Why Poach?

But I love my cute little Lightning Bolt!

Poaching serves three main purposes:

Early access to goods buyable in shops

Access to goods not even buyable in shops

Access to goods buyable in shops, but at half price (ballin' on a budget; I'm looking at you, P Bag Wildbows)

Poaching Mechanics

Land the killing blow on a monster via weapon damage with a unit who has the Secret Hunt support ability equipped. That is to say, use Attack on them. But Counter works just as well, as does Hamedo (hamedo requires the monster to be berserk to work, fyi). Trying to poach with Knight swords does not work. Killing via weapon procs (Axes or Katanas, e.g.) does not work. I don't know about poaching via crossbow proc. The enemies corpse will disappear (preventing resurrection, too) and this the point when the poach quality is determined. Tromp over to the Fur Shop (with secret hunt still equipped! If no unit has secret hunt equipped you cannot access your bloody goods) and proceed to marvel at your splendor.

The "rare" poach rate is currently 31/256, or about 12%. Getting some goods may require a lot of resets and/or kills. Below outlines an efficient method to farm up rare goods instead of constant resetting to get to the right random battle and drudging through it .

Recommended Poaching Method

Involves 4 blank roster spots, do this before you take on too many specials. Invite a parent monster, and then walk between two double-blue / safe locations like Igros Castle and Fort Zeakden. As the eggs are made (ty Ramza) and hatched, discard unwanted species. Once you have three children to harvest, hop into a location with a lot of easy random battles like Sweegy Woods. Bring in the children to battle, and your poacher. Do not touch the initially invited monster. You may want to slaughter some more!

Use the monsters to help win the battle, and proceed to cull them before the battle is over.

Failing that, said monsters can still be found in the wild. Here is the list. For species with more than one listed location, the first location is the best one available at about the start of chapter 3; random battle unlocking is a fickle thing [this makes breed poaching that much better]. The subsequent locations are found later in the game. The number proceeding that is how many you can find in that given battle.

Where to Poach and Recruit

Cactuars

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Fovoham Plains from Lenalia

Best location: Fovoham Plains from Fort Zeakden (0 - 3), Bed Desert from Beltha Garrison (0 - 4)

Chocobos

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Mandalia Plains from Gariland

Yellow: Araguay Woods from Dorter Trade City (6)

Black: Mandalia Plains from Thieves Fort (1 - 4)

Red: Barius Valley from Warjarlis (1)

Goblins

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Mandalia Plains from Gariland

Goblin: Araguay Woods from Dorter Trade City (0 - 5)

Black Goblin: Lenalia Plateau from Gariland (1 - 5)

Gobbledeguck: Mandalia Plains from Thieves Fort (1 - 3)

Bombs

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Mandalia Plains from Gariland

Bomb: Araguay Woods from Zirekile Falls (4)

Grenade: Barius Hill S (0 - 1; just breed), Bevernia Volcano S (0 - 3)

Explosive: Barius Hill S (0 - 1; just breed), Bevernia Volcano N (3)

Tonberry

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Mandalia Plains from Gariland

Tonberry: Lenalia Plateau from Fovoham Plains (1 - 4)

Master Tonberry: Zigolis Swamp from Goug Machine City (0 - 3)

Blood Stalker: Barius Valley East (0 - 5)

Squid

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Lenalia Plateau from Gariland

Pisco Demon: Fovoham Plains from Lenaliau Plateau (1 - 4)

Squidlarkin: Lenalia Plateau from Fovoham Plains (1 - 3)

Mindflare: Fovoham Plains from Lenaliau Plateau (1 - 6)

Family slaughter - Barius Valley from Lionel Castle (11 in total; even mix)

Skeleton

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1 - Sweegy Woods from Dorter Trade City

Skeleton: Zigolis Swamp from Lionel Castle (1 - 3)

Bone Snatch: Zigolis Swamp from Lionel Castle (1 - 4)

Living Bone: Zigolis Swamp from Goug Machine City (1 - 5), Bervania Volcano from Zeklaus Desert (1 - 7)

Ghost

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 2 - Zigolis Swamp from Lionel Castle

Ghoul: Zigolis Swamp from Lionel Castle (0 - 4), Yuguo Woods W (1 - 5)

Gust: Zigolis from Goug Machine City (0 - 2), Yuguo Woods W (0 - 4)

Revnant: Zigolis from Goug Machine City (0 - 2), Yuguo Woods W (1)

Flotiballs

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Sweegy Woods from Gariland

Flotiball: Fovoham Plains from Lenalia Plateau (0 - 3)

Ahriman: Sweegy Woods from Gariland Magic City (1), Fovoham Plains from Riovanes Castle (0 - 4)

Plague: Breed, else Bevernia Volcano from Riovanes Castle (3)

Juravis

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 2, Fovoham Plains from Fort Zeakden

Juravis: Fovoham Plains from Fort Zeakden (0 - 4)

Steel Hawk: Barius Hill from Zaland Fort City (0 - 3)

Cocatoris: Zigolis Swamp from Goug Machine City (0 - 1), Barius Valley South (1 - 2)

Uribos

Earliest to recruit - chapter 1, Lenalia Plataeu from Gariland (guest; joins afterwards)

Uribo: Araguay Woods from Dorter Trade City (0 - 1)

Porky: Araguay Woods from Dorter Trade City (0 - 1)

Wildbow: Araguay Woods from Dorter Trade City (0 - 1)

Special - Doguloua Pass West - Rare - 1x wildbow, 2x porky, 2x uribo

Woodmen

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 2, Barius Valley from Warjarlis Trade City

Recommended early recruit - Chapter 3 start, Sweegy Woods from Dorter Trade City

Woodman: Araguay Woods from Zirekile Falls (1), Sweegy Woods from Dorter Trade City (2)

Trent: Araguay Woods from Zirekile Falls (1), Sweegy Woods from Dorter Trade City (2)

Taiju: Sweegy Woods from Dorter Trade City (1), Barius Hill from Lionel Castle (2)

Bull Demon

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 1, Sweegy Woods from Gariland

Bull Demon: Barius Hill from Lionel Castle (0 - 4)

Minitaurus: Sweegy Woods from Gariland (1)

Sacred: Fovoham Plains from Lenalia Plateau (0 - 1), Fovoham Plains from Lenalia Plateau (2)

Morbols

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 2, Zigolis Swamp from Lionel Castle

Morbol: Zigolis Swamp West (0 - 2), Ch4 Zigolis Swamp from Lionel Castle (4)

Ochu: Lenalia Plateau from Gariland (0 - 3), Ch4 Zigolis from Lionel Castle (2)

Great Morbol: Breed, else Ch4 Zigolis Swamp from Lionel Castle (2)

Dragon

Earliest to Recruit - Chapter 1, Lenalia Plateau from Fovoham Plains

Dragon: Barius Hill from Zaland Fort City (4)

Blue Dragon: Barius Hill from Zaland Fort City (1)

Red Dragon: Barius Hill from Zaland Fort City (1)

Special - Mandalia Plains from Theives Fort - RARE - metric asston of blue/green dragons to poach/hire

Behemoth

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 3, Yuguo Woods from Yardow Fort City / or Chapter 4, Doguloa Pass from Bervania Free City

Behemoth: Doguloa Pass from Bervania Free City (0 - 6), Finath River Rare from Zeltennia (5)

King Behemoth: Bed Desert from Beltha Garrison (0 - 1), Bevernia Volcano North from Riovanes Castle (0 - 1), Barius Hill from Lionel Castle Rare (1 - 2)

Dark Behemoth: Yuguo Woods from Yardow Fort City (0 - 1), Barius Hill from Lionel Castle Rare (1)

Hydras

Earliest to recruit - Chapter 4, Bervania Volcano

Hyudra: Benernia Volcano from Riovanes Castle (1)

Hydra: Bervania Volcano from Riovanes Castle or Zeklaus Desert (0 - 2)

Tiamat: Bevernia Volcano from Riovanes Castle (0 - 1)

Mid Game Gear via Poaching

These monsters drop gear that is available after Izlude/Weigraf. These are also Common poaches, so if you feel the need for the temporary edge, you got it.

Red chocobo (Windslash bow)

Tonberry (Orichalcum)

Master Tonberry (Ryozan Silk)

Mindflare (Magic Ring)

Living Bone (Platina Helmet)

Steel Hawk (Partisan)

Wildbow (P Bag)

Blue Dragon (Platina Armor)

Red Dragon (Heroic Gloves)

Behemoth (Crystal Shield)

King Behemoth (Crystal Mail)

Dark Behemoth (Black Costume)

End Game Gear via Poaching

These monsters drop gear available only in Chapter 4, and these are Common poaches so a single random battle should net you gear you'll get good mileage out of.

Revnant (reflect mail)

Cocatoris (Feather Mantle)

Treant (Gastafitis)

Taiju (Octagon Rod)

Sacred (Earth Clothes)

Great Morbol (Madlemgen)

Rare Goods Found In Late Game Shops

Rare poaches that may be worthwhile: - At 12%, it may not be worth the resets to grab these goods seeing as they're buyable, but if you need the edge...

Gobbledeguck (Heroic Gloves, available Ch3 after Yardow Fort City)

Mindflare (Black Robe, available Ch3 after Yardow Fort City)

Bone Snatch (Air Knife, available Ch4 after Beltha Garrision)

Ahriman (Wizard Rod, available Ch3 after Orbonne Monstary first pass)

Plague (Slasher, available Ch4 after Beltha Garrision)

Steel Hawk (Dracula Mantle, available Ch3 after Yardow Fort City)

Blue Dragon (Ice Brand, available Ch4 start)

Rare Goods Never Found In Shops

Most of the poaches here are rare, but they are very powerful and usually worthwhile to get.

Master Tonberry (Ryozan Silk, Tonberry's Knife)

Blood Stalker (Blood Sword)

Gust (Power Source)

Revnant (Cursed Ring)

Cocatoris (Engineer Rifle)

Uribo (Barette)

Porky (Ryozan Silk -- seek Master Tonberry instead)

Wildbow (Ribbon)

Woodman (Healing Staff)

Trent (Fairy harp)

Taiju (Cupid Bow)

Sacred (FS Bag)

Ochu (Cachusha)

Great Morbol (Madlemgen)

Great Morbol (Whale Whisker)

Red Dragon (Dragon Rod)

Behemoth (Holy Lance)

King Behemoth (Sasuke Knife)

Dark Behemoth (Rubber Costume)

Hyudra (Defender, Scorpion Tail)

Hydra (Cherche, Salty Rage)

Tiamat (Chantage, Setiemson)

Fun Trick - Wet Poaching

Monsters within the goblin, squid, and skeleton family can enter water. If placed into Depth 2 (or greater) water, and then poached... the corpse does not go away. You can revive them (or pop a la skeleton) and repeatedly poach until you're sure you have enough of whatever you're trying to get out of that repeatedly flayed skin.

The downside (probably intentional) is that most of their poaches suck, but its an easy way to score some free loot.