Tip for beginners that I literally just learned yesterday after playing MH since MH3U.
If you see the hot air balloon in the air, look at it and use the "wave" gesture and it'll show you the location of large monsters on the map as if they've been paintballed.
If you see the hot air balloon in the air, look at it and use the "wave" gesture and it'll show you the location of large monsters on the map as if they've been paintballed.