Dreadsaber Mastery: Stalking the Prey

Quest Giver: Buck Cantwell  — Nesingwary Base Camp [26.8, 59.1]

Turn In: Buck Cantwell — Nesingwary Base Camp

Objective: Identify 3 Shango Tracks from the Dreadsaber Tracks near Bittertide Lake.

Quick Facts

• Prerequisites: Dreadsaber Mastery: Becoming a Predator
• Follow-up: Dreadsaber Mastery: Ready to Pounce
• Series: Part 2 of 3 in the Dreadsaber Mastery chain
• Type: RNG-based tracking (no combat required)

Walkthrough

Buck Cantwell tells you that Debaar spotted large tracks on her last outing. He directs you: “Go north from the camp toward Bittertide Lake, and search its southern shore for the prints.”

Fly or ride north from Nesingwary Base Camp to Bittertide Lake, the large lake in northwestern Sholazar Basin near the Glimmering Pillar. Look for Dreadsaber Tracks on the ground around the lake’s shores. These are ground-spawn objects you right-click to examine (5-second interaction).

How the tracking works:

• All tracks display as “Dreadsaber Tracks” in the tooltip. They all look identical. You cannot distinguish Shango’s from regular tracks until you examine them.
• After examining, your character will say either:
  • “These aren’t Shango’s tracks.” (no credit, move to next)
  • “These tracks must belong to Shango.” (credit! 1/3 progress)
• You need 3 positive identifications to complete the quest.

The RNG factor: Which tracks belong to Shango is random. Reports vary wildly: some get all 3 in 4-5 attempts, while others need 18+ examinations to find 3 positives. There is no reliable way to predict which tracks will be correct, so expect some variance and just keep clicking.

Best track locations:

• Southern shore [35-40, 41-44]: The primary area. Most tracks spawn along the southern and southwestern shores of Bittertide Lake.
• Sandy areas near [35, 41]: Tracks found on sandy ground (rather than grass) seem more likely to be Shango’s.
• Tracks respawn fairly quickly (roughly 1 minute), so if you’ve cleared an area, circle back.

This is a no-combat quest. Tracks are interactable objects, not mobs. You can complete this without fighting anything, though roaming Dreadsabers and other predators are in the area, so stay alert.

Do Alongside

• Crocolisk Mastery: The Plan (if available): Requires collecting Sandfern along the river and lake areas nearby. Good pairing since both send you to the same general region.

Lore Context

This quest introduces Shango, Sholazar’s legendary dreadsaber. Buck Cantwell says “the natives tell stories” of him, suggesting Shango is known to the local gorloc and wolvar populations as a feared apex predator.

The tracking quest serves as a narrative bridge: the first quest proved you can kill dreadsabers, this one proves you can track a specific legendary animal, and the finale (Ready to Pounce) sends you to confront Shango himself at Bittertide Falls.

Buck’s injury is mentioned again here: “My injuries have kept me from venturing outside the camp.” He is effectively living vicariously through the player, which adds a quiet character note to what could otherwise be a generic kill chain.

His completion text: “I think you may have found the proof we need for this Shango. And I think I have an idea as to where we can find him.”

Explore Sholazar Basin’s hidden easter eggs, lore mysteries, and connections across Warcraft history in Vikstone’s Sholazar Basin Chronicles, along with the complete quest storyline.