Just dropped into the island in Far Cry 3 and wondering how to get started? This beginner-friendly guide offers practical, no-nonsense tips for hunting, looting, and making some quick cash. These early moves set the stage for smoother progression, better gear, and faster crafting.

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1. Open the Map and Plan Your Route

Press M (on PC) to access your map. Look for marked animal icons and plant symbols. For this guide, we’re heading to a boar hunting ground, where you’ll also find Komodo dragons nearby. Boars are easy to kill and their pelts fetch a decent price early on.

Pro tip: Always keep an eye out for chest icons on the map as well. These contain loot like ammo, grenades, and money. Before heading into your hunt, take a brief detour and raid any visible loot chests—they’re free resources and can net you over $30 a pop.

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2. Loot Everything on the Way

As you travel, kill and skin every animal you come across. You’ll likely encounter:

• Deer: Simple to kill, useful for crafting.
• Buffalo: Tougher, but drop high-value pelts.

Even with the starter weapon, you can kill a buffalo with persistence. Aim for the head and don’t let up—those hides are worth it.

Don’t ignore chests or random loot on the path. A few bucks here and there quickly stack up. Look out for:

• Pearl necklaces
• Old phones
• Ammo and gear

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3. Headshots Matter

When hunting animals like boars, make your shots count. Three headshots usually do the trick with early weapons. Don’t waste ammo body-shotting them endlessly. Efficient kills mean less ammo used and fewer reloads in combat-heavy zones.

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4. Gather Herbs for Syringes

Crafting syringes is vital to survival. You’ll find different types of herbs around the island:

• Green Herbs: Used to make health syringes.
• Red Herbs: Often used in hunting and combat boost syringes.
• Blue Herbs: Found underwater; used for specialized crafting.

If you see leaf icons on the map, head there and harvest them. Swim down for blue leaves, and don’t forget to watch your oxygen meter.

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5. Conserve Ammo—Use Your Knife

Some smaller or weakened animals don’t need to be shot at all. If they’re stunned or slow, just use your knife to finish them off. Conserve ammo early game—it’s more precious than you think.

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6. Sell Pelts for Quick Money

Once your rucksack starts filling up, visit a vendor or general store and sell extra pelts. Not only will this give you a decent chunk of early-game money, but it also frees up space for future loot. Don’t hoard—you’ll find more animals everywhere.

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Final Thoughts

In Far Cry 3, early success is about resourcefulness. Hunt everything. Loot everything. Use your map. Gather plants. Conserve ammo. By doing all of this as soon as you step onto the island, you’ll quickly set yourself up with better gear, more cash, and crucial crafting materials.

Stick to the fundamentals, and you’ll turn from rookie to Rambo in no time.

(And remember: if a wild buffalo charges you—just keep shooting until it stops moving.)