If you’ve spent any time trekking through the mud of Lemoyne, you’ve probably seen those glowing yellow mounds while using Eagle Eye. They look like weird little dirt piles, but they’re actually alligator nests. Most players just grab the eggs and sell them to the nearest butcher for a quick couple of bucks.
Honestly? That is a huge mistake.
While the $2.50 you get at a standard butcher—or the slightly better $2.75 in Rhodes—might feel like decent pocket change early on, you’re going to regret it later. Trust me. There is a specific eccentric man in Saint Denis named Algernon Wasp who is going to make your life a living nightmare if you don’t have a stockpile of these things ready to go.
Finding rdr2 gator eggs locations isn't just about the money; it’s about saving yourself hours of frustration during the "Duchesses and Other Animals" exotic quest line.
Where to Actually Find Gator Eggs
You won't find these things in the mountains or the desert. Obviously. They are strictly a swamp item. You need to head to Bayou Nwa and Bluewater Marsh.
One of the most reliable spots is just west of Lakay. If you follow the shoreline of the Kamassa River where it starts to get really marshy, you’ll see several nests tucked near the cypress trees. Another hotspot is the area directly east of Shady Belle. If you’re doing the companion mission with Pearson where you go out for crawfish, you’ll actually stumble right onto some.
The Best Spawns Near Saint Denis
If you want to fill your satchel quickly, look at these specific spots:
- The Railroad Tracks: Just north of Saint Denis, where the tracks cut through the swamp toward Emerald Ranch. Check underneath the elevated sections of the track. Nests love the shade there.
- Copperhead Landing: Search the small islands and the muddy banks just south of the "C" in Copperhead Landing on your map.
- Crawdad Willie’s: The area surrounding this little shack is basically a nursery. You can often find three or four nests within a short whistle of each other.
Each nest usually holds between 3 to 5 eggs. If you hit three nests, you’re already halfway to the magic number you need for the exotics quest.
The Algernon Wasp Problem
Around Chapter 4, you’ll meet Algernon Wasp. He’s a fancy guy with a very specific taste for hats. He’s going to ask you for a bunch of stuff—orchids, plumes, and exactly 25 alligator eggs.
The problem is that once you actually have the quest active, the game feels like it knows. Suddenly, the birds stop spawning, and the nests feel harder to spot. If you gather the eggs before you reach the third list of his requests, you can just hand them over immediately.
I’ve seen players spend three real-world hours trying to find that last nest because they sold all their previous ones to a butcher in Valentine. Don't be that person.
Dealing With the Parents
You aren't just walking up to a pile of dirt and taking things. These are alligator nests.
Usually, there is a large mother alligator nearby. Sometimes she's sitting right on top of it; sometimes she’s lurking in the tall grass three feet away. Before you hop off your horse, use your binoculars or a scoped rifle to scan the area.
If you don't want to kill the gator—maybe you're worried about the noise or your honor—you can usually fire a shot into the air to spook them. Small gators will bolt immediately. The big ones? They might just hiss at you. If they don't budge, a Bolt Action Rifle to the head is the only way to loot in peace.
Do Gator Eggs Respawn?
Yes, but it's finicky.
If you clear out the nests near Shady Belle and they don't reappear the next day, try leaving the area entirely. A lot of players swear by the "train trick." Ride a train to a different state—like New Hanover—sleep for 48 hours in-game, and then come back. This usually forces the world to reset the nodes.
If you're playing Red Dead Online, the locations are a bit more static but depend on the daily cycle. In the single-player story mode, they are fixed points that eventually "regrow" their contents.
Pro Tips for the Swamp Trek
- Eagle Eye is Mandatory: The nests glow bright yellow. If you’re riding through the Bayou at night, it’s actually easier to see them against the dark mud.
- The Trapper: If you absolutely have more than 25 and want to sell them, the Trapper also buys them. It's a bit more "thematic" than the butcher.
- Watch the Horse: Your horse will lose its mind in these locations. Park it on the solid road and walk into the muck. Losing a horse to a gator because you wanted an egg is a bad trade.
Basically, if you see a nest, grab it. Even if you don't need the money. Even if you haven't met Algernon yet. Your future self will thank you when you're trying to hit that 100% completion mark and realize you already have the most annoying part of the collection finished.
To get started, head to the marshes north of Saint Denis and start scanning the shoreline. Once you have a stack of 25, keep them in your satchel—they don't rot, and they don't take up much space.