WoW Forever Hunter Pets Guide and Locations

You unlock beast taming at level 10 through the Hunter class quest available from your Hunter trainer. You cannot tame a beast above your character’s level.

The levels listed beside beasts below are the beasts’ levels, not the level at which taming unlocks. For example, a level 7 beast can be an early pet, but you must still reach level 10 and complete the class quest first.

You can keep one active pet and two stabled pets after purchasing both stable slots. This gives you room to keep different options for damage, tanking, or PvP utility.

The Alliance and Horde location labels highlight convenient options for each faction. They do not mean the pet families themselves are faction exclusive.

Pets gain increased stats from your gear, allowing them to grow stronger as you improve your equipment. They can no longer receive buffs such as Blessings or scrolls.

All pets share the same base attack speed, but individual beasts regain their attack speed differences through a passive. The specific beast you tame still matters, even when choosing between pets from the same family.

The existing pet families remain available, with owls now classified as birds of prey. Foxes are a new family, and nine pet families receive a new ability.

Several talents also affect how Hunters play with pets:

• Summon Hawk: A Beast Mastery talent that deals damage and summons a hawk to attack your target. You can have two summoned hawks active at once.
• Ferocity: Also benefits summoned hawks, while providing smaller critical strike bonuses to your regular pet than before.
• Lone Wolf: Increases your damage by 20% while you have no active pet.

For the broader specialization changes, see our Hunter Class Overview.

Zephras Isle, the Skyborne starting zone, introduces 16 tameable beasts. Hunters from other races can also travel there, and both factions can tame its beasts.

To reach the island:

• Horde: Take the airship north of Thunder Bluff.
• Alliance: Take the skyship from Dalaran.

The island offers bears, raptors, birds of prey, a crab, a cat, and tallstriders. These options are particularly useful for Horde Hunters looking for early birds of prey or Alliance Hunters looking for early raptors.

The bears range from approximately level 3 to level 11, with a rare bear at level 13. You must reach level 13 before taming that rare.

Use our Zephras Isle Interactive Map to get familiar with the zone and its points of interest.

Foxes are a new pet family found on Zephras Isle. Their signature ability, Trickster’s Dance, increases the pet’s dodge chance by 50% and reduces the time between its attacks by 30%.

This gives foxes a defensive window while also helping them attack more frequently.

There are three regular foxes and a rare golden fox to tame. The rare can be difficult to find, so a regular fox gives you access to the family without relying on a rare spawn.

Bears have Swipe, which hits multiple enemies. This makes them a useful solo leveling choice when fighting more than one mob.

Horde locations

• Silverpine Forest: Ferocious Grizzled Bears at levels 11–12 and Giant Grizzled Bears at levels 12–13.

Alliance locations

• Dun Morogh: Ice Claw Bears at levels 7–8.
• Elwynn Forest: Young Forest Bears at levels 8–9.
• Darkshore: Thistle Bears at levels 11–12.
• Loch Modan: Black Bear Patriarchs at levels 16–17.

Both factions can also find bears in Ashenvale and Hillsbrad around levels 21–22, or visit Zephras Isle for its earlier options.

Spiders can immobilize enemies with webs, making them useful when you need to keep a target in place.

Horde locations

• Tirisfal Glades: Early spiders at levels 3–4.
• Durotar: A new spider option at levels 5–6.
• Silverpine Forest: Moss Stalkers at levels 12–13.

Alliance locations

• Teldrassil: Spiders at several levels, starting around level 3.
• Loch Modan: Forest Lurkers at levels 11–12.

Both factions can also find Deepmoss spiders in Stonetalon Mountains, around levels 16–18. Additional rare spiders appear across other zones.

Crocolisks can reduce a target’s healing received by 25% for 6 seconds. This makes them especially useful against healers in PvP.

Horde locations

• Durotar: Dreadmaw Crocolisks at levels 9–11.
• Wailing Caverns: Crocolisks at levels 18–19.

Alliance locations

• Loch Modan: Loch Crocolisks at levels 14–15.
• Loch Modan: Rare options include a crocolisk at levels 15–16 and the Large Loch Crocolisk at level 22.

For PvP, try to line up the healing reduction with your burst damage so the target has a harder time recovering.

Wolves have Furious Howl, which increases melee attack power for you and your party or raid members. They are particularly useful in groups with several melee damage dealers.

Horde locations

• Mulgore: Prairie Wolf Alphas at levels 9–10.
• Silverpine Forest: Worgs at levels 10–11 that already know Furious Howl.

Alliance locations

• Dun Morogh: Several early wolf options.
• Westfall: Coyote Pack Leaders at levels 11–12 if you want an early wolf with Furious Howl.

Both factions can also look for Mist Howler, a rare wolf in Ashenvale at level 22.

Boars have Charge, which roots the target for 1 second and strengthens the boar’s next attack. They are an accessible and reliable option for solo leveling.

Horde locations

• Durotar: Mottled Boars.
• Mulgore: Battleboars.

Alliance locations

• Teldrassil: Young Thistle Boars.
• Dun Morogh: Crag Boars.
• Westfall: Goretusks.

Higher Charge ranks are available from certain boars in Westfall and Loch Modan for Rank 2, and from boars in Razorfen Kraul for Rank 3.

Cats are a strong option when you want to focus on your pet’s damage. On Zephras Isle, Prideclaw is highlighted as a cat with Prowl.

Horde options

• Durotar Tigers and Flatland Cougars at levels 7–8.
• The Rake, a rare cat in Mulgore at level 10.

Alliance locations

• Teldrassil: Nightsabers.
• Dun Morogh: Juvenile Snow Leopards.
• Darkshore: Moonstalkers.
• Dun Morogh: Ghostfang, a rare cat at level 10.

When choosing a cat, consider the individual beast’s attack speed passive as well as its appearance.

Bats have Sonic Blast, which slows enemy spellcasting. This makes them a useful choice against casters.

• Horde: Duskbats throughout Tirisfal Glades, including the rare Ressan the Needler at level 11.
• Alliance: Shadowfang Keep provides an early dungeon option, since convenient early open-world bats are not available in Alliance starting areas.
• 

Hyenas have Tendon Rip, which deals damage over time and slows the target.

Their early availability favors Horde Hunters, with the hyenas below level 30 located in Horde territory.

• The Barrens: Hecklefang Hyenas at levels 15–16.
• The Barrens: Snort the Heckler, a rare hyena at level 17.

Birds of prey can disarm enemies for 3 seconds, with a 90-second cooldown. This makes them useful against melee opponents.

• Alliance: Owls in Teldrassil, ranging from levels 5–9, plus the rare Nightscreech at level 10.
• Horde: Zephras Isle offers a practical early alternative.

Both factions have early carrion bird options:

• Horde: Swoops in Mulgore, ranging from levels 5–10.
• Alliance: Fleshrippers in Westfall, ranging from levels 10–17, or Mountain Buzzards in Loch Modan.

Crabs have Pinch, which damages an enemy and slows it by 50%.

• Horde: Surf Crawlers in Durotar.
• Alliance: Tide Crawlers in Darkshore at levels 12–14, or Shore Crawlers in Westfall.
• Both factions: The Wind Crawler on Zephras Isle.

Raptors can apply a bleed and are a good option when you want to focus on damage from your pet.

Horde locations

• Durotar: Bloodtalon raptors, ranging from levels 6–11.
• The Barrens: Sunscale raptors, ranging from levels 11–19.
• The Barrens: Takk the Leaper, a rare elite at level 19.

Alliance Hunters can find raptors in the Wetlands from level 22 onward, or travel to Zephras Isle for an earlier option.

Tallstriders have Dust Cloud, which reduces the target’s armor.

• Horde: Plainstriders in Mulgore, with additional options in the Barrens.
• Alliance: Foreststriders in Darkshore from level 11.
• Both factions: Tallstriders on Zephras Isle.

Turtles offer a defensive option through Shell Shield, making them worth considering when pet survivability matters.

Available options include:

• The Barrens: Oasis Snapjaws at levels 15–16.
• Wailing Caverns: Kresh, highlighted as an option for Shell Shield.
• Blackfathom Deeps: Additional tameable turtles.

These families provide additional choices as you progress:

• Scorpids: Found in Durotar, making them convenient for Horde Hunters.
• Wind serpents: Available in the Barrens.
• Gorillas: Become available in Stranglethorn Vale around level 32.

Rare pets can offer distinctive appearances, but some also stand out because of their faster attack passive.

Although pets share a standardized base attack speed, this passive creates differences between individual beasts. Faster attacks can cause more frequent spell pushback, making certain pets useful against casters.

The Rake is one option for Horde Hunters, while Duskstalker is highlighted for Alliance Hunters.

Rarity alone does not make a pet the best choice for every situation. Consider its family ability, attack speed passive, and the type of content you want to play before committing to a rare hunt.

Solo Leveling

Bears and boars are reliable early choices that can stay useful throughout your leveling journey.

Bears bring Swipe for fighting multiple enemies, while boars offer Charge to briefly root a target and strengthen their next attack.

Dungeons

Choose a wolf when your group benefits from Furious Howl, particularly if you have several melee damage dealers.

A cat or raptor is a solid alternative when your priority is damage from your own pet.

PvP

Choose your pet around the opponent or situation:

• Against healers: A crocolisk provides healing reduction. Coordinate it with your burst damage.
• Against casters: A bat slows casting speed, while a fast-attacking pet such as The Rake or Duskstalker can apply spell pushback.
• Against melee: A bird of prey provides a disarm, while a spider can immobilize the target.
• For pet survivability: A turtle or fox offers a defensive window through Shell Shield or Trickster’s Dance.

Start with an accessible leveling pet, then use your stable slots for alternatives that suit the content you play most.