Where to find sandstars in Monster Hunter Wilds

Sandstars are a special (and especially cute) kind of endemic life in Monster Hunter Wilds. You’ll need to capture one as part of a side quest, “Samin’s Special Research Report,” for Samin at the Windward Plains base camp late in the game (after the credits and during the High Rank section).

This is the sixth and final side quest in Dareel and Samin’s ongoing feud — you’ve already caught a tracktail lizard, dapperwing, ember rufflizard, rime beetle, and gillopod. Now, you need a sandstar.

Our Monster Hunter Wilds guide will tell you when and where to find sandstars and how to catch them.

Where to find sandstars in Monster Hunter Wilds

Sandstars are only found in the Windward Plains and only at nighttime during a plenty. The other clue about their location is in the name — you’re looking for sandy areas. Head to the pop-up camp at Area 13: Oasis. Sandstars seem more likely to spawn along the north edge of the dunes surrounding that camp.

You’ll probably have to do a lot of running around to track one down. They’re easy enough to spot since they glow, but their spawn rate is really low — it took us three full nights to find and catch one.

If you get frustrated (you will get frustrated), ride toward another numbered area or fast travel away from the oasis. Heading northeast toward Area 12 is a good plan since there just so happens to be some baunos that way (more on them in a second). Once you’re out of sight of the dunes, turn around and head back.

There does not seem to be a consistent way to force a sandstar to spawn, so just keep at it.

Before you go chasing them, though, you’ve got one extra step.

How to make screamer pods in Monster Hunter Wilds

If you talk to Samin again after he assigns you the side mission, he’ll give you a little more information. Specifically, that they have large ears and are sensitive to noise.

That’s your clue that you need a screamer pod. You can snag these from a baunos small monster with your hook slinger. (Technically, you collect an echo feather that automatically becomes a screamer pod). Screamer pods are one of the temporary slinger ammos that you can only pick up in the wild and cannot craft.

To find them, open your map and hit right on the D-pad two times to pull up the icon filter. Scroll down to baunos and then use left and right on the D-pad to cycle through their locations.

If you do this earlier in the day and then rest at a camp, you’ll still have the screamer pods at nighttime.

How to catch a sandstar in Monster Hunter Wilds

As you’re approaching a sandstar, the stealth bonus from the ghillie mantle does seem to make it easier to get close, but don’t quote us on that.

Make sure you’ve got a screamer pod equipped on your slinger. You don’t have to be too precise with your targeting here, so close enough works. Hit it with a screamer pod to stun it.

Once it’s stunned, it’ll roll on the ground for a minute. Quickly equip your capture net either from the item bar or from your Essential Items radial menu. You have to be very quick with that part, though, since they don’t stay stunned for long.

With the new rectangle reticle, aim until the reticle turns yellow-orange and fire it. Just make sure you hit L2/LT and not the usual Square/X. Aim a little high for this shot — it sucks to miss it when they’re so hard to find.

Report back to Samin with your hard-earned prize to complete the side mission. You’ll also get the “I Caught a Shooting Star!” achievement or trophy.

To also help you understand Monster Hunter Wilds, we explain how to capture monsters, how to change weapons, provide some Seikret tips, and teach you how fishing and layered armor works.