Monster Hunter World (MHW)

How To Track Monsters

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Before you can hunt a monster down, you need to track them down first! Read on to learn how to gather all the clues to track down a monster.

How To Track Monsters

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There are several species of monsters in Monster Hunter World (MHW) to discover and learn. Collecting clues and tracking them down will help in learning about them or hunting them!

1Choose a camp
2Exit the camp
3Follow the Scoutflies
4Interact and collect clues and tracks
5Continue following Scoutflies
6Fill Investigation Bar
7Find Monster!

Choose A Camp

The best way to decide where to spawn would be to assume the nature of the monster you are hunting. For example, in the Ancient Forest, flying wyverns would most likely be found closer to the higher camps. Entering an investigation with this in mind could speed up the process!

Check out our list to find out where the best camp to start is for each monster you are tracking. Here you can find the starting location of each monster!
List of All Monsters and Starting Locations (Base Game)

Leave The Camp

In either an expedition, quest or investigation, you will choose to spawn in a camp. To begin tracking, you must leave the camp first.

Follow Scoutflies

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Once you exit, there will be Scoutflies. They are bright green glowing specks that fly towards materials, monsters, or clues!

They will float around tracks that can be investigated. Get a better look and check out what they're gathering around.

Scoutfly Level
Level Scoutfly Guidance
1 Scoutflies will lead you to the next monster track
2 Scoutflies will lead you to the monster
3 The monster and its status will appear on the map

Approach and Interact With Clues

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Once you approach the scoutflies and you uncover that the item they are hovering over is a track, interact with it! Gather clues to bring back and keep going!

These clues are not nly important for research points but also to be able to identify the monster quickly in the future.

Continue Following Scoutflies

Once you find the first track, the scoutflies will lead you to the next one and so on.

Find Enough Tracks To Fill Investigation Bar

There is a bar when tracking down a monster, once this is filled, the Scoutflies will lead you towards the monster itself.

Find Monster

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Once the monster is found, it will give you a prompt for a New Discovery! Congratulations, you have successfully tracked down a monster!

Research Points

Fathering enough tracks and filling up the investigation bar will help you earn research points!

Research Point Use
Palico Equipment
Canteen Food
Botanical Research Center Fertilizer
Trailraider Safari Missions
Melding Pot

Ecological Research

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Sitting atop hundreds of books is the Vice Chief Ecologist of Ecological Research. Here, your tracking pays off when they constantly update the Monster Field Guide with new information on monsters, their weaknesses, drops, elements, ailments, carves, rewards and more!

Monster Guide Level

The information in the Ecological Research Center varies per monster. The only universal factor is the higher the Investigation Level, the higher the Monster Guide Level.

With each increase in the Monster Guide Level, more information regarding the mosnter is unlocked.

Monster Hunter World (MHW) Related Guides

All Beginner Guides

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Beginner's Guide | How to Play MHW

Monster Hunter World Guides

Base Game Guides
Story Walkthrough and How to Unlock Iceborne Money Farming Guide
Food Guide and All Canteen Ingredients Best Timing for Well-Done Steak
Best Weapons for Beginners How to Pause Quests
How Do Quest Rewards Work? How to Track Monsters
What is Critical Distance? How to Use Wedge Beetles
How to Use the Chat Functions Character Creation Guide
How to Use the Training Area List of Crafting Recipes
List of Poogie Costumes How to Break Rank Caps
Monster Threat Levels How to Raise Hunter Rank Fast
Post-Game Content How to Find ??? Rathian Tracks
Weapon and Armor Augments Explanation of Each Status Effect
How To Capture Monsters How To Hunt Monsters
How To Mount Monsters Monster Parts and Weaknesses Guide
How to Join a Friend's Expedition Monster Crown Size Guides
How to Get the Dragoon Jump Emote Tailraider Safari Guide and Best Items to Get
Argosy Guide and Best Choices How to Aim Cannons
Alpha or Beta Armor Lucky Voucher Effects
Bowgun Special Ammo Guides How to Equip Skills
Difference of Cut and Blunt Damage Type Hunting Horn Notes and Effects
Unchangeable Features Turf Wars and List of Matchups
List of Trophies and How to Unlock (MHW) -

Stat Guides

Stat Guides
What Does Attack Do? What Does Defense Do? What Does Elemental Resistance Do?
What Does Affinity Do? What Does Elemental Attack Do? What is Elderseal?

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Grimalkyne Tribes
All Grimalkyne Tribes and Rewards
Bugtrappers Protectors Troupers
Plunderers Gajalaka Boaboa

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