Arthur's Journal — Compendium Notes
Gold Medals & Perfect Pelts: The Road to 100%
The Gold Rush achievement demands 70 Gold Medals across RDR2's 104 story missions. Meanwhile, crafting every satchel and garment at the Trapper requires dozens of perfect pelts — and the game never tells you where to find the rarest animals. This guide covers both grinds with precision.
I. Gold Medal Mission Checklist — Easiest 30
Replay missions from the Progress menu. Replays give you default stats and a standard horse — your Arthur's current gear doesn't carry over. This makes certain missions harder on replay than on your first run. The missions below are chosen because their Gold requirements are achievable even with default loadouts.
| Chapter | Mission | Key Requirements | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Outlaws from the West | Kill all O'Driscolls without taking damage | Easy |
| 2 | Polite Society, Valentine Style | Return 3 items to camp | Easy |
| 2 | Money Lending and Other Sins III | Complete within 2 min 10 sec | Easy |
| 2 | A Quiet Time | Don't fail any button prompts, catch Lenny in the act | Medium |
| 3 | Pour Behavior | 90% accuracy + no health items used | Hard |
| 3 | Advertising, the New American Art | Headshot 5 Lemoyne Raiders, don't get hit | Medium |
| 4 | Urban Pleasures | Kill 10 enemies with the trolley's mounted gun | Medium |
| 5 | Fleeting Joy | Kill 2 enemies during one Dead Eye, get 25 headshots | Hard |
| 6 | Red Dead Redemption | Get 7 headshots, complete with 70%+ accuracy | Hard |
II. Perfect Pelt Hunting Guide
Three rules for a perfect pelt: (1) the animal must be 3-star quality — study it with binoculars before shooting; (2) use the correct weapon listed in the compendium; (3) aim for the head or heart for a clean kill. The Buck Antler Trinket (kill the Legendary Buck) gives you a chance to upgrade a 2-star pelt to 3-star.
| Animal | Weapon | Best Location | Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panther | Rifle (Springfield/Bolt Action) | Forest south of Braithwaite Manor (night only) | Legend of the East Satchel |
| Cougar | Rifle or Improved Arrow | Far NW of Strawberry, near the trapper | Cougar Cutaway Coat |
| Badger | Varmint Rifle | Ringneck Creek (Lemoyne) or Bolger Glade | Legend of the East Satchel |
| Iguana | Varmint Rifle | Islands west of Rhodes (accessible by swimming) | Legend of the East Satchel |
| Moose | Rolling Block / Carcano Rifle | Lake Owanjila, Cairn Lake, Brandywine Drop | Moose Range Gloves |
| Grizzly Bear | Improved Arrow or Rifle | Barrel Lake (Grizzlies West) | Bear Coat / Saddle |
III. Legend of the East Satchel — All Materials
This satchel increases your carrying capacity for all items to 99. Yes — 99 of every tonic, ingredient, and material. It's the single most impactful craftable in the game.
- Pearson requires: 7 Perfect Deer pelts, 2 Perfect Elk, 1 Perfect Badger, 1 Perfect Squirrel, 1 Perfect Panther, 1 Perfect Iguana, 1 Perfect Cougar, 1 Perfect Wolf, 1 Perfect Rabbit, 1 Perfect Bison
IV. Panther & Cougar Spawn Strategy
Panther (Hardest Pelt)
Panthers spawn in a single wooded area south of Braithwaite Manor (Old Harry Fen), exclusively at night. Place Predator Bait in the woods, hide behind a tree with your rifle drawn, and wait. The panther will circle behind you — activate Dead Eye the moment you hear the growl. One missed shot and you're dead.
Cougar
Reliable spawn: the road northwest of Owanjila, just past the trapper. Ride slowly. The cougar's red dot appears on your minimap moments before it charges. Use a Springfield Rifle with Express ammo — aim for the head as it runs straight at you.