress store in Varrock:

Gloves of silence

And at level 66 hunting you can wear a spottier cape which reduces your weight by 4-5kg (depending on your current weight) and is made by made by using 2 dashing kebbit furs and 600gp at the fancy dress store in Varrock:

Spottier Cape

At level 99 Hunter, you are eligible to buy a Hunter Skill Cape of Achievement from the Hunter Expert for 99,000gp. The Hunter Expert is located in a hut south of the Feldip Hills.

Hunting cape emote

Imps

I didn't mention these until now as they aren't incredibly fast experience as they are spread out far and have a large wandering area. At level 71 hunting, you can hunt the most longed for creature of all, the imp. They require a magic box (these are fairly expensive at 720+gp per box) to catch and give 450 experience for successfully capturing one.

Catching an imp

After you catch an Imp, you can right-click the box it's trapped in and use the 'Bank' option, your screen will then look like this:

Imp release negotiation form

You can then choose to (or not) deposit an item, if you do, the imp box will change to 'Imp box (1)' and when you bank two items, the imp goes free. The imp will refuse to bank your items past level 30 wilderness. Remember, one stack counts as one item.

You can also have a very (very) long conversation with the imp by choosing the 'Talk-to' option on the box. I won't ruin the conversation by posting a picture, believe me it's worth it.

Useful Fairy Ring Codes

These can be utilized to teleport to the main hunting areas and will save you a trip walking there.

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Published on: January 04, 2007 02:00 AM UTC by Salmoneus
Updated on: August 25, 2011 03:32 AM UTC by Salmoneus