Bighorner Bighorners are found in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281 . Background . Bighorners are mutated that live in the areas ' high mountains . While settlers use them for their horns , meat , and hides , it has been observed that they can usually be found in close proximity to a banana yucca fruit , making for rather effective herb tracking . Several settlements , such as Goodsprings and Jacobstown , have domesticated them for a source of fresh meat . Characteristics . Biology . Bighorners are herbivores and are primarily found in wild herds of three to seven in the Mojave Wasteland , or in domesticated drifts of varying size in settlements such as Goodsprings , near Jacobstown , Spring Mt . Ranch State Park or around Cottonwood Cove . They are a communal species , when one member of the herd is affected by a loss , as a collective the herd will react . When domesticated , they lose the ability to take care of themselves , since those bighorners at the Matthews Animal Husbandry Farm have become emaciated since their owners were killed . They are generally " laid - back " beasts with surprisingly docile dispositions , in spite of being quite capable of being extremely dangerous when provoked . However , according to Easy Pete , they cannot be used as pack animals , as " they just lie down until you take it off " . Accordingly , no bighorner is ever seen carrying a pack in - game . Gameplay attributes . In combat situations , bighorners are unique in that they are rarely outright hostile unlike most other creatures . Though marked as hostiles on the compass , unprovoked bighorners will not actively pursue the player character like other creatures , and if left alone , are content to graze and mind their own business . They will not attack unless something comes within four to five feet of them or their young . If this barrier is trespassed , they will rear their heads up and bellow , at which point they will charge and ram into their foe . Bighorners cannot take a huge amount of abuse ( they are squarely on par with a in terms of health ) , but their head - butting attacks are devastating , capable of sending enemies flying backwards or knocking them down . Bighorners can also run very fast . Variants . Bighorner . A regular bighorner with all the attributes mentioned above . Bighorners are not hostile unless provoked and are commonly found in the woods in the northwest area of the map near Jacobstown and the Silver Peak Mine , the cliffs east of Nipton , near Lake Vegas and Camp Golf , and near Snyder Prospector Camp . Bighorner bull . Bighorner bulls are stronger , larger versions of bighorners , and are likely to be found in any herd of bighorners in the wild , and can completely replace regular bighorners at higher levels . A killed bighorner bull can drop up to five pieces of bighorner meat , which can be turned into bighorner steak at a campfire . Bighorner bulls can cause a lot of damage when attacking in packs , as their charges will continue to knock the Courier over until they are beyond their range . Bighorner calf . Bighorner calves are small , younger bighorners that have not fully matured , and grown to full size . They can be found in any bighorner herd in the wild . Like normal bighorners , calves can also be found in towns , domesticated and raised for their meat and hides . Be wary of killing penned - up calves ; unlike the free roaming ones , these are often guarded by ranchers that become hostile if any harm comes to their livestock . Young bighorner . Young bighorners are roughly a third of the size of their fully grown counterparts , with far fewer Hit Points . While they are not hostile when standing near them , attacking one of these will cause their nearby family members to turn hostile and attack . Malnourished bighorner . Malnourished bighorners have been deprived of food and are near death . Quite a few can be found at the Matthews Animal Husbandry Farm . They are not hostile even if the Courier moves close to them , most likely due to the fact it has no energy to fend off attackers , let alone charge them . Malnourished bighorner calf . Malnourished bighorner calves are extremely rare , as are their brahmin counterparts , the . A malnourished bighorner calf is guaranteed to be found at Matthews Animal Husbandry Farm . They can also be found near Cottonwood Cove . They do not respawn if killed . They are not hostile even if the Courier gets near them . Lost Mountain bighorner calf ( Honest Hearts ) . The Lost Mountain bighorner calf is located north of the Dead Horses camp up in the mountains . Just follow the paths up and around , and eventually there will be a narrow canyon path with the lost bighorner calf at the end . Guiding this calf back to its mother is the object of the quest Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin . Appearances . Bighorners appear in " " and the " Honest Hearts " .