Explore Encounters

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This page contains a list of every single regular explore encounter, including their text and results!
For a list of event-specific explore encounters, check out these pages:

• Lunar Event Encounters

Key

Encounter Results

For encounters which have the possibility of dropping an item from a pool of many, a shortened phrase may be used to represent said pool. If an encounter says that it can reward one of these random items on the left, it actually pulls an item from the group on the right.

Group Type	Possible Item Drops
Cave-building item	Large Branch, Large Rock, Large Leaf
Tiny Carcass	Rat Carcass, Dead Fish, Stoat Carcass, Weasel Carcass
Egg	Duck Egg, Turkey Egg, Chicken Egg, Quail Egg
Herb	Aloe, Arnica, Bearberry Boneset, Buffaloberry, Burning Bush, Carrionflower, Cedar Bark, Chaparral, Charcoal, Dandelion, Feverfew, Garlic, Ginger, Goldenseal, Guaiacum, Kava, Mullein, Oregano, Pineapple Leaf, Redwood Sorrel, Spoonwood, St. John's Wort, Tansy, Tobacco, Turmeric, Winterfat, Yarrow
Feather	Blue Jay Feather, Condor Feather, Duck Feather, Grouse Feather, Gull Feather, Gyrfalcon Feather, Ibis Feather, Magpie Feather, Owl Feather, Parrot Feather, Peregrine Falcon Feather, Puffin Feather, Roadrunner Feather, Skua Feather, Swan Feather, Toucan Feather
Uncommon amusement item	Turtle Shell, Tortoise Shell, Rattle, Owl Talon
Variety Carcass	Meat Chunks [Small], Doe Carcass, Dall Sheep Carcass, Stoat Carcass, Rat Carcass, Weasel Carcass, Horse Carcass, Donkey Carcass, Mule Deer Carcass, Bison Carcass, Blacktail Carcass, Bovine Carcass
Critter Carcass	Gull Carcass, Opossum Carcass, Weasel Carcass, Quail Carcass, Rat Carcass, Hare Carcass, Agouti Carcass, Stoat Carcass, Rabbit Carcass, Muskrat Carcass, Grouse Carcass, Pheasant Rooster Carcass
Meat Chunks	Meat Chunks [Small], Meat Chunks [Medium], Meat Chunks [Large]
Stat	One random stat point given to your lead wolf

Recipes

For encounters which have the possibility of dropping an item from a pool of many, a shortened phrase may be used to represent said pool. If an encounter says that it can reward one of these random items on the left, it actually pulls an item from the group on the right.

Group Type	Possible Recipe Drops
Bone recipe	Recipe: Bone Decor, Scattered Bones, Skeletal Remains, Rabbit Carcass Decor, Squirrel Carcass Decor, Leftover Bones, Abandoned Den, Muskrat Carcass Decor
Cave-building item recipe	Old Railway, Burrows Among the Roots, Scattered Foliage [Green], Scattered Foliage [Dry], Scattered Sticks, Scattered Rocks, Large Rocks Decor, Large Branch Decor, Mossy Branch, Background Rocks [Gray], Background Rocks [Brown], Foreground Rocks [Gray], Foreground Rocks [Brown], Scarce Understory [Green], Scarce Understory [Dry], Mouthful of Feathers, Bird's Nest [Tree], Bird's Nest [Branch], Bird's Nest [Bush], Owl Talon Necklace, Sunlit Cave, Desolate Cave, Cold Cave, Path of Boulders, Fallen Tree, Overgrown Arches, Overgrown Cave, Overgrown Den, Eternal Slumber, Fallen Tree Den, Forest Dwelling, Hollow Tree Den, Overgrown Car, Secluded Spring Den, Vin Growth Den, Cozy Den, Root Cave, Stone Path Cave, Sandstone Cave, Rocky Den, Winter Cave
Acorn recipe	Northern Red Oak Sapling, White Oak Sapling, Gambel Oak Sapling, Arizona White Oak Sapling, Acorn Bundle Decor, Red Oak Branch, Green Oak Branch, Pasadena Oak Branch, Angel Oak, Valley Oak
Toy recipe	Owl Feather Decor, Hunting Barn Owl, Falcon's Nest, Chilling BLue Jays, Chattering Parakeets, Seaside Gull Flock, Swan Lake, Roaming Chickens, Pupsitter Den, Desert Traveller, Gyrfalcon Observer, Puffin Colony, Quail Trail, Rattlesnake Den, Resting Grouse Flock, Rising Ibis, Soaring Condor, Swimming Mallard Ducks, Wild Toucans, Swan Feather Decor, Parrot Feather Decor
Lucky foot recipe	Rabbit Foot Den

Multi-Biome Encounters

Encounters in Every Biome

A small pool of water appears up ahead, and as you approach you notice that there is a dim blue light glowing from beneath the surface of the water.
Inspect	You take some time to examine the pool, but don't seem to figure out what it is. Having investigated, you found a small bundle.	+1 Medicine: Healing Salve
	You take some time to examine the pool, and discover a trio of handy supplies!	+1 Large Leaf +1 Large Branch +1 Large Rock
Drink	You lap up some of the cool water and you feel refreshed. Some of your battle wounds feel restored.	+5 to 25 HP

You snuffle around in the dirt. It's here somewhere.. Yes! Jackpot!
Dig	You dig around in the dirt! The bad news is, you're now thoroughly covered in dirt. Yay..?	+1 Bone
		+1 Owl Talon
		+1 Mollusk Shell
		+1 Acorn
		+1 to 5 Silver Cones
		+1 Bone Recipe*
*Bone recipes include: Bone Decor, Scattered Bones, Skeletal Remains, Rabbit Carcass Decor, Squirrel Carcass Decor, Leftover Bones, Abandoned Den, Muskrat Carcass

You catch a strange scent on the ground, a mingling of two different scents. You follow them until they part ways.
Follow North	You follow the scent, snuffling sniffing along the floor until you come to a rock formation.	+1 to 5 Silver Cones +1 random tiny carcass
		+1 to 5 Silver Cones +1 Delicate Meat
		+1 to 5 Silver Cones +1 random Egg
Follow West	You follow the scent, which seems to lead you to a small copse of trees, rocks, and plants.	+1 random Meat Chunks +1 random cave-building item*
* Cave-building materials include Large Branch, Large Leaf, and Large Rock.

You hear the faint twitter of birds somewhere nearby. You look up to the sky and watch them swooping overhead. What would it feel like to fly? You find a nice comfortable spot in the shade and rest for a moment.
Sleep	The sound is so soothing. You flop down and take a short nap.	+5% to 10% energy
Rest	You decide to take advantage of this sound and settle down to rest, pondering your thoughts, and perhaps licking a few wounds.	+1 to 5 HP

You see some small critters running desperately in the opposite direction.
Keep Moving Forward	N/A	Automatic battle encounter with wolf 5 levels above lead wolf
Turn Back	You take the hint and turn back, running after the critters. Well, while you're here, might as well try to snatch a meal.	+1 random tiny carcass
		+1 Delicate Meat
		+1 random Egg

You wander across some interesting plants growing from the soil. You give them a sniff.. oooh, herbs!
Gather	You spend some time gathering the strange plants.	+1 random herb specific to biome
Use	You pick the herbs and use your claws against the rock underneath to form a chunky paste. Mmm.. tasty.	+5 HP

You briefly stop to smell the air, two diverging scents reaching your nose. Interesting.*
Follow the sweet scent	You follow the sweet scent and it seems to lead you to a strange wolf...	Option to befriend a new wolf**
Follow the bitter scent	Hmm, what could this be? You follow the scent for a while before arriving at the source.	+1 random cave-building item***
		+1 Bone
Follow the delicious scent	You follow the trail of the delicious scent. It smells so good, you're excited as it gets stronger and stronger... And finally leads you to a small, scavenged carcass! It smells pretty fresh still, and you quickly finish off the rest.	+5% to 10% hunger
Follow the rancid scent	You're not quite sure what led you down this route until you spot a large creature up ahead. Ew.. it's on the turn, but maybe it could be useful for you.. least favourite pack member.	+1 random Meat Chunks
Follow the stinky scent	You race off after the stinky scent. Man, this is going to be such a good find! You keep chasing it, sniffing deeply.. Until it leads you to a pile of poop - probably fox poop. Oh. Guess you may as well roll in it now you're here! As you're rolling in the stinky poop, something prickles against your back.	+1 to 2 Silver Cones
* Only two of these options will be visible at any given time ** Option will only appear if you have an empty territory spot *** Cave-building materials include Large Branch, Large Leaf, and Large Rock.

You come across some poop... Normally, you'd roll all over it, but for some reason, something seems special about this poop.
Check it Out	You dig through the poop and notice a small object buried within.	+1 random herb specific to biome
	You dig through the poop but it just seems like a normal deposit. Oh well, better roll in it!	Chance of contracting Diarrhea

Catching your breath, a small butterfly lands on your nose.
Watch	You watch as it suns itself briefly before fluttering away.	No reward
Chomp	Bugs are tasty.	+1% hunger

You stop in your tracks - a very vulgar wolf is passing by, vandalizing the bird nests in the vicinity. Oh no, the eggs!
Clean Up	You huff and try to clean up the nests the best you can. Unfortunately some things can't be put back properly, so you decide you might as well take these.	+2 Nesting Material
		+1 random egg
Intervene	You approach the wolf, using your charm in an attempt to calm her down. Softened by your comments, she considers you thoughtful enough to stop the destruction and even decides to give you something nice in return.	+1 Lucky Foot

Oh no! It's Tala! She seems to be taunting you for a little payback after that last fight. Are you brave enough to wrestle her?
Attack!	N/A	Automatic battle encounter with Tala*
* Tala has been recorded to be Level 15-20, and beating her has a chance to drop a Cure-for-All or a Rich Healing Salve.

Encounters in Multiple Biomes

This angry raccoon seems to be guarding something. Hmmm...
Investigate (Spring)	You move closer and investigate what this silly creature is guarding. Ah... a litter of raccoon kits Eat the Kits You waste no time in mercilessly killing and eating all of them. The mother raccoon screams, but manages to get away in time. Rummage in Stores You take the opportunity of the mother raccoon being defensive over her kits to rummage in her stores. Mmmm, yummy fruit.	+10% hunger
Investigate (Summer)	You can see now! On closer look, this silly creature was hiding an item from you. Since you're bigger and stronger, you move in and take it anyway. Hah!	+1 Quail Carcass
		+1 random egg
		+1 Acorn
Investigate (Autumn)	You move closer and see that the raccoon appears to be guarding a stash of Silver Cones. In panic, it starts swiping them all up in its paws and dashes away. The silly creature forgot these, though...	+1 to 4 Silver Cones
	You move closer and see that the raccoon appears to be guarding a stash of Silver Cones. Unfortunately, it swipes them all up in its paws and dashes away before you can grab a single one!	No Reward
Investigate (Winter)	You can see now! On closer look, this silly creature was hiding an item from you. Since you're bigger and stronger, you move in and take it anyway. Hah!	+1 Acorn
		+1 random feather
		+1 random cave-building item*
Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Mountains, Coniferous Forest, Prairie, Riparian Woodland, Desert, Taiga, Swamp, and Rainforest
* Cave-building materials include Large Branch, Large Leaf, and Large Rock.

A raven swoops down over your head and seems to be trying to get your attention.
Follow	You curiously follow the raven who leads you around for a little while. It caws excitedly an lands on top of a large rock. There's nothing there.	No reward
	You curiously follow the raven who leads you around for a little while. It caws excitedly an lands on top of a large rock. Behind the rock lies a pleasant surprise!	+1 random critter carcass
		+1 Bone
		+1 Acorn
		+1 random herb
		+1 random toy recipe
		+1 to 6 Silver Cones
Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Mountains, Coniferous Forest, Prairie, Riparian Woodland, Desert, Taiga, and Tundra

A blue jay is aggressively chasing an screaming at another bird - presumably one that got too close to its nest. In the chaos, a single feather falls to the ground in front of you. This could be useful.
Take	You pick up the blue feather and stash it away for later.	+1 Blue Jay Feather
	You couldn't see what fell from the sky, but you manage to uncover 2 silver cones!	+2 Silver Cones
	It seems that whatever fell from the birds has been lost in the undergrowth. What a shame.	No Reward
Offer Acorn*	You ignore the feather and offer the bird an acorn instead. Distracted and curious about your gift, it abandons the intruder. After a few hops around you, the bird drops a small trinket before flying away with the acorn.	+1 Lucky Foot
		+1 random uncommon amusement item
		+1 acorn recipe
Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Mountains, Coniferous Forest, Prairie, Riparian Woodland
*Option will only appear if you have an acorn

A red squirrel is perched on a branch, clasping what looks like a pinecone in its paws. It would be a shame if it dropped it...
Bark	You let out your loudest bark! The poor Red Squirrel clearly wasn't expecting that and was startled, dropping its pinecones in the process! Something falls to your paws! Hooray!	+1 to 2 Silver Cones
	You let out a loud bark, hoping to startle the Red Squirrel into dropping its pinecone. Unfortunately, it remained unperturbed and nothing dropped. Damn!	No Reward
Offer Acorn*	You think quickly and offer out an Acorn from your stash to the Red Squirrel. It seems excited by the prospect of a trade, and scampers down to snatch it from you, leaving you something behind in the process.	+1 to 3 Silver Cones
		+1 acorn recipe
Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Mountains, Coniferous Forest, Riparian Woodland, Taiga
*Option will only appear if you have an acorn

A groundhog is standing upright, checking for danger. At your approach it lets out a loud screech. What's up with that guy anyway. You're just walking through... You could've sworn you'd seen him yesterday, too.

Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Mountains, Coniferous Forest

A barn owl swoops overhead, clutching something in its talons. Maybe something tasty?
Leap	You take your chance and leap into the air, snapping upwards to try and catch the owl in your jaws. Of course, the owl is flying far too high in the sky for you to catch - but the sudden motion startles the poor creature, causing it to momentarily loose its grip on its prey. The dead mouse drops from the sky and straight into your eagerly awaiting jaws! What a tasty snack!	+5% to 10% hunger
	You take your chance and leap into the air, snapping upwards to try and catch the owl in your jaws. Luckily for the owl, you don't even come close, and it soars away, its prize still clutched tightly in its talons. Boo...	No Reward
Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Mountains, Prairie, Riparian Woodland, Desert, Swamp

This looks like an interesting, perhaps tasty creature... On second thought, it smells bad. Very very bad. Rancid, even. Time to run away!
Hold Your Breath	You take a deep breath and keep your head low, following the skunk for a little while. It departs after a short snack. You check out the disturbed ground for a shiny thing that caught your eye.	+1 to 5 Silver Cones
	You stop breathing for a while and stalk the skunk, but every time it stops to sniff around, you get a little nervous. It's best to move on.	No Reward
Deciduous Forest, Grasslands, Coniferous Forest, Prairie, Riparian Woodland, Desert, Taiga, Swamp

Biome Exclusive Encounters

Grasslands

Prior to the 2024 explore update, there were no Grasslands-exclusive encounters. This guide is being updated with the old encounters first, so please check back later when the grasslands-exclusive encounters are added.

Deciduous Forest

Loud, rhythmic knocking makes you feel like something is drilling into your head. A red-bellied woodpecker is the source of the irritating noise, of course.
Tap the Tree	You sit up and start tapping at the tree with your paws. The bird watches from above, utterly confused. You tap some more, but the bird flies away. At least it's quiet now.	No reward
Offer Acorn*	You offer it an acorn and ask if the bird could keep the noise down. It agrees and flies to a different branch, causing something to drop to the ground.	+1 to 3 Silver Cones
*Option will only appear if you have an acorn

Text Needed
Follow	The owl sits on a big oak to eat. As you observe in the hopes of getting some leftovers or a cool snake skin, the owl gets into a fight with a raccoon! You hear something fall to the ground in the commotion, so you steal it.	+1 Bone
	You try to follow the owl, hopeful for some leftovers, but the big bird claws you with its talons angrily!	-1 to 4 HP
Bark	You bark and growl at the big, fluffy owl. Spooked, it lands on a branch where a turkey is sleeping! Needless to say, the fowl fell right on your head.	+1 Turkey Tom Carcass
	You bark and growl at the big, fluffy owl. It flies away, indifferent to your noises.	No reward

You spot a green Carolina anole resting on a tree branch. Its throat is enlarged, and its vivid colouring may mean it's not so good to eat.
Snack	You try to bite down on the lizard anyway. It's gone before you've even noticed - you'v clenched your jaws around nothing but air. You sniff and dig around to try and find it, but there's nothing save for some branches.	+1 Branch

Mountains

A little furry brown American Pika comes bounding up to you, seemingly determined and unafraid of you.
Approach	You lower your nose to sniff the little creature and it places its paw on your nose - OUCH! It gives you a bit of a static shock, but quickly darts off before you can retaliate. You feel.. energised?	+10% Energy

A northern pygmy owl is staring down at you from the low-hanging branch of a tree. Its head is rotating in all directions as the wide, open eyes follow your every move.
Hoot	You stand under the tree and let out a series of howls, doing your best to imitate the hoots of an owl. With every fake hoot, more owls gather on the branch. You feel a little shy with such a large audience, so you finish your show. A few shiny tokens of admiration drop down from above.	+ 1 to 3 Silver Cones
Bait	You pretend there's a mouse running around and do a fake hunt by jumping at the grass. The owl takes interest and swoops down to steal your prey, but you catch it in the air. Pity that it's so tiny.	+1% Hunger

A thick, fat, juicy Rocky Mountain Toad is resting on this comfortable rock, protected from the weather by a coat of mucus and mud.
Lick It	All hail the hypnotoad... You're a little dizzy and the world is spinning in weird colours, but you do feel pretty invigorated!	+5 HP
	All hail the hypnotoad... No, wait. You just feel very ill now.	Contract illness: Poisoned or Diarrhea
	All hail the hypnotoad... You're a little dizzy and the world is spinning in weir colours, and you pull a weird expression.	+1 Expression: Pfflrp
	All hail the hypnotoad... Hmmm, it doesn't seem to have done anything. Maybe you got lucky this time?	No Reward
Don't Lick It	You prefer to stay safe and just nudge the toad back into the mud. With a small splash, something shiny is revealed!	+ 1 Silver Cone

Careful, straight ahead! A greater sage-grouse male seems to be prowling for challengers.
Take a Chance	Minute by minute, you take your time to approach the critter patiently. Your efforts pay off!	+ 1 Grouse Carcass
		+ 1 Random Stat
	You try to stalk the critter, but it notices you and takes off in seconds.	No Reward

This mountain beaver is caught off-guard outside of its burrow! It quickly shoes you its enormous teeth before you consider attacking. Yes, it's best not to engage.
Offer Acorn*	You offer the beaver a treat instead. It's a nice commodity, enough to warrant a small exchange.	+1 Lucky Foot
	You offer the beaver a treat. It seems like it's been hungry for a while! You're given something special in return.	+1 Cliff Swallowtail decor
		+1 acorn recipe
*Option will only appear if you have an acorn

Two woodhouse's scrub jays are foraging for food. This place must be nice!
Dig Around	You join in and dig deeper, managing to scrounge up some nice seeds and worms for the birds. You also fin something for yourself!	+1 Acorn
Chase	You bow down low to the ground, then start chasing the birds around, but they keep coming back to the same spot! You are tired out eventually, and you lie does to rest after the birds fly away, having had enough of your bullying. You end up finding something useful for your den!	+1 random Cave Building Material

Riparian Woodland

A beautiful ebony jewelwing flies past your head and lans on a small branch up ahead of you.
Tilt Head	You focus on the insect, slowly leaning towards it closer and closer... Got it!	+1 Ebony Jewelwing decor
	When you sit down to observe it, the dark blue wings flutter again to whirl around your head! When you try to catch a glimpse again, it's gone.	No reward

A beautiful male mallard duck is trying to impress a bored-looking female.
Pounce	You jump between the two, managing to catch the male's neck between your teeth!	+3% Hunger
	You lunge forward, but end up falling spectacularly into the water. The ducks swim away, laughing at your failure.	No reward

The black-necked grebe is diving for something beneath the surface.
Ambush	You hide amongst the tall cattails and wait until the bird seems to find something interesting, then jump into the water and scare the grebe away!	+1 Bone
		+1 Roadrunner Feather
Make a Request	You bark gentle once the grebe surfaces again and ask if they can find something you're looking for. The bird scours the river bank, but fails to bring you anything.	No reward

Prairie

A male lesser prairie chicken is practising his moves on a buffalo skull.
Strut	You puff out your chest and fluff up your dorsal fur to look more magnificent. With an impressive set of moves, you show the bird just how it's done! Nearby females cheer from the sagebrush and shower you with gifts.	+2 Grouse Feathers
	You show off your best moves, but the bird just flies away, clearly unimpressed.	No reward
Offer Acorn*	You offer him an acorn in exchange for the skull, but the bird won't budge. You negotiate how much the females will enjoy the acorn. Finally, the bird agrees to an exchange - of information. You get a tip on where to find a fresh dead carcass!	+1 random variety carcass
		+1 acorn recipe
*Option will only appear if you have an acorn

A large ferruginous hawk soars above the sky.
Follow	You decide to follow the bird as it soars against the wind. Eventually, the hawk dives down and catches a prairie dog. After investigating the crime scene, you find a little something for yourself, too.	+1 random cave-building item
		+1 cave-building item recipe
	You decide to follow the bird as it soars against the wind. Unfortunately, you're much slower, and you lose it in the vast sky, but it looks like you've found something shiny in your path!	+1 to 2 Silver Cones

A sentry black-tailed prairie dog starts calling out quickly as it watches you approach.
Approach	You approach it slowly and sit down, trying to convey peaceful intentions. Nearby prairie dogs stick their heads out of the ground and throw something at you to make you go away!	+1 Acorn
	You approach it slowly, but the prairie dogs aren't having it. They hide quietly in their burrows, waiting for you to leave.	No Reward
Dig	You run towards the burrows and dig into the soft ground! Eventually, you unearth an acorn. Good enough! Pity about the tunnels, though.	+1 Acorn

What's that rattling...?! It's a snake! Oh no, it's a snake... but phew, it's not a rattlesnake, thank goodness. It's a prairie kingsnake, who is rather nervous about your presence.
Pester	You paw and dig up the ground around the snake to make it leave. It slithers away, uncovering something shiny.	+1 to 2 Silver Cones
	You kick and dig up the ground around the snake to make it leave. You end up digging up something by accident!	+2 Bones
		+1 bone recipe
	You try to paw at the ground around the snake to make it leave, but it bites you! You're lucky these snakes aren't venomous.	-3 HP

Gasp! A very rare black-footed ferret is sniffing the ground, perhaps looking for some prairie dogs!
Dig	Text Needed	+1 Acorn
	You decide to help it out and start digging with your big, strong paws. The ferret is grateful, and ends up waddling away carrying a mouthful of prairie dog that's almost bigger than itself. You don't get anything in return, but you feel good knowing that you may have helped to preserve a rare animal.	No Reward
Chase	You crouch low to the ground. After a short stalk, you start to chase the ferret! It jumps up, shrieks, and skitters off to a nearby burrow. You try to dig into the burrow to find your prey, but it's just too deep!	No reward

You hear scratching from a nearby fence pole. There's an energetic northern grasshopper mouse on it.
Dig	Text Needed	+2% energy
	You let the mouse scurry away so that you can sniff around and mark the pole. As you pee, a butterfly lands on your nose. Um, hello? Personal space?	+1 Regal Fritillary decor
	You let the mouse scurry away so that you can sniff around and mark the pole.	No Reward
Eat It	You confuse the mouse by striking the pole with your front paws, then grab it by the head.	+2% hunger

Coniferous Forest

Desert

Taiga

Swamp

Tundra

Rainforest

Glacier