On the Trail of the Golden Owl

On The Trail Of The Golden Owl (French: Sur la trace de la chouette d'or) is a French armchair treasure hunt book created by communications expert Régis Hauser under the pseudonym "Max Valentin" and illustrated by artist Michel Becker. Launched in 1993, the statue was discovered on October 3, 2024, making it the second longest treasure hunt ever organized (after The Secret). The Chouette d'Or was the longest running treasure hunt with a single prize, while 3 of the Secret's 12 prizes have been found.

A new edition of On The Trail Of The Golden Owl written by Michel Becker was published in December 2019, called The Secret Notebooks (4th edition 2019).

In 2021 Michel Becker became the official organiser of the treasure hunt, obtaining the sealed envelope containing the hunt solution from the family of Régis Hauser. Becker journeyed with a legal bailiff to check that the owl prize was still buried at the location revealed in the solution. He reported that when he dug at the spot he found the bronze owl (a duplicate to be exchanged for the real golden owl) missing and instead found a rusty iron bird, speculated to be a replacement left by Hauser. He replaced this rusty bird with a new bronze owl so that the treasure hunt could continue. Becker published clarified game rules and published a 5th edition of the clue book, On the trail of the Golden Owl – Under the seal of secrecy in August 2022.

Launched in 1993, it ended on October 3, 2024, making it the second longest treasure hunt ever organized, after The Secret. This longevity gives it an "almost mythical aura" among fans of the genre. The solutions were revealed in a documentary screening in French cinemas on May 2, 2025, and confirmed the owl was buried near the Borne Saint-Martin stone circle in the commune of Dabo, in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.