The Owl in 99 Nights in the Forest: Full Guide

The Owl is the first non-Deer major monster added to 99 Nights in the Forest, and it's particularly annoying to deal with whenever it spawns. It behaves slightly differently from the Deer, and learning how to play around its quirks will help you survive in the event that it can spawn in your game.

Let's go over everything you need to know about it!

The Owl

The Owl can show up in your run if the Snow Biome spawns on the map. After a while, you might see a cutscene of it attacking a wolf. If this happens, the Owl will now be active and has a chance of showing up throughout the rest of the session. Be warned though, as it can sometimes spawn without this warning.

As a major monster, it will replace the Deer on nights where it shows up. There's no way to predict which days it'll spawn, so you must be ready to deal with either of them at all times.

Escaping the Owl

Unlike the Deer, the Owl doesn't chase you as soon as it shows up. Instead, it'll fly down at a random spot and sit still as it waits for any movement from nearby players. During this time, a pair of eyes will appear on your screen.

Whenever you move, the eyes will start filling up with red. If this meter fills up, the Owl will immediately start chasing the nearest player.

Compared to the Deer

While the Owl deals the same damage as the Deer, it has a much faster movement speed by default. This makes it extremely dangerous if it happens to land near you and you have to move.

Luckily, it doesn't stay in one spot throughout the entire night. Instead, the Owl will eventually fly away if it doesn't initiate a chase with a player.

It'll keep reappearing until daytime, and if you play carefully, you can get through the night completely unscathed. If you have to run, go straight to the campfire to make it go away or run into a building to get it stuck.

You can even stand beside it. As long as the eyes don't fill up with red, the Owl will be completely harmless.

Things to Watch Out For

While the Owl's special detection mechanic makes it a little easier to avoid compared to the relentless Deer, it has ways to compensate for that weakness.

Summoned Wolves

Whenever the Owl is active, there's a chance for wolves (normal or alpha) to spawn nearby. This is an intentional mechanic to force players to move, and it can occur anywhere on the map, even out in the open.

If you have to face the Owl, make sure you have a way to quickly clear 1-2 wolves with minimal movement. Because of its fast movement speed, triggering the Owl's chase can lead to a quick death.

Nearby Enemies

The Owl can land almost anywhere it wants, whether it's on a rooftop or literally right beside you. If you have to travel at night, avoid triggering nearby enemies, especially bears. Trying to kite multiple enemies will guarantee an Owl chase.

Even if the Owl flies away, there's a chance for it to immediately land nearby and start a chase before you can see or react to the detection meter.

Flashlights

Just like the Deer, the Owl can be stunned momentarily with a flashlight. However, if it's still in its passive state, do not point a flashlight at it!

If it hasn't detected anyone, stunning it with a flashlight will instantly start a chase. To avoid any accidents, don't even try to hold a flashlight while the Owl is active.