OSRS Ironman Hunter Guide 1-99: Birdhouses, Chinchompas & Herbiboar

Hunter is essential for ironmen. You can’t buy chinchompas, bird nests, or herbs from the Grand Exchange, so efficient Hunter training provides critical resources for Ranged, Herblore, and Farming.

At a glance:

• Essential method: Birdhouse runs every 50 minutes from level 5 (passive XP + nests forever)
• Key unlock: Eagles’ Peak at 27 (mandatory for box traps and chinchompas)
• Core training: Birds → salamanders → red chinchompas → Herbiboar (or continue chins)
• Time to 99: 75-80 hours active training + passive birdhouses

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Why Hunter Matters

Resource generation:

• Bird nests from birdhouses (crushed nests for Saradomin brews at 81 Herblore)
• Chinchompas for efficient Ranged training (best AoE Ranged weapon)
• Herbs from Herbiboar (80+) for Herblore supplies
• Tree seeds from birdhouse nests for Farming XP

Efficient training:

• Birdhouse runs: 90 seconds every 50 minutes for 40-50k XP/hour of active time
• Most time-efficient passive skill in OSRS
• Active methods (chinchompas) provide 130-180k XP/hour

Quest/Diary requirements:

• Eagles’ Peak (27 Hunter) - MANDATORY for box traps
• Western Provinces Hard Diary - Private red chinchompa hunting ground
• Various diary requirements (59, 55, 41 Hunter for different tiers)

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Birdhouses: The Foundation (Level 5+)

Birdhouse runs are the most important Hunter training method for ironmen. Do these every 50 minutes from level 5 to 99 and beyond.

How They Work

1. Craft 4 birdhouses (regular, oak, willow, teak, mahogany, redwood)
2. Travel to Fossil Island (requires Bone Voyage quest)
3. Place birdhouses in 4 locations with 10 cheap seeds each
4. Wait 50 minutes
5. Return, collect bird nests + Hunter XP, replace birdhouses
6. Repeat forever

Birdhouse Types and XP

Type	Crafting	Hunter	XP per House	Nests per House (avg)
Regular	5	5	~280	0.5
Oak	15	14	420	0.75
Willow	25	24	560	1.0
Teak	35	34	700	1.25
Mahogany	50	49	960	1.75
Redwood	90	89	1,200	2.5

Total per run (4 birdhouses):

• Regular: ~1,120 XP, ~2 nests
• Mahogany: ~3,840 XP, ~7 nests
• Redwood: ~4,800 XP, ~10 nests

Seeds to Use

Low-level seeds (10 per birdhouse): Barley, Hammerstone, Asgarnian, Jute, Yanillian, Krandorian hop seeds

High-level seeds (5 per birdhouse): Wildblood, Ranarr, Toadflax, Irit, Avantoe, Kwuarm, Snapdragon, Cadantine, Lantadyme, Dwarf weed, Torstol

Locations and Route

Four birdhouse spots on Fossil Island:

1. Verdant Valley (north) - South of Museum Camp
2. Verdant Valley (south) - South of Museum Camp
3. Mushroom Forest - West of ancient shroom
4. Tar Swamp - By the entrance

Optimal route (70-90 seconds):

1. Teleport to Fossil Island (Digsite pendant)
2. Magic mushtree to Verdant Valley
3. Check both northern and southern birdhouses
4. Mushtree to Mushroom Meadow
5. Check north birdhouse
6. Run south to Tar Swamp for final birdhouse

XP Rates

• 40,000-50,000 XP per hour of active time
• One run takes 70-90 seconds
• Do every 50 minutes (herbs grow in 80 minutes, so pair with herb runs)

Bird Nest Rewards

Seed nests:

• Allotment seeds, herb seeds
• Tree seeds (oak, willow, maple, yew, magic)
• Fruit tree seeds (apple, banana, orange, curry, pineapple, papaya, palm)
• Critical for Farming training

Ring nests:

• Gold, sapphire, emerald, ruby, diamond rings
• High alchemy value

Crushed nests:

• Grind empty nests with pestle and mortar
• Required for Saradomin brews (81 Herblore)
• Primary source for ironmen

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Quest XP Route (1→56 Possible)

Skip early levels with quest XP rewards.

Quests That Give Hunter XP

Quest	Hunter XP	Level Req	Notes
Museum Natural History Quiz	1,000	None	Complete museum downstairs
Eagles’ Peak	2,500	27	MANDATORY - unlocks box traps
Monkey Madness II	50,000	High	Grandmaster quest
Song of the Elves	40,000	High	Grandmaster quest

Total: 93,500 XP → Level 56

Optimal Quest Order

1. Museum Natural History Quiz (1,000 XP) - Do early for free levels
2. Train to 27 using birdhouses + birds
3. Eagles’ Peak (2,500 XP) - Unlock box traps at 27
4. Save Monkey Madness II and Song of the Elves for later (high requirements)

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Training Methods by Level

Levels 1-9: Crimson Swifts

• Location: South-east of Feldip Hills
• Method: Bird snare
• XP: 34 per catch
• XP Rate: 20,000-28,000/hour
• Notes: Starting method, very simple

Levels 9-19: Copper Longtails

• Location: Piscatoris Hunter area
• Method: Bird snare
• XP: 61.2 per catch
• XP Rate: 20,000-28,000/hour
• Notes: Slightly better than crimson swifts

Levels 19-27: Tropical Wagtails

• Location: Tropical regions (Feldip Hills)
• Method: Bird snare
• XP: ~95 per catch
• XP Rate: 28,000-35,000/hour
• Notes: Train here until 27, then do Eagles’ Peak

Levels 27-43: Continue Birds or Deadfall Traps

Option A: Continue tropical wagtails (simple, consistent)

Option B: Wild Kebbits (23+) with deadfall traps

• Requires knife + logs
• 128 XP per catch
• 40,000-50,000/hour
• More effort but better XP

Levels 43-47: Spotted Kebbits (Falconry)

• Location: Piscatoris Falconry area
• Method: Borrow gyr falcon from Matthias (500 GP)
• XP: 104 per catch
• XP Rate: 60,000/hour
• Requirements: Both hands free (no weapon, shield, gloves)
• Notes: Good mid-level training

Levels 47-59: Orange Salamanders

• Location: Uzer Hunter area (near Desert)
• Method: Net trap + rope
• XP: 224 per catch
• XP Rate: ~70,000/hour (with 3 traps)
• Notes: Easy to hunt, straightforward

Levels 59-67: Red Salamanders

• Location: ZMI altar area
• Method: Net trap + rope
• XP: 272 per catch
• XP Rate: 100,000-110,000/hour
• Notes: Best method 59-67 without Wilderness

Levels 67-73: Black Salamanders

• Location: Wilderness (south of Lava Maze)
• Method: Net trap + rope
• XP: 319.2 per catch
• XP Rate: 100,000-115,000/hour
• Notes: Best XP pre-73, some PK risk

Alternative: Continue red salamanders if avoiding Wilderness (slightly lower XP but safe)

Levels 63-99: Red Chinchompas (Primary Method)

• Location: Red chinchompa hunting ground (Feldip Hills)
• Method: Box trap (requires Eagles’ Peak)
• XP: 265 per catch
• XP Rate: 130,000-180,000/hour (140k without tick manipulation, 195k with)
• Catches: 400-560+ per hour at 80+ Hunter
• Success Rate: 6/255 at level 1 → 268/255 at level 99

Why Red Chinchompas:

• Excellent XP rates (second only to black chins)
• Safe location (private area with Hard Western Provinces Diary)
• Chinchompas used for Ranged training (explosive AoE weapon)
• Stockpile thousands for efficient Ranged XP
• Baby chinchompa pet chance (1/95,898 at 99)

Levels 73-99: Black Chinchompas (Fastest XP)

• Location: Wilderness (south-east of Lava Maze, level 32-34 Wilderness)
• Method: Box trap
• XP: 315 per catch
• XP Rate: 140,000-250,000/hour (up to 300k with tick manipulation)
• Catches: 350-800/hour depending on technique
• Notes: FASTEST XP but high PK risk

Should you do black chins?

• Only if comfortable with Wilderness PK risk
• Requires tanking gear (Dinh’s bulwark, Karil’s armour)
• Significantly faster than red chins
• Not necessary for ironmen (red chins are safer and still give great XP)

Levels 80-99: Herbiboar (Herb Supply Method)

• Location: Fossil Island
• Method: Tracking (follow footsteps, kick burrows, harvest)
• XP: 1,950 base at 80 (+30 per level until 94) → 2,461 at high levels
• XP Rate: 115,000-128,000 Hunter XP/hour
• Herblore XP: 20,000-30,000/hour (with magic secateurs)
• Catches: 59-66 per hour with stamina potions
• Requirements: 80 Hunter, 31 Herblore, Bone Voyage

Why Herbiboar:

• Excellent for ironmen - provides herbs scaling with Herblore level
• Yields 1-3 herbs per catch (2-4 with magic secateurs)
• Herbs range from guam to torstol depending on Herblore level
• Herbi pet chance (1/6,500 per catch)
• More AFK than chinchompas

Herbiboar Strategy:

• Use magic secateurs for +1 herb per catch
• Bring stamina potions (essential for tracking)
• Wear weight-reducing gear (graceful outfit)
• Recommended for ironmen needing herbs for Herblore training

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Optimal Training Path (1-99)

Fastest Route to 99 (~75-80 hours active):

Level	Method	XP/Hour	Time	Notes
1-9	Crimson swifts + birdhouses	20-28k	1 hour	Start birdhouses at 5
9-27	Birds + birdhouses	28-35k	3-4 hours	Train to Eagles’ Peak req
27	Eagles’ Peak quest	+2,500 XP	1 hour	MANDATORY
27-43	Birds/kebbits + birdhouses	30-50k	3-4 hours	Box traps now available
43-59	Falconry → orange salamanders	60-70k	4-6 hours	Switch at 47
59-67	Red salamanders	100-110k	2-3 hours	Safe, good XP
67-73	Black salamanders OR red sals	100-115k	2-3 hours	Wilderness or safe
73-80	Red chinchompas	130-180k	6-8 hours	Start stockpiling for Ranged
80-99	Herbiboar OR red chins	115-180k	30-40 hours	Herbs vs Ranged ammo

Ironman-Recommended Route:

Focus on birdhouses every 50 minutes forever + active training:

1. 1-27: Birds + birdhouses + Museum quiz
2. 27: Complete Eagles’ Peak (MANDATORY)
3. 27-63: Falconry → salamanders → reach red chinchompas
4. 63-80: Red chinchompas (stockpile for Ranged training)
5. 80-99: Herbiboar (if need herbs) OR red chinchompas (if need Ranged ammo)

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Hunter Equipment

Guild Hunter Outfit

How to Obtain: 1/50 drop from hunters’ loot sacks (Hunter Rumours in Varlamore, requires 46 Hunter)

Pieces: Headwear, top, legs, boots (received in order)

Benefits:

• Full set: +2.5% catch rate for all Hunter creatures
• Full set: +5% chance of rare creature parts (Hunter Rumours)
• Cosmetic for collection log

Worth getting? Optional - small bonus, only accessible via Hunter Rumours.

Graceful Outfit

How to Obtain: 260 marks of grace from Rooftop Agility

Benefits:

• Weight reduction: -25 kg total
• Run energy recharge: +30% (20% from pieces + 10% set bonus)

When to use: Essential for Herbiboar tracking (requires constant running). Helpful for moving between trap locations.

Hunter Tools

Tool	Use	Purchase Location
Bird snare	Catching birds (1+)	Hunter shops (Nardah, Yanille)
Box trap	Chinchompas (requires Eagles’ Peak)	Hunter shops
Butterfly net	Butterflies, implings	Hunter shops
Noose wand	Kebbits	Hunter shops
Net trap + rope	Salamanders	Hunter shops

Hunter Kit Spell: 71 Magic + Dream Mentor completion (Lunar spellbook) - provides all basic tools

Stamina Potions

• Requirements: 77 Herblore to make
• Use: Reduces run energy depletion by 70% for 2 minutes
• Critical for: Herbiboar tracking, long hunting sessions

Hunter Cape (99 Hunter)

Cost: 99,000 coins from Hunting expert (Feldip Hills)

Teleports:

• 5 teleports per day to carnivorous chinchompas (Feldip Hills) or black chinchompas (Wilderness)
• Unlimited teleports to Hunter Guild (speak to Guildmaster Apatura)

Stats: +9 all defensive stats, +4 prayer (trimmed)

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Ironman-Specific Strategies

How Many Chinchompas Do I Need?

Chinchompas for Ranged Training:

• Grey chinchompas: Level 55 Ranged (inferior to red)
• Red chinchompas: Level 55 Ranged (recommended for ironmen)
• Black chinchompas: Level 65 Ranged (risky to hunt)

How Many to Stockpile:

• Starting chinning at 70 Ranged: Decent efficiency
• Starting at 80+ Ranged: Recommended for best efficiency
• Most ironmen stockpile thousands of red chinchompas

Hunting Rates:

• At 80 Hunter (5 traps): 400-560+ red chins per hour
• Takes ~10-20 hours to stockpile enough for significant Ranged gains

Herbiboar for Herbs

Why Herbiboar is Essential:

• Herb quality scales with Herblore level (higher = better herbs like ranarr, snapdragon, torstol)
• Yields 1-3 herbs per catch (2-4 with magic secateurs)
• Provides 20,000-30,000 Herblore XP/hour
• Excellent for sustaining Herblore training

Strategy:

• Start at 80 Hunter
• Train Herblore alongside to improve herb drops
• Use magic secateurs (+10% yield)
• Do until herb supply is comfortable, then switch to chinchompas

Birdhouse Runs for Nests

Why Essential:

• Primary source of bird nests for ironmen
• Crushed nests required for Saradomin brews (81 Herblore)
• Tree seeds vital for Farming XP
• Ring nests for alchs

Nest Drop Rates (per birdhouse):

• Mahogany: 1.75 nests (~7 per run)
• Redwood: 2.5 nests (~10 per run)

Strategy: Do runs every 50 minutes from level 5 to 99 and beyond. Never stop.

When to Prioritise Hunter

Early Game (1-50):

• Priority: Low
• Do birdhouses passively, don’t actively grind

Mid Game (50-80):

• Priority: Medium
• Continue birdhouses, start collecting chinchompas if planning Ranged training

Late Game (80-99):

• Priority: High if you need herbs or chinchompas
• Herbiboar for herb supply
• Red chinchompas for Ranged ammunition
• Hunter Rumours for guild outfit + Quetzin pet

When Hunter Becomes Important:

1. Before Ranged training (63+ for red chins)
2. For Herblore (80+ for Herbiboar herbs)
3. For Saradomin brews (birdhouses for crushed nests)
4. For Farming (birdhouses for tree seeds)

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Hunter Pets

Baby Chinchompa

How to Obtain: Catching any chinchompa (grey, red, black)

Drop Rates at 99 Hunter:

• Grey: 1/128,920
• Red: 1/95,898
• Black: 1/80,283

Special Feature: 1/10,000 chance to be gold colour

Formula: 1 in (Base - (Level × 25))

Herbi

How to Obtain: Hunting Herbiboar on Fossil Island

Drop Rate: 1/6,500 per successful hunt

Likelihood: ~70% chance by 99 if you train 80-99 via Herbiboar (~4,531 catches)

Requirements: 80 Hunter, 31 Herblore, Bone Voyage

Quetzin

How to Obtain: Opening hunters’ loot sacks from Hunter Rumours (Varlamore)

Drop Rate: Base rate unknown, 15x more common at 200m Hunter XP

Requirements: 46 Hunter, access to Hunter Guild

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Important Unlocks

Eagles’ Peak Quest

• Requirements: 27 Hunter
• Rewards: 2,500 Hunter XP, box trap functionality unlocked
• Why Critical: MANDATORY for catching chinchompas, ferrets, and all box trap creatures
• When: Complete immediately at 27 Hunter

Bone Voyage Quest

• Requirements: 100 kudos (Varrock Museum), The Dig Site
• Unlocks: Fossil Island access
• Why Critical: Required for birdhouses (passive XP + nests) and Herbiboar (80+)

Western Provinces Hard Diary

• Hunter Requirement: None for completion (but 69 Hunter recommended for some tasks)
• Reward: Private red chinchompa hunting ground (south of Feldip Hills)
• Benefits: Better spawns, no competition, safer hunting

Varlamore Access (Hunter Guild)

• Requirements: Children of the Sun quest, 46 Hunter, 30 Herblore, 27 Construction
• Unlocks: Hunter Rumours, guild hunter outfit, Quetzin pet
• See: Hunter Rumours Guide for detailed strategies

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Achievement Diary Requirements

Diaries Requiring Hunter Levels

Diary	Tier	Hunter Req	Notes
Western Provinces	Easy	9	Low requirement
Fremennik	Easy	35	Mid-low requirement
Karamja	Easy	41	Mid requirement
Fremennik	Hard	55	Mid-high requirement
Ardougne	Hard	59	High requirement

Most Important Diary Reward:

• Western Provinces Hard - Private red chinchompa hunting ground (massive quality of life for chinning)

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Advanced Methods

Tick Manipulation (3-Tick Hunter)

What is it?

• Default trap laying: 4 ticks
• With tick manipulation: 3 ticks
• Method: Perform 3-tick action (herb tar, fletching, kebbit claws) after picking up trap

3-Tick Actions:

• Swamp tar on low-level herb
• Fletching mahogany/teak logs
• Kebbit claws on vambraces

XP Increase:

• Red chinchompas: 140k/hr → 195k/hr (+55k)
• Black chinchompas: 180k/hr → 300k/hr (+120k)

Recommended? Only for experienced players seeking maximum XP rates. Not necessary for ironmen.

Maniacal Monkeys (60+)

• Location: Kruk’s Dungeon (Ape Atoll)
• Method: Deadfall trap with banana bait, requires Kruk greegree
• XP: 1,000 per catch
• XP Rate: 60-120k/hour (scales with level)
• Requirements: Monkey Madness II completion
• Notes: Very AFK (25-30 seconds per interaction)

Worth doing? Niche - very AFK but lower XP than chinchompas. Only if you want AFK Hunter training.

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Common Mistakes

• Not doing birdhouse runs - Do every 50 minutes from level 5 onwards, even at 99
• Skipping Eagles’ Peak quest - Mandatory for box traps, can’t catch chinchompas without it
• Training past 63 without chinchompas - Red chins are the primary method 63-99
• Forgetting magic secateurs for Herbiboar - Reduces herb yield significantly
• Not using stamina potions at Herbiboar - Makes tracking much slower
• Hunting black chins without Wilderness experience - High PK risk, red chins are safer
• Thinking birdhouses become useless at high levels - XP becomes less important, but nests remain essential for brews

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FAQ

What’s the fastest way to train Hunter on an ironman?

Do birdhouse runs every 50 minutes from level 5 onwards. For active training: birds to 27, complete Eagles’ Peak, salamanders 47-67, red chinchompas 63-99. Herbiboar at 80+ if you need herbs. Total time: 75-80 hours.

Should I do birdhouse runs at high levels?

Absolutely YES. While XP becomes less significant at 80+ (active methods are faster), bird nests remain essential. Crushed nests are required for Saradomin brews, and tree seeds are vital for Farming. Always do birdhouse runs.

How many chinchompas do I need for Ranged training?

Most ironmen stockpile thousands. At 80 Hunter with 5 traps, you’ll catch 400-560+ red chinchompas per hour. Starting chinning at 70+ Ranged is recommended for efficiency.

Should I do Herbiboar or continue chinchompas at 80 Hunter?

Depends on your needs. Herbiboar provides herbs for Herblore (115-128k Hunter XP/hr). Red chinchompas provide Ranged ammunition (130-180k XP/hr). Most ironmen do Herbiboar until herb supply is good, then switch to chinchompas.

Is Eagles’ Peak quest required for Hunter?

Yes, it’s MANDATORY. You cannot use box traps (required for chinchompas, ferrets) without completing this quest. Complete at 27 Hunter (gives 2,500 XP).

What are the Hunter pets and how do I get them?

Baby chinchompa (1/95,898 from red chins at 99), Herbi (1/6,500 from Herbiboar), and Quetzin (from Hunter Rumours loot sacks). Herbi is most realistic during normal training.

When should I start hunting chinchompas?

Start red chinchompas at 63 Hunter. They provide excellent XP (130-180k/hr) and are used for Ranged training. Stockpile thousands over your account’s lifetime.

Are black chinchompas worth the risk?

Only if comfortable with Wilderness PK risk. They give faster XP (140-250k/hr) but require tanking gear and Wilderness experience. Red chinchompas are safer and still give great XP (130-180k/hr).

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Related Guides

• Hunter Rumours Guide - Block lists, optimal strategies, loot sacks
• Herblore Guide - Use herbs from Herbiboar, crushed nests for brews
• Farming Guide - Tree seeds from birdhouse nests
• Varlamore Guide - Hunter Guild, blessed bone shards, Quetzin pet