On the night of April 23 to 24, 1993, Max Valentin buried a box containing a bronze owl. No one but him knows the location. The winner will have to exchange this bronze copy for the real Chouette d'Or®.

The hunt really began on May 15, 1993, with the publication of the mystery book Sur la trace de la Chouette d'Or ®.

After the publication of the book, published in 50,000 copies, a Minitel server is set up. Thus, Max Valentin responds directly to the "owls" who ask him questions, until 2001, when the service closed.

On the night of April 23 to 24, 2009, Max Valentin died, sixteen years after burying the replica of the golden owl. He leaves his heirs a sealed envelope and a diskette containing the solutions to the puzzles. The heirs, not being able to take over the organization of the game, entrust the custody of the envelope and the diskette to a bailiff.

Michel Becker will learn about the solutions in April 2021. He will check, in the presence of a bailiff, the compliance of the solutions and the precise location of the cache they indicate. He then replaced the rusty countermark which is still there with a second bronze print of the Owl. From then on, the hunt was relaunched to the delight of the owls.

The quest for the Golden Owl® has become, through the adventures that have punctuated its unfolding and the enthusiasm it arouses, a saga apart in the great history of treasure hunts. 30 years of mystery, 30 years of twists, doubts, semi-certainties, but above all 30 years of passion that have animated several generations of the so aptly named chouetteurs.
Imagine! An owl sculpture, all in precious metals, several kilos of gold and silver, set with diamonds and other precious stones. Collectors ready to offer hundreds of thousands of euros to the winner to recover it. And only 11 puzzles to claim the trophy!
Here is in a few words this quest that has become legend, this incredible saga, which is still being written before our eyes, of the mythical Golden Owl.