Oxen
Bos taurus (all)
Oxen is found around Butcher Creek, one of 7 habitats the compendium records for it.
Everything else that breathes, swims or flies. Habitat and loot are what the compendium asks you to fill in; the three-star carcass is what the trapper asks for.
- Scientific name
- Bos taurus (all)
- Habitats
- Butcher Creek, Braithwaite Manor, Caliga Hall, Downes Ranch, Emerald Ranch, Guthrie Farm, Hill Haven Ranch
- Carcass yields
- Ox Hide, Ox Horn, Prime Beef
- Subspecies
- Angus ox, Devon ox
Player notes
Oxen are domestic cattle of the species Bos taurus in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online. The game includes Angus oxen and Devon oxen, with bull variants of both breeds. They are large herbivores that feed on grasses, hay and silage, and usually share cattle yards with cows. Ranchers may also lead an ox through nearby pasture or along a road.
They live around ranches and farms, including Butcher Creek, Braithwaite Manor, Caliga Hall, Downes Ranch, Emerald Ranch, Guthrie Farm and Hill Haven Ranch. Oxen can react aggressively when someone enters their cattle yard or bumps into them. An angered animal attempts to butt its target, while ranchers can turn hostile when an ox is killed on their property.
An ox yields Ox Hide, Ox Horn and Prime Beef. Its hide and horns are used in crafting. As massive animals, oxen take longer to skin than smaller game. Killing one does not lower honor, but it is treated as Animal Cruelty, and witnesses may report it to lawmen.
Trivia
- โObviously, oxen can be distinguished from bulls by the absence of testicles.
- โAnother distinguishing feature is that bulls' horns point straight forward, while oxen's have a more upward angle.
- โJudging by the horns and the presence of testicles, the picture of Angus Ox in the Compendium is of a bull. In the game, Angus Ox differs from its depiction in the Compendium by both of these features.
- โIt can be difficult to distinguish between the two ox breeds by their appearance, which necessitates pointing at them with a weapon or binocular to assure identification.
- โPerfect Ox Hides are required for three pieces of clothing from the Trapper (3 hides in total for all available pieces), and for the crafting of a rug in Arthur's lodging (2 hides).
- โAlthough the Compendium states that oxen horns can be used for crafting, there are no crafted items in the game that require horns of regular animals.
- โWhile the bull has a Hereford variant, the ox does not. Despite this, the Hereford ox's textures remain unused in the game files.
Wildlife
6
Last verified September 14, 2026