The Great Hunter’s Challenge

Quest Giver: Drostan — Nesingwary Base Camp, Sholazar Basin [27.1, 59.9]

Objective: Kill 60 game animals in Sholazar Basin and return to Drostan.

Quick Facts

• Prerequisite: Kick, What Kick?
• Not timed. You will always win. There is zero urgency.
• Rewards: Choice of green-quality head slot items
• Achievement: Counts toward Into the Basin and The Snows of Northrend

Walkthrough

• Any beast kill in Sholazar Basin counts toward the 60-kill objective. This includes all animals killed for other Nesingwary hunting quests (Dreadsabers, Rhinos, Crocolisks, Cobras, Giraffes, Shovel Tusks, Tickbirds, etc.).
• Drostan periodically appears or yells commentary as you hunt, tracking his own kill count. He starts strong, builds a big lead, then slows down, naps, goes fishing, and eventually falls behind. He always finishes at exactly 58 kills when you turn in at 60.
• Return to Drostan at Nesingwary Base Camp when done. His jaw-dropping reaction is worth the read: “No way! How in Azeroth did you do that? I just made my 58th.”

Efficiency Tips

• This is the single most important quest to pick up before doing anything else at camp. As emphasized in Kick, What Kick?, every Mastery chain kill (15 Dreadsabers + 15 Rhinos + 15 Crocolisks = 45 right there) counts toward the 60. Add in a few named targets and incidental kills, and you’ll hit 60 without even trying. If you start the Mastery quests before picking up this challenge, those kills are wasted progress.
• The best areas for dense beast spawns if you need to top off: the Wildgrowth Mangal (around [44, 54], good for cobras and crocolisks), southwest of River’s Heart (mixed game), and the plains between camp and the Suntouched Pillar (rhinos, dreadsabers).
• Skinners: This quest is a goldmine. Sixty beast kills means a mountain of Borean Leather and a solid chance at Arctic Fur. You can make 30+ gold in vendor trash alone, plus stacks of crafting materials and Chilled Meat/Rhino Meat.

Easter Egg

• Aesop’s “The Tortoise and the Hare.” The quest structure is a direct retelling of the classic fable. Drostan (the hare) races ahead, builds a commanding lead, then gets cocky and takes a nap: “Well, now that I’ve got a nice lead, I think I’ll enjoy a little nap.” The player (the tortoise) keeps a steady pace and wins. The moral is identical: slow and steady wins the race.

Lore Context

The quest text frames this as more than casual competition. Drostan says Hemet “must be planning on including you in the hunt,” meaning this challenge is your audition for the Nesingwary expedition proper.

By beating Drostan’s kill count (60 to 58), you prove yourself as a peer-level hunter, which is why the Mastery chains, the brewing questline with Tipsy McManus, and the rest of the camp’s content all open up around this time.

Cross-Expansion Connection

• The Nesingwary hunting expedition format (kill X of species A, then X of species B, then a named elite target) has been a recurring WoW tradition since Classic Stranglethorn Vale. Each expansion refines the formula: TBC Nagrand added elite group targets, WotLK Sholazar added the competitive framing with Drostan and the drinking game with Tipsy McManus, and MoP’s Valley of the Four Winds paired Hemet with his son.
• By Dragonflight, Hemet has retired entirely, reflecting on a lifetime of hunts: “I’ve bagged enough trophies to last me ten lifetimes.” This quest is part of the apex of his career, the last expansion where the full Nesingwary hunt plays out with the man himself leading the charge.

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.