OSRS Hunter Guide: 1-99 Training - Old School Runescape

Hunter, a Members-only Skill, lets you capture a variety of Creatures and Animals scattered across the OSRS world. Many of these creatures provide highly valuable loot when caught, making Hunter one of the most lucrative skills in the entire game.

Leveling the Hunter Skill is fairly engaging compared to slower skills like Runecrafting. There are many methods that allow you to train Hunter quickly, efficiently, and profitably. This guide will walk you through the fastest, most effective, and most rewarding ways to progress Hunter from 1 to 99. It also outlines prerequisites, Hunter-related Quests, and some optional equipment and items that can make the grind easier.

Before You Start

There are a few preparations worth considering before beginning your Hunter journey. Some of them are mandatory, while others are optional but highly recommended. These include Quests and Items that improve training efficiency and generally make the process smoother. Below we’ll cover those as well as useful tips to keep in mind while training Hunter.

Quests

Certain quests must be started or completed to gain access to specific hunting locations. These quests aren’t always required, but they unlock useful training paths that shouldn’t be overlooked. Many low-requirement quests also provide early Hunter XP, which is a great way to skip the slow early levels.

• Natural History Quiz (Recommended, Requirements: None. Rewards: 1000 Hunter XP, 1000 Slayer XP). A simple quest to kickstart your Hunter journey. The quiz answers are widely available, making completion quick. Start by talking to Orlando Smith in the Varrock Museum.
• A Fairy Tale Part II – Cure a Queen (Recommended, Requirements: 40 Thieving, 57 Herblore, 49 Farming. Reward: Access to the Fairy Ring network). This quest is extremely helpful as it unlocks fast travel between banks and hunting areas, cutting down on travel time significantly.
• Eagles’ Peak (Mandatory/Recommended, Requirement: 27 Hunter. Reward: 2500 Hunter XP, Eagle transport system, ability to use Box Traps). Box Traps are crucial for several Hunter training methods, so complete this quest as soon as you reach 27 Hunter.
• Monkey Madness II (Optional, Requirements: 60 Hunter, 70 Crafting, 69 Slayer, 55 Agility, 55 Thieving, 60 Firemaking. Reward: 15,000 Hunter XP, 15,000 Thieving XP, 20,000 Agility XP, 25,000 Slayer XP, access to Crash Site Caverns). A difficult and lengthy quest, but rewarding if you meet the requirements and want variety in your training.

Items and Equipment

As with all OSRS skilling, if there’s an item that makes your grind easier—you should use it. Here’s a list of helpful items for Hunter training:

• Stamina Potions – While Hunter isn’t the most running-intensive skill, Stamina Potions save valuable time when traveling between banks and hunting spots.
• Graceful Outfit – Reduces weight, increases run energy regeneration by 30%, and allows faster movement overall. It costs 260 Marks of Grace, and you should prioritize buying Cape, Boots, Gloves, and Legs first. Requires about 55 Agility to collect Marks effectively.
• Hunter Shop Items – Depending on your chosen method, you’ll need tools such as:
  • Noose Wand – for tracking Kebbits
  • Bird Snares – for catching Birds
  • Butterfly Net – for catching Butterflies
  • Butterfly Jars – used with the Net
  • Box Trap – for Chinchompas

Things to Remember

• You can place one extra trap in the Wilderness. This means two traps at level 1 Hunter instead of one.
• You unlock one extra trap every 20 Hunter levels: Level 1 = 1 trap, Level 20 = 2, Level 40 = 3, Level 60 = 4, Level 80 = 5. Combined with the Wilderness bonus, you can place 6 traps there at level 80.
• Always check your inventory before starting a hunt—forgetting key items wastes valuable time.

The Training

Training Hunter is mostly straightforward, though some alternative methods exist. Choose those that best fit your goals and budget.

Skill Levels 1-9 ⇒ The "Natural History Quiz" Quest

Pick up the quiz in the Varrock Museum. If you don’t know the answers, ask other players or look them up. Completion is quick and provides early Hunter XP. This is the recommended way to skip the initial grind.

An alternative approach for Levels 1-7 ⇒ Hunting Polar Kebbits

Requires a Noose Wand. Found in the Rellekka Hunter Area (best spot on the northern island, northwest corner). Fairy Ring access helps travel. Each Polar Kebbit gives 30 XP; about 22 are needed for level 7.

Skill Levels 7(9)-15 ⇒ Hunting Feldip Weasels

Requires a Noose Wand. Found south of Yanille in the Feldip Hunter Area. Use a Ring of Dueling (Castle Wars option) for quick access. Each Weasel gives 48 XP; about 37 are required to reach level 15.

Skill Levels 15-33 ⇒ Hunting Ruby Harvest Butterflies and Copper Longtails

Requires a Butterfly Net and Butterfly Jars. Found south of Piscatoris Fishing Colony. It’s efficient to bring Bird Snares to catch Copper Longtails at the same location. Butterflies give 24 XP each, Copper Longtails 61 XP each.

Skill Levels 33-37 ⇒ Hunting Swamp Lizards

Requires Rope and Small Fishing Net per trap. Found south-east of Canifis in Morytania. Yields 152 XP each and about 22k XP/hr.

An alternative approach for Levels 33-37 ⇒ Hunting Barb-Tailed Kebbits

Requires Knife and Axe (Deadfall traps). Found in Feldip Hunter Area. Each gives 168 XP, with Crimson Swifts nearby for additional gains.

Skill Levels 37-43 ⇒ Hunting Prickly Kebbits

Requires Knife and Axe (Deadfall traps). Found south of Piscatoris Fishing Colony. Each Kebbit gives 204 XP. You can also hunt Copper Longtails and Ruby Harvest Butterflies in the same area for increased efficiency.

Skill Levels 43-60 ⇒ Hunting Spotted Kebbits at Falconry

Requires 500 coins to rent a Gyr Falcon. Found south of Piscatoris Fishing Colony. Each catch gives solid XP; expect ~45k XP/hr. At level 57, you can also catch Dark Kebbits (~70k XP/hr when combined).

Skill Levels 59(60)-67 ⇒ Hunting Red Salamanders

Requires Rope and Small Fishing Net per trap. Found south of Ourania Cave. From level 60 with 4 traps, yields 80–100k XP/hr.

Skill Levels 67-80 ⇒ Hunting Black Salamanders

Requires Rope and Small Fishing Net per trap. Found in the Wilderness near Bone Yard/Chaos Temple. Slight PK risk but manageable. Yields ~110k XP/hr with the Wilderness trap bonus.

Skill Levels (73)80-99 ⇒ Hunting Black Chinchompas

Best XP from 73 onwards but dangerous. Found south-east of Lava Maze in deep Wilderness. Requires Box Traps (Eagles’ Peak). Around 38,000 Chinchompas needed for 99, worth ~111m GP. Very profitable but high risk from PKers.

An alternative approach for Levels 63(80)-99 ⇒ Hunting Red Chinchompas

Safer but slightly less profitable. Requires Box Traps and access to Red Chinchompa Hunting Grounds (via Western Provinces Diary). From 80 Hunter, ~110k XP/hr, or up to 170k with 3-tick method. Around 47,800 Chinchompas needed for 99, worth ~74m GP.

Conclusion

This guide has outlined the basics of leveling Hunter effectively, from early levels to 99. The steps above are guidelines—you’re free to adapt them to your own playstyle. Hopefully, this helps you train Hunter efficiently.

Please remember this is an early version of our Hunter guide, and we at Gamer Choice welcome feedback to improve it. Leave your suggestions in the comments, and expect more alternative methods to be added in the future.