Where to find all 10 Big Poes
There are 10 Big Poes in Ocarina of Time 3D, all in Hyrule Field, and only adult Link can find them. Ride Epona onto each spot, shoot the Big Poe twice with the Fairy Bow, and catch its soul in an empty bottle. Sell each one to the Poe Collector in the old guard house at the Castle Town entrance for 50 Rupees and 100 points. At 1,000 points he gives you an Empty Bottle.
| # | Spot | Where exactly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Castle Town signpost | By the “You are here: Hyrule Castle” signpost just south of the Castle Town drawbridge. |
| 2 | Below Kakariko | East of the castle, on the high ground south of the path up to Kakariko Village, above the river. |
| 3 | Wall east of the ranch | By the corner of the stone wall on the high ground east of Lon Lon Ranch, between the ranch and Zora’s River. |
| 4 | Rock by the fence | Beside a lone rock south-east of Lon Lon Ranch, near a broken wooden fence, on the way to the Lost Woods bridge. |
| 5 | South trees | By the trees at the far south end of the field, near a grotto, past the ranch on the way to Lake Hylia. |
| 6 | South bushes | In the patch of bushes south of Lon Lon Ranch. |
| 7 | Gerudo fork | South-west of Lon Lon Ranch, near a cluster of bushes where the paths to Gerudo Valley and Lake Hylia split. |
| 8 | Lone tree, west | Beside the lone tree and the bushes next to it, west of Lon Lon Ranch on the way to Gerudo Valley. |
| 9 | North-west river bushes | Among the bushes beside the stream in the north-west of the field, west of Castle Town. |
| 10 | Ranch entrance | Beside the tree just outside the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch. |
How to catch a Big Poe
The reliable way to hunt them takes four things:
- Adult Link. There are no Big Poes in young Link’s time.
- Epona. Win her at Lon Lon Ranch, then call her in Hyrule Field with Epona’s Song. Big Poes can appear on foot too, but only 40% of the time.
- The Fairy Bow, from the Forest Temple.
- An empty bottle for each Big Poe you want to carry.
- Ride onto a spot. Each spot is a small square of ground. On Epona, a spot you have not cleared gives a Big Poe rather than an ordinary Poe. It can take a moment. The Big Poe appears a little way in front of you and needs solid ground there, so face open ground.
- Shoot it twice. A Big Poe has enough health for two arrows. It runs away as soon as it appears, so chase it on Epona and shoot. If it gets too far away it vanishes, and the next one at that spot starts with full health again.
- Bottle the soul. When it dies it leaves a glowing soul. Get off Epona, walk into it and choose Yes when the game asks whether to catch it in a bottle (you need an empty one). Then you see: “You put a Big Poe in a bottle! Let’s sell it at the Ghost Shop! Something good might happen!” Do not leave it too long; an uncollected soul eventually laughs and disappears.
- Sell it. Ride back to Castle Town and sell it at the Ghost Shop.
If nothing appears, stay on the spot for a moment and turn Epona around; the Big Poe appears in front of you. Big Poes are bigger than ordinary Poes and run away instead of circling you. Navi says: “This Poe won’t disappear even if you stare at it. It moves fast despite its size!”
The 10 Big Poe spots
The numbers follow a loop that starts at the Castle Town drawbridge and goes clockwise around Lon Lon Ranch, so you can sell on the way past the castle.
1. Castle Town signpost
By the “You are here: Hyrule Castle” signpost just south of the Castle Town drawbridge.
2. Below Kakariko
East of the castle, on the high ground south of the path up to Kakariko Village, above the river.
3. Wall east of the ranch
By the corner of the stone wall on the high ground east of Lon Lon Ranch, between the ranch and Zora’s River.
4. Rock by the fence
Beside a lone rock south-east of Lon Lon Ranch, near a broken wooden fence, on the way to the Lost Woods bridge.
5. South trees
By the trees at the far south end of the field, near a grotto, past the ranch on the way to Lake Hylia.
6. South bushes
In the patch of bushes south of Lon Lon Ranch.
7. Gerudo fork
South-west of Lon Lon Ranch, near a cluster of bushes where the paths to Gerudo Valley and Lake Hylia split.
8. Lone tree, west
Beside the lone tree and the bushes next to it, west of Lon Lon Ranch on the way to Gerudo Valley.
9. North-west river bushes
Among the bushes beside the stream in the north-west of the field, west of Castle Town.
10. Ranch entrance
Beside the tree just outside the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch.
The Poe Collector and the fourth bottle
The Poe Collector runs the Ghost Shop in the old guard house at the Castle Town entrance, the first door on the right after you cross the drawbridge. He is only there in adult Link’s time. Use the bottled Big Poe in front of him to sell it. A Big Poe cannot be used anywhere else: “You can’t use a Big Poe here! Sell it to the man at the Hyrule Castle Town gate!”
| You bring | Rupees | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Big Poe | 50 | 100 |
| Ordinary Poe | 10 | None |
| All 10 Big Poes (1,000 points) | Empty Bottle |
For each Big Poe he says: “I’ll buy it for 50 Rupees. On top of that, I’ll put 100 points on your card. If you earn 1,000 points, you’ll be a happy man!” At 1,000 points he hands over the Empty Bottle and says this is the last Big Poe he can buy.
How many trips it takes
One of the game’s four bottles comes from the Poe Collector, so before you earn it you have three bottles at most. That means at least four trips to the Ghost Shop: three Big Poes, three more, three more, then the last one. A fourth bottle is handy for Blue Fire in the Ice Cavern, for fairies or for bugs for the Gold Skulltulas in soft soil.
Big Poe not appearing?
- You already caught that one. Once you bottle the Big Poe from a spot, that spot gives nothing on Epona. Check the list for the spot you have not done.
- You are on foot. On foot, a spot usually gives an ordinary Poe instead. Get back on Epona.
- It vanished into a wall or the river. Leave the spot, turn so you face open ground and ride back on.
- You killed it but did not bottle it. A spot only counts once its soul is in a bottle. If the soul disappears, the Big Poe comes back.
- You are young Link. Big Poes only appear in adult Link’s time.
On 3DS and in Master Quest
The ten spots are the same as on the Nintendo 64. On 3DS you can aim the bow by moving the system (gyro aiming) as well as with the Circle Pad, which makes horseback shots much easier. Turning the 3D slider down while you aim helps too. In Master Quest the Big Poes are at the same spots, but the world is mirrored, so east and west in the directions above are swapped.
Big Poe FAQ
How many Big Poes are in Ocarina of Time 3D?
Ten. They are all in Hyrule Field, and only adult Link can find them.
Do Big Poes only appear when you ride Epona?
No, but riding is the reliable way. On Epona, a spot you have not cleared gives a Big Poe rather than an ordinary Poe, though you may have to wait a moment or turn to face open ground. On foot there is only a 40% chance of a Big Poe; otherwise you get an ordinary Poe.
How many arrows does a Big Poe take?
Two. Each arrow takes off half of its health. If it vanishes before the second hit, it comes back with full health.
What do you get for Big Poes?
The Poe Collector pays 50 Rupees and puts 100 points on your card for each one. At 1,000 points, after all ten, he gives you an Empty Bottle.
Where is the Poe Collector?
In the old guard house at the Castle Town entrance, the first door on the right after the drawbridge. He is there in adult Link’s time.
Why won’t my last Big Poe appear?
You have probably already bottled the one at that spot. A spot is cleared as soon as its soul is in a bottle, sold or not, and a cleared spot gives nothing on Epona. Check your bottles for an unsold Big Poe, then check the map for the spot you have not bottled.
Did the 3DS version move the Big Poes?
No. The ten spots are the same as on the Nintendo 64. On 3DS you can aim the bow by moving the system (gyro) as well as with the Circle Pad.