Red Dead Redemption Hunting Challenges Locations Guide (Xbox 360, PS3)

Hunting Challenge #7

Kill and skin 5 Elks and 5 Bighorn Sheeps.

A good location for Elks and Bighorn Sheeps is: In the Tall Trees area. Especially directly at the border between Tall Trees and Great Plains. Southeast of Manzanita Post heading to Beecher’s Hope. — In the main area you’ll be able to find them after a couple of in-game days (if not, shoot other species, your main game will arrive in due time).
Another great place is in Tanner’s span, which is north of Hennigan’s stead, and just south of Bearclaw camp. If you stand next to the railway tracks on the incline, Elk spawn in the little valley and you’ll get more than you needed within a few minutes. You can also get three Bighorn Sheep there, but they only respawn if you wait around long enough (although some say they do not respawn, while Elk do).

Hunting Challenge #8

Kill and skin a Bear. But you must kill it using your Melee Knife.

A good hunting location for Bears is: In the Tall Trees area. Especially directly at the border between Tall Trees and Great Plains. Southeast of Manzanita Post heading to Beecher’s Hope.
Best hunting location for a Bear is: In story mode when you have to save your son Jack. Why? Because:
1) You only have to face one bear;
2) If you die you reload in same spot (i.e. instant replay), so if you muck up and kill the bear without knife, then you can jump off the cliff to restart at the ranch (requires saving before you start the mission);
3) You can use a repeater (evens takes 6 shots) to soften the bear up, in dead eye, before switching to the knife, not dead eye.
Protip for killing with your Melee Knife:
1. When you find a bear, stay on horse back and unload 3-4 slugs from your semi-automatic shotgun (not in dead eye) into the bear and equip your knife. Then let the bear knock you off your horse and when he turns around (to run away a few yards and turn towards you to attack again) now sprint up to the bear before he attacks again and start waving the knife in its general direction.
2. A good way to sneak up on bears, is to get close enough for them to catch your scent (or however they notice you) and start running towards you. Full gallop will just train a whole bunch of bears and you’d have to be Zeb Macahan to be able to knife your way out of that.
3. Another great way to get the “Kill a bear with Melee” is to blast one shot in its face with the Henry Rifle, then while still on your horse back pull out the hunting knife and slice from above. One shot and one slice is all you should need.