Introduction

Hunter is a members-only Skill that allows you to track, trap, and catch creatures across the Old School RuneScape world. Many Hunter methods also provide useful resources or valuable loot, so the Skill can be trained for experience, profit, collection rewards, or a mixture of all three.

The fastest route to 99 depends on how much attention you want to give the Skill. Active methods such as Razor-backed Kebbits and Chinchompas offer strong experience, while Hunters' Rumours combine good XP with varied tasks and useful rewards. Birdhouse Runs, Herbiboar, and Stymphikes give you slower or more relaxed alternatives when pure XP is not the only goal.

This guide follows a practical 1-99 route from the Varrock Museum through the strongest early and mid-level creatures, then opens into several endgame options. You can follow the recommended path straight through or switch to Rumours, profitable hunting, or lower-attention methods as soon as they suit your account.

Before You Start

Useful Quests and Unlocks

Several of the best Hunter methods require regional access, transportation unlocks, or specific quests. These are the most useful quests to complete for a smooth 1-99 route:

• Natural History Quiz - no Skill requirements. Completing the Varrock Museum quiz grants 1,000 Hunter XP and 1,000 Slayer XP, taking a new account straight to Level 9 Hunter.
• Bone Voyage - unlocks Fossil Island, which is required for Birdhouse Runs and Herbiboar.
• Eagles' Peak - requires 27 Hunter and grants 2,500 Hunter XP. It is also required for Box Trap methods such as Chinchompas.
• Fairytale II - Cure a Queen - progressing far enough to unlock Fairy Rings makes travelling between many Hunter areas considerably faster.
• Children of the Sun - opens access to Varlamore, including the Hunter Guild area and many newer Hunter creatures.
• At First Light - requires 46 Hunter, 30 Herblore, 27 Construction, Children of the Sun, and Eagles' Peak. It introduces the Hunter Guild and is important for higher-tier Hunters' Rumours.
• Monkey Madness II - a high-requirement option that awards a large amount of Hunter XP and unlocks Maniacal Monkey hunting.
• The Blood Moon Rises - a very late-game unlock that opens Vampyrium and Stymphike hunting at 82 Hunter.

Items and Equipment

You do not need expensive gear to train Hunter, but a few items make the process noticeably smoother:

• Noose Wand - required for tracking Kebbits and especially useful once Razor-backed Kebbits become available.
• Ring of pursuit - can reveal a complete tracking trail and speeds up Kebbit tracking.
• Box Traps - required for Chinchompas and several newer creatures.
• Bird Snares, Butterfly Net, Butterfly Jars, Ropes, and Small Fishing Nets - used by the traditional low- and mid-level methods.
• Stamina Potions and weight-reducing gear - helpful for tracking methods and Rumours that involve frequent travel.
• Quetzal Whistle - earned through Hunter Guild progression and extremely convenient once Rumours become part of your regular training.

Higher Hunter levels improve many multi-trap methods, while Wilderness hunting allows an additional trap. Deadfall Traps support two active traps, have a short catch delay, and preserve the log used to build them 75% of the time.

The Training

Levels 1-9 - Natural History Quiz

The Natural History Quiz in the Varrock Museum is the best starting point for most accounts. Speak with Orlando Smith in the basement and answer the creature questions to receive 1,000 Hunter XP. The whole activity only takes a few minutes and takes you directly to Level 9 Hunter.

Polar Kebbits provide a direct hunting option from Level 1, but the Museum reward is considerably faster.

Levels 9-15 - Feldip Weasels

Equip a Noose Wand and hunt Feldip Weasels in the Feldip Hunter Area. A Ring of pursuit can reveal the full trail and cut down the amount of searching required. This section is brief, with Level 15 arriving quickly enough to move straight into the next method.

Levels 15-21 - Ruby Harvests and Copper Longtails

The Piscatoris Hunter Area is ideal for this short level range. Bring a Butterfly Net, jars, and Bird Snares, then catch Ruby Harvest Butterflies while your Copper Longtail traps are active. Combining both creatures gives considerably better XP than focusing on either one alone.

Levels 21-39 - Red Crabs

Red Crab trapping is one of the strongest early-game Hunter methods. It requires partial completion of Pandemonium and 10 Construction to build the permanent crab traps. Once they are ready, bait them with Fish Offcuts and collect the crabs as they are caught.

With two traps, rates of roughly 30-31k Hunter XP per hour are realistic, and the nearby bank makes the method comfortable. Players without access to Red Crabs can continue with traditional birds, butterflies, or Net Trap methods until the next useful unlock.

Levels 39-43 - Embertailed Jerboas

Embertailed Jerboas at Locus Oasis give roughly 50k XP per hour with three Box Traps and provide a quick bridge to Falconry. The nearby AJP Fairy Ring also makes this method easy to reach once your travel network is established.

Levels 43-49 - Falconry

Falconry in the Piscatoris Hunter Area gives a quick active bridge into the stronger mid-level methods. Rent a Gyr Falcon and catch Spotted Kebbits, moving into stronger Kebbits as your Hunter level rises.

You can move freely while the Falcon chases its target, and the Falcon can be sent even with a full inventory. This keeps the method quick and responsive during the short 43-49 stretch.

Levels 49-72/73 - Razor-backed Kebbits

Razor-backed Kebbits are one of the strongest mid-level Hunter options. Use a Noose Wand together with Rings of pursuit and track them in the Piscatoris area. Efficient sessions can reach around 130k XP per hour, with somewhat lower rates once banking and supplies are included.

Salamanders are a viable alternative if you enjoy Net Traps, but Razor-backed Kebbits offer much better focused XP and carry the recommended route comfortably into the low 70s.

Hunters' Rumours - The Best All-Round Route

Hunters' Rumours are task-based assignments from the Hunter Guild in Varlamore. A Guild Hunter sends you after a specific creature until you obtain its rare part, which you return for a large XP reward and a Hunters' Loot Sack.

Rumours begin at 46 Hunter, with better tiers unlocking as you level:

• 46 Hunter - Novice Rumours
• 57 Hunter - Adept Rumours
• 72 Hunter - Expert Rumours
• 91 Hunter - Master Rumours

For efficient training, Expert Rumours at Level 72 are where the system becomes especially attractive. A well-built block list removes slower assignments and greatly improves both XP and convenience. Current player reports commonly sit around 150k XP per hour in long Expert sessions, while highly optimized setups can go considerably higher.

The system works especially well for players who prefer variety over repeating one creature for dozens of hours. Reward sacks contain useful supplies, while Guild progression can provide the Guild Hunter Outfit, Quetzal transport upgrades, and the Quetzin pet.

High-Level Alternatives

Levels 73-99 - Black Chinchompas

Black Chinchompas are one of the fastest and most profitable Hunter methods. They are found in the Wilderness, so every session carries the risk of being interrupted by Player Killers.

Normal efficient hunting can reach roughly 145k-225k XP per hour depending on Hunter level and execution, with advanced techniques pushing higher. Bring only gear you are prepared to risk, use a fast escape plan, and bank regularly if you are holding a valuable stack of Chinchompas.

Levels 63/80-99 - Red Chinchompas

Red Chinchompas are the safer profitable alternative. They unlock at Level 63, although their rates improve sharply once more traps become available at higher Hunter levels.

Rates vary widely with level and technique, ranging from roughly 85k XP per hour at the lower end to well above 150k with strong setups. They are a good choice for players who want sellable loot without the Wilderness risk attached to Black Chinchompas.

Levels 80-99 - Herbiboar

Herbiboar on Fossil Island is a calmer high-level alternative with a useful combination of Hunter XP, herbs, and pet chance. Efficient sessions can reach roughly 135k-170k XP per hour, although the exact rate depends heavily on pathing and Hunter level.

This is especially attractive for Ironmen who value Herblore supplies, and for players who prefer tracking over constant trap resetting.

Levels 82-99 - Stymphikes

Stymphike hunting takes place in Vampyrium and requires 82 Hunter together with access from The Blood Moon Rises. Players bait Stymphike trees with Letvek, hide nearby, and spear the bird when it lands.

The method is slower than top-end Rumours or Black Chinchompas, but it offers much longer periods between actions. Around 90k-120k XP per hour is realistic depending on attention and Hunter level, making it one of the more relaxed modern routes to 99.

Final Thoughts

Hunter offers several strong paths to 99, so the best route depends on whether you care most about experience, profit, variety, or low-attention gameplay. The early levels move quickly through the Varrock Museum and tracking methods, while Red Crabs and Razor-backed Kebbits carry the middle of the Skill efficiently.

From Level 72 onward, Hunters' Rumours are the strongest all-round choice for most players because they combine good experience with varied gameplay and useful rewards. Black Chinchompas excel at fast XP and profit, Herbiboar provides a calmer profitable grind, and Stymphikes give high-level players a relaxed alternative in Vampyrium.

Choose the route that matches your preferred pace and risk level. Birdhouse Runs fit neatly between active sessions, while the dedicated methods above provide the bulk of your Hunter experience on the way to Level 99.

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