If you’ve spent any amount of time exploring the open biomes of Monster Hunter Wilds, you’ve probably stumbled across a crafting recipe that calls for monster hunter wilds windrake hide and had no clue where to start looking. This large, lightweight windrake hide is one of the most versatile early to mid-game crafting materials, used for everything from low-profile armor sets to specialized ranged weapon attachments. I spent three hours running in circles looking for my first batch, so I put together this guide to save you the same frustration. We’ll cover exact spawn locations, the fastest farming routes, what you can craft with the hide, and common mistakes to avoid so you can stock up in half the time.
Where to Find Monster Hunter Wilds Windrake Hide Exact Spawn Locations
Windrake are large, avian monsters that nest exclusively in the high-altitude cliffside zones of the Sunspine Peaks biome. They don’t spawn in lower forest or desert areas, so don’t waste your time checking those regions first. You can spot their large, stick nests perched on cliff ledges that are only accessible with your wirebug or mount, and you’ll usually find 2 to 3 windrake per nest group. Windrake hide drops only from mature adult windrake, though smaller scraps can be collected from juvenile chicks that roam near nest sites.
There are three guaranteed spawn areas you can rely on every time you load into the biome:
- The northwest cliff face directly above the first fast travel point in Sunspine Peaks – this is the easiest spot for new players to reach, as you only need one wirebug jump to get to the ledge
- The southern ridge overlooking the desert border – this spot has 4 nests total, so you’ll often find up to 6 windrake here per run
- The hidden eastern cliff nest behind the frozen waterfall – this is a lower-traffic spot for multiplayer sessions, so you won’t have to compete with other players for drops
Make sure you’re on a low wind weather day when you go farming. Windrake will not leave their nests during heavy wind storms, so you’ll waste a trip if you head out when the weather indicator shows strong gusts. I always check the biome weather forecast right before I fast travel to avoid this mistake, and it’s cut my failed farming runs down to zero over the past month.
The Fastest Windrake Hide Farming Route For Casual and Hardcore Players
This route takes me roughly 12 minutes per run, and I usually walk away with 6 to 8 windrake hide per trip, plus extra bonus drops like windrake feathers and claw shards. Start by fast traveling to the first Sunspine Peaks waypoint, then use your wirebug to jump up to the northwest cliff nests first. Take out all the windrake here, loot their drops, then glide south along the cliff face to the southern ridge nests. Clear those, then loop around to the hidden eastern waterfall nest to finish the run. Once you’re done, fast travel back to the main village and reload the biome to reset all spawns for another run.
If you’re playing multiplayer, split up with your party to clear all three spots at the same time. I’ve done this with friends and we’ve gotten up to 20 windrake hide per 10 minute run, which is way faster than solo farming. Just make sure everyone knows the route ahead of time so you don’t end up overlapping and wasting time. You can also mark nest locations on your shared map to make coordination even easier.
Use a low-damage blunt weapon when attacking windrake if you want higher hide drop rates. Slashing or piercing weapons will often tear the hide, reducing your chance of getting a perfect, undamaged hide by roughly 30%. I use a basic iron hammer for these runs, and I almost always get at least one hide per windrake I take down. You don’t need a high level weapon for this, as windrake are fairly low health and easy to stun with blunt attacks.
Top Uses for Windrake Hide in Crafting and Upgrades
Windrake hide is most valuable for its lightweight, wind-resistant properties, which make it perfect for gear that boosts mobility and stamina recovery. The most popular craft using the windrake hide is the Windstrider Armor Set, which gives a 20% boost to glide distance and 15% faster stamina regen while you’re in the air. This set is a must-have for players who spend a lot of time exploring high altitude biomes or fighting flying monsters, and it only requires 8 total pieces of windrake hide to craft the full set. I wore this set for almost 20 hours of playtime before I upgraded to a higher rarity endgame set.
You’ll also need windrake hide to upgrade most mid-game ranged weapons, including the bow and light bowgun. The hide lines the weapon grips to reduce recoil, and it’s also used to make the specialized wind-resistant strings for bows. I recently upgraded my level 12 bow, and it required 4 windrake hide to unlock the +10% ranged damage bonus perk that made it viable for fighting mid-tier boss monsters. It’s also used to craft suppressors for light bowguns, which reduce monster aggro when you fire from a distance.
Other common uses include crafting extra large wirebug pouches, which let you carry 3 additional wirebugs, and glider wing upgrades that make your mount’s glide speed 10% faster. It’s also a common trade item for NPCs in the mountain village, so keeping a stack of 10 or 20 in your item box is never a bad idea if you want to pick up rare cooking recipes or crafting schematics. I traded 5 hide last week for a recipe that gives me a 30% stamina boost for 30 minutes, which has been a game changer for long exploration runs.
Common Windrake Hide Farming Mistakes to Avoid
I made almost all of these mistakes my first few times farming windrake, so I want to call them out clearly to save you time and frustration. First, don’t attack windrake while they’re flying. If you knock them off the cliff, their windrake hide drops will fall to the bottom of the ravine, and you won’t be able to loot them 9 times out of 10. Wait for them to land on their nest ledge before you attack, so all drops stay on the flat surface you can reach easily. You can use a flash pod to knock flying windrake back to their nests if they won’t land on their own.
Second, don’t forget to equip the Good Luck Charm before you head out on farming runs. This charm increases your chance of getting rare and bonus drops by 25%, which adds up fast when you’re farming multiple windrake per run. I forgot to equip mine for my first two runs, and I only got 3 hide total over 20 minutes, compared to 8 hide on my first run with the charm equipped. You can get the Good Luck Charm from the mountain village NPC after you complete the first Sunspine Peaks main story quest.
Third, don’t skip the small windrake chicks that spawn near nests. They have a 15% drop rate for small windrake hide scraps, which you can combine 3 of to make one full windrake hide. A lot of players ignore the chicks because they don’t give as much loot, but I usually get 2 to 3 extra hide per run just from collecting the scraps they drop. You don’t even have to fight them, you can just pick up the scraps they leave scattered around the nest ledges.
Finally, don’t sell your extra windrake hide for zenny. It’s worth far more as a crafting material or trade item than the 120 zenny you get per hide. I sold 15 of my first hides when I was low on cash, and I regretted it a week later when I needed 12 of them to upgrade my favorite bow. Keep all extra hide in your item box until you’re 100% sure you don’t need it for any future upgrades or crafts. You can always sell excess later if you really need the cash, but you can’t get it back once it’s gone.
At the end of the day, farming monster hunter wilds windrake hide doesn’t have to be a long, frustrating grind if you know where to look and what mistakes to avoid. Stick to the spawn spots and route we covered, use a blunt weapon and Good Luck Charm to boost your drop rates, and save all your extra hide for crafting instead of selling it. You’ll have a full stack of hide in no time, and you’ll be able to craft all the mobility-focused gear and weapon upgrades you need to take on the tougher end-game monsters in Monster Hunter Wilds. If you have any other favorite farming spots I missed, feel free to drop them in the comments below.