Bounty hunter

A bounty hunter is a person who is hired to find criminals, enemies or lost persons. What the bounty hunter does when they find their target depends on many factors, not least of which being whether it is a legal practice or not.

Fallout and Fallout 2
By 2161 bounty hunting became a common law-enforcement practice throughout the wasteland. One in particular, Chris Avellone, has become the most feared bounty hunter across the wastes, hunting down transgressors for profit and thrill with his entourage. He gained such a reputation that by 2241 he is remembered by those even hundreds of miles away in Northern New California.

When the Chosen One is hired by Aradesh to rescue Tandi from the Khans, the player has the option to lie. Gaining the knowledge about her location without reveling his purpose to the khan raiders.

Acquiring the Childkiller reputation creates a bounty on the Vault Dweller's or Chosen One's head. Initiating bounty hunters whom will appear in random encounters in Fallout and Fallout 2.

Fallout 3
The most prominent bounty outfits present in the Capital Wasteland are the Talon Company and the Regulators.

Talon Company and the Regulators
Talon Company is a ruthless mercenary organization that, though hostile to all, are also motivated by the rewards of bounty hunting, most notably taking down the Lone Wanderer if they go or have gone down a good Karma route. A private contract is taken out by an unknown antagonist causing Talon Company mercs to have a greater presence around the wasteland.

Conversely, the Regulators are a vigilante group dedicated to "bringing the evil to justice", and are also motivated by the rewards of bounty hunting. They may also hunt the Lone Wanderer if they go or have gone down a bad Karma route. A bounty notice is set up among the Regulators, that causes them to have a greater presence in the wasteland.

See Fallout 3 Karma-related encounters for more details.

Perks
The Lawbringer perk allows the Lone Wanderer to become a bounty hunter by rewarding the killing of 'evil' characters, a reward can be claimed from Sonora Cruz providing a finger from each of those killed is turned in. It also enables the Lone Wanderer to hunt down Junders Plunkett, a hostile outlaw who only appears after this perk is taken.

The opposing perk is Contract Killer, which opens up bounty rewards for the killing of 'good' characters, a reward can be claimed from Daniel Littlehorn, the head of Littlehorn & Associates, providing an ear from each of those killed is turned in.

Camp McCarran
The most notable bounty hunting quest in Fallout: New Vegas is given by Major Dhatri, he will extend the task of hunting down some of the most notorious and feared Fiends among not just the N.C.R. but to many inhabitants of the Mojave Wasteland. Dhatri will ask the Courier to hunt down Driver Nephi, Violet and Cook-Cook and retrieve their heads, preferably in good condition. In addition to this Colonel Hsu will present the task of dealing with Motor-Runner, the leader of the Fiends located in Vault 3. Hsu requests Motor-Runner's helmet as proof. See: Three-Card Bounty and Bounty Killer'' respectively for details.

Camp Forlorn Hope/Cottonwood Cove
Private James Sexton initiates an open bounty hunt that offers a reward for the killing of Legion soldiers, he only asks that the ears of those killed are turned in as proof, the reward scheme for this however is limited to thirty trade-ins.

The flip side to this is given by Aurelius of Phoenix who effectively places a bounty on the killing of NCR troopers when asked to by the Courier. Aurelius asks that the dog tags of those who are killed are turned in as proof, the reward scheme does not have a limit.

See: An Ear to the Ground and Arizona Killer respectively for details.

Freeside
Caleb McCaffery is the only other character established as a bounty hunter in the Mojave, but he is either working as a guard or on the run with a bounty on his head set by Francine Garret, who requests his hat as proof.

See: Debt Collector for details.

Van Buren
The most established bounty hunter in Van Buren is Bob. Since the early days of Hoover Dam as a settlement he built up his reputation and eventually runs a bounty hunting business offering bounties to those he deems can handle their own, which potentially includes the Prisoner. One of these bounties includes El Diablo, a serial killer referred to as the "Vampire Killer".

See: Do Bob's bounty hunter jobs for details.

Phil the salvager in Burham Springs spent plenty of time as a bounty hunter tracking down his old comrades instead of getting involved in a powder gang.