How to Sedate Animals in Red Dead Online

Red Dead Online players have been rejoicing, as the community was finally blessed with new content following a long drought. Now, everyone is out there in the American wilderness chasing deer and other animals. The Naturalist Role is the central focus of the latest content drop, and players get to choose between working with conservationist Harriet Davenport or retired game hunter Gus Macmillan. If you go for the more wholesome route, you’ll be working with Davenport to collect samples from the local wildlife. Of course, most of that wildlife either runs away or wants to kill you, so you’re gonna have to sedate them. Here’s how that works.

How to Sedate Animals in Red Dead Online

In order to sedate animals to gather samples in humane fashion, you’ll need the proper equipment. First you’ll need the varmint rifle; that doesn’t sound wholesome at all, but that’s where Davenport comes in. After buying the rifle from a gunsmith, Harriet will sell you .22 Sedative bullets once you get into the event content and unlock the Naturalist role. They’re pretty cheap, and after you hit level 5 in the role she’ll even teach you how to craft them yourself.

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When it comes to using the bullets, this is no Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. You have to work for your sleepy critters. You’ll almost always need more than one shot, and when it comes to the bigger, more murdery animals, you’ll have an ordeal ahead of you if you aren’t careful. At the same time, you can’t use the bullets on smaller animals because the darts will still kill them. You also need to pay attention to your reticle. You’ll know you’ve hit the sedation threshold once the reticle turns dark red. This means you don’t need to shoot more, but it doesn’t mean your target is going to drop right then. It can take a little while longer for them to actually fall asleep.

Once the animal is passed out, the rest is easy. Just roll up on the slumbering beastie and hold the appropriate, platform-oriented button and you’ll collect the sample. Then you can go back to Davenport, and she’ll purchase the sample from you. You’ll also get experience for the Naturalist role when you collect the sample, and when you sell it.

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Have you been rolling through the Naturalist event as a cowboy who cares about animals? Or are you taking them all out for greater riches and cosmetic rewards? Is it hard to get those sedate bullets where you want them? Let us know if you’re feeling the event or not over at the Prima Games Facebook and Twitter channels!