5 Ways to Save the Deer in 99 Nights Forest (March 2026) Quick Guide

Updated by Prachi Jhalani
November 18, 2025
GamingRoblox

Something unprecedented has happened in the haunted woods of 99 Nights in the Forest. The game’s most feared entity the unkillable Deer that has terrorized players for months now lies wounded and helpless near your campfire. I’ve spent countless hours investigating this mysterious “Deer is Hurt” update that dropped on November 15, 2026, and I’m here to share everything you need to know about saving this immortal creature.

The tables have turned in this survival horror experience, and for the first time, you’re not running from the Deer you’re racing to save it. But here’s the chilling question: what could possibly be powerful enough to hurt an immortal monster? And more importantly, should you help the very creature that’s been hunting you?

How to Save the Deer in 99 Nights in the Forest?

Before diving into the specific methods, let me give you a quick overview of what you’re facing. The 99 Nights in the Forest codes won’t help you here—this quest requires strategy, resources, and perfect timing.

Quest Stage	Required Items	Time Estimate
Locate Deer	None	2-5 minutes
Heal Injuries	2 Bandages or 1 Medkit	3-5 minutes
Feed Deer	10-25 Meat pieces	5-10 minutes
Defend from Attacks	Weapons (Any)	5-8 minutes
Give Purple Fur Tuft	1 Purple Fur Tuft	1 minute
Total Time	Various	15-30 minutes

Let me walk you through each critical step to successfully save the Deer and unlock its protection for your base.

1. Locate the Injured Deer Immediately

The moment you load into the game after the November 15 update, a dramatic cutscene plays showing the Deer being viciously attacked by a mysterious winged creature with purple fur. This isn’t just any enemy—it’s powerful enough to injure an immortal entity that no weapon in the game can damage.

Here’s exactly where to find the Deer:

After the cutscene ends, head east from your campfire. Don’t wander aimlessly—the Deer’s location is always in the same direction, though the exact distance may vary slightly between servers. You’ll find it in a small forest clearing lying on a dark, damaged patch of ground. The area is unmistakable:

One antler is completely broken off
The other antler is severely cracked
The Deer’s leg is twisted at an unnatural angle
Dark scorched marks surround the area
Purple fur tufts are scattered nearby

The Deer will be completely motionless, unable to stand or move. This is your window to help the very creature that would normally hunt you down at night. According to the 99 Nights in the Forest NPCs & Mobs guide, the Deer is typically the game’s main antagonist, making this role reversal particularly significant.

Pro Tip from My Experience: Before you even leave your campfire, make sure you have all necessary supplies. Nothing’s worse than finding the Deer, starting the quest, then realizing you need to trek back to camp for bandages. I learned this the hard way on my first attempt.

2. Heal the Deer’s Critical Injuries

Once you’ve located the wounded Deer, your first priority is addressing its critical injuries. This isn’t as simple as slapping on a single bandage—the Deer has multiple serious wounds that require specific treatment.

The Two-Part Healing Process:

The Deer has two major injuries that must be treated before it can begin recovering:

Broken Leg – Requires 1 Medkit
Damaged Antler – Requires 1 Bandage

You can’t skip either treatment. I tried using only bandages once, thinking they’d work for both injuries, but the quest wouldn’t progress. You specifically need both item types. Some sources mention that 2 bandages can work instead of the medkit, but in my extensive testing across multiple servers, using 1 medkit + 1 bandage is the most reliable method.

Where to Find Medical Supplies:

Getting your hands on these healing items can be tricky if you’re unprepared. Here are your best options:

Medic Class: If you start as the Medic class, you’ll spawn with medical supplies, giving you a huge advantage
Hospital Locations: Search the various hospital buildings scattered throughout the forest map
Chests: Random chests can drop bandages and medkits as rare loot
Trading: Other players might sell or trade medical supplies if you’re desperate

Once you have both items, approach the Deer and interact with it. You’ll see an animation of your character treating the wounds. The Deer will then sit upright instead of lying completely flat, though you’ll still see scars covering its body. This signals you’ve completed the healing phase successfully.

Critical Warning: During this phase, keep your head on a swivel. While the Deer is vulnerable, other hostile creatures may wander into the area. I’ve had wolves interrupt the healing process multiple times, forcing me to fight them off before continuing.

3. Feed the Deer to Restore Its Strength

Healing the wounds is only half the battle. The Deer is weak from blood loss and needs substantial nutrition to regain its strength. This is where many players get frustrated because it takes significant resources to fully feed this massive creature.

Best Food Items to Use:

While the Deer will accept various food items, not all are equally effective. Based on my testing and community feedback, here’s what works:

Food Type	Effectiveness	Amount Needed
Stew (Cooked)	Excellent	3-4 pieces
Meat (Raw/Cooked)	Good	15-25 pieces
Steak	Good	10-15 pieces
Morsel	Moderate	15-20 pieces
Soup	Good	10-15 pieces
Carrots	Low	25+ pieces

My Recommendation: If you have access to a cooking pot, make 4-5 stews before attempting this quest. Stews are significantly more efficient than raw meat, cutting your feeding time by more than half. I wasted nearly 30 pieces of raw meat on my first attempt before learning this trick.

How to Tell It’s Working:

As you feed the Deer, watch its body carefully. The scars and wounds will gradually fade with each feeding. You’ll know you’re making progress when:

The dark marks on its body start disappearing
The Deer begins making different sounds
Its eyes appear more alert
It shifts position slightly

Keep feeding until all visible scars have completely vanished. Don’t stop early—if you move on to the next phase with scars still visible, you’ll fail the quest and have to restart from the feeding phase.

Food Farming Tips:

If you’re low on food, here are quick ways to stock up:

Hunt rabbits in the forest (easiest targets, 2-3 meat each)
Kill wolves for better meat drops (risky but efficient)
Fish in rivers and lakes (requires fishing equipment from the crafting system)
Check abandoned camps for food supplies
Use the Old Bed upgrade to speed up day cycles for more hunting time

4. Defend the Deer From Incoming Attacks

Just when you think you’re making progress, the forest throws its deadliest challenge at you. Once the Deer is sufficiently fed and its scars begin fading, it will suddenly let out a loud wail. This isn’t a sign of pain it’s a warning.

The Alpha Wolf Attack Wave:

Moments after the Deer wails, you’ll face a coordinated attack from Alpha Wolves. These aren’t your regular forest wolves—Alpha Wolves are significantly more dangerous:

Health: 115 HP (compared to 40 HP for regular wolves)
Damage: 30 per hit (can kill unprepared players in 3-4 hits)
Speed: Faster than regular wolves
Tactics: Attack in coordinated pairs

According to the Alpha Wolf guide, these creatures are nicknamed “ninja wolves” by the community for their detection radius and aggressive pursuit behavior.

Combat Strategy That Actually Works:

I’ve completed this quest successfully over a dozen times now, and here’s my proven combat approach:

Position Yourself Between the Deer and Wolves: Don’t let them get past you. If they reach the Deer, it’s game over and you’ll have to restart the entire quest.
Use Ranged Weapons If Possible: Bows, crossbows, or any ranged weapon gives you a massive advantage. You can damage wolves before they reach melee range.
Kite and Strike: If you only have melee weapons, use hit-and-run tactics. Strike once, back away, repeat. Don’t get surrounded.
Bring Healing Items for Yourself: Pack at least 2-3 bandages or a medkit for your own health. These wolves hit hard.
Use Environmental Obstacles: Trees and rocks can block wolf pathfinding. Use them to your advantage.

Recommended Weapons for This Fight:

Best: Rifle, Alien Laser Cannon, Flamethrower
Good: Spear, Good Axe, Iron Sword
Acceptable: Basic Axe, Pipe, Makeshift Weapons
Avoid: Bare hands (you’ll die immediately)

The attack wave typically consists of 2-4 Alpha Wolves spawning from opposite sides of the clearing. You must defeat every single one. Don’t worry about the Deer during this fight—it can’t take damage while you’re defending it, so focus entirely on eliminating the threats.

What Happens If You Fail:

If you die during the defense phase, you’ll respawn at your campfire and the entire quest resets. You’ll need to start over from locating the Deer. However, you won’t need to heal it again—it stays at whatever progress level you achieved. You just have to complete the feeding and defense phases again.

5. Give the Deer the Purple Fur Tuft

After successfully defending the Deer from the Alpha Wolf attack, it will finally stand up on its legs. This is the moment you’ve been working toward—the Deer is now strong enough to seek revenge on the creature that attacked it.

Finding the Purple Fur Tuft:

This critical quest item is surprisingly easy to miss despite being right in front of you. Purple Fur Tufts are scattered around the clearing where you found the Deer. They’re small purple-colored items on the ground that glow faintly.

Location Tips:

Check around the dark scorched patch where the Deer was lying
Look near the edges of the clearing
There are usually 5-10 tufts in the area—you only need one
They’re more visible during daytime

Pick up one Purple Fur Tuft from the ground and approach the standing Deer. An interaction prompt will appear. Give it the tuft, and the Deer will immediately sniff it, catching the scent of its attacker.

The Final Chase:

Once the Deer has the scent, it will bolt into the forest at high speed. Follow it immediately! Don’t stop to collect resources or check your inventory if you lose sight of the Deer, you might not find it again easily.

The Deer will lead you on a chase through the forest to a massive underground cave. This journey typically takes 2-3 minutes of running. Keep the Deer in sight at all times. It moves fast, so use any speed-boosting items or perks you have.

The Cave Confrontation:

When you reach the cave, a dramatic cutscene will automatically trigger. You’ll witness an epic battle between the Deer and the mysterious winged creature that attacked it. The creature is revealed to be a massive bat-like entity with purple fur and terrifying wings.

During the cutscene:

The Deer’s eyes turn glowing red (its “hungry” state)
The creature screams from within the dark cave
The Deer charges in for combat
Sounds of an intense fight echo from the cave
The Deer emerges victorious

Claiming Your Rewards:

After the Deer exits the cave (having defeated its attacker), you can safely enter. Inside, you’ll find a legendary chest containing rare rewards. The exact loot varies, but commonly includes:

Rare crafting materials
Exclusive cosmetic items
Large amounts of basic resources
Possibly class-specific items

More importantly, completing this quest permanently changes your relationship with the Deer. From now on, during Cultist raids on your base, the Deer will appear and fight alongside you, attacking cultists and other hostile creatures. It’s like having the game’s most powerful entity as your personal bodyguard.

Why Saving the Deer Is Absolutely Worth It?

After completing this quest multiple times, I can confidently say this is one of the most rewarding storylines in 99 Nights in the Forest. Here’s what makes it worth the effort:

Permanent Benefits:

Cultist Raid Protection: The Deer actively defends your campfire during raids, killing enemies before they reach you
Psychological Advantage: No longer fearing the Deer at night changes the entire game dynamic
Rare Loot: The cave chest contains items difficult to obtain elsewhere
Story Progression: Unlocks deeper lore about the forest’s mysteries
Achievement: Completing this marks you as an advanced player

Lore Implications:

This update raises fascinating questions about the forest’s power hierarchy. If something can injure the immortal Deer, what else might be lurking in the darkness? The community speculates this hints at future updates introducing even more dangerous entities.

According to the 99 Nights in the Forest update guide, developers often use events like this to foreshadow major content additions. The November 22 update is expected to fully introduce the bat creature as a new nighttime threat.

Essential Tips for Success

After helping dozens of players through this quest, here are the mistakes I see most often and how to avoid them:

Preparation Checklist:

Before attempting this quest, ensure you have:

✓ At least 1 medkit and 1 bandage (2 of each to be safe)
✓ 20-25 pieces of meat OR 5-6 stews
✓ A reliable weapon for Alpha Wolf combat
✓ 3-5 healing items for yourself
✓ A flashlight with backup batteries
✓ Full health and satiety before starting

Timing Matters:

The single best tip I can give you: attempt this quest during daytime. Night brings multiple additional threats:

Regular Deer might still spawn (if not replaced by the injured one)
The Owl or Ram could spawn in certain biomes
Wolves become more aggressive at night
Visibility drops significantly
Cultist raids are more likely

Use the Old Bed upgrade to extend daytime hours if needed. Upgrade your campfire to level 2 or 3 before attempting this quest it increases day length and gives you more breathing room.

Class Recommendations:

Certain classes have significant advantages for this quest:

Medic: Starts with medical supplies
Berserker: Better combat survivability against Alpha Wolves
Scavenger: Finds resources faster for preparation
Lumberjack: Quickly gathers wood to upgrade campfire for longer days

Avoid attempting this quest as a brand new player with the base class. Level up a bit, gather resources, and use one of the specialized classes for better chances.

Team Play Strategy:

This quest is significantly easier with teammates:

One player focuses on healing/feeding
Another defends against wolves
A third gathers resources if needed
Coordinate using voice chat for maximum efficiency

In my experience, a coordinated team of 2-3 players can complete this quest in under 15 minutes, while solo attempts often take 30+ minutes with higher failure risk.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them?

Mistake #1: Insufficient Food Preparation

I can’t stress this enough bring MORE food than you think you need. The Deer has a huge appetite, and running out of food mid-quest forces you to abandon it to gather more, wasting time and risking the quest timing out.

Solution: Always bring at least 25 pieces of any food item, or 5-6 stews if using the cooking pot method. It’s better to have leftovers than to fall short.

Mistake #2: Attempting at Night

Night attempts have a failure rate nearly 3x higher than daytime attempts based on community data. The added threats simply aren’t worth it.

Solution: Wait for daytime. If night is approaching, spend the remaining daylight gathering supplies and attempt the quest the next morning.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Your Own Health

Players get so focused on the Deer’s health that they forget to monitor their own. Alpha Wolves can easily kill you in a few hits.

Solution: Pack healing items specifically for yourself. Don’t use your quest supplies on personal healing—bring extras.

Mistake #4: Losing Track of the Deer During the Chase

When the Deer runs toward the cave, it moves FAST. Many players lose sight of it in the forest.

Solution: Don’t stop for anything during the chase. Follow directly behind the Deer. Use first-person view for better tracking if needed.

Mistake #5: Entering the Cave Before the Cutscene

Some players try to enter the cave before the Deer confronts the bat creature, which can bug out the quest.

Solution: Wait patiently outside the cave. Let the cutscene play completely. Only enter after the Deer exits victorious.

What’s Coming Next: The Bat Update

As of November 18, 2026, developers have teased a massive update dropping November 22 that will fully introduce the bat creature as a new threat. Based on trailer analysis and datamining, here’s what we expect:

The Bat Entity:

Flies faster than the Owl
Deals damage comparable to the Hungry Deer
May have special purple-themed attacks
Likely spawns in specific biomes or conditions
Could be tameable or befriendable in future updates

The official teaser description states: “It was strong enough to hurt the Deer. Will YOU be strong enough to survive it? Probably not, in my opinion.”

This cryptic message suggests the Bat will be an extremely challenging entity, possibly the hardest creature in the game. The 99 Nights in the Forest Taming Update laid groundwork for befriending hostile creatures, so there’s speculation the Bat might eventually become an ally similar to the Deer.

Community Resources and Support

Official Discord Server:

Join the massive 99 Nights in the Forest community on Discord with over 50,000 active members. The server offers:

Real-time quest help
Trading channels for resources
Team coordination for difficult content
Developer announcements
Strategy guides and discussions
Bug reports and technical support

Reddit Community:

The game’s subreddit is extremely active with daily posts about strategies, discoveries, and player experiences. It’s a goldmine for tips that don’t appear in official guides.

Wiki Resources:

The Fandom wiki is constantly updated with detailed information about every game mechanic, entity, item, and quest. If you’re stuck on any aspect of the game, the wiki likely has answers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start the “Deer is Hurt” quest?

The quest starts automatically when you load into the game after the November 15, 2026 update. A cutscene plays immediately showing the Deer being attacked. After the cutscene, head east from your campfire to find the injured Deer and begin the rescue sequence.

What items do I need to save the Deer?

You need 1 medkit (or 2 bandages), 1 bandage, 15-25 pieces of meat (or 5-6 stews), a weapon for combat, and 1 Purple Fur Tuft (found near the Deer). I recommend bringing extra healing items for yourself during the Alpha Wolf fight.

Can I save the Deer solo or do I need a team?

You can absolutely complete this quest solo, though it’s more challenging than with a team. Solo attempts typically take 25-35 minutes, while coordinated teams can finish in 15-20 minutes. The Alpha Wolf defense phase is significantly harder solo.

What happens if I die during the quest?

If you die during any phase, you’ll respawn at your campfire and the quest resets to wherever you left off. You don’t have to reheal the Deer if you already completed that phase—just pick up where you failed.

Where can I find Purple Fur Tuft?

Purple Fur Tufts are scattered on the ground around the clearing where you find the injured Deer. They’re small purple items that glow slightly. You only need one tuft, and there are usually 5-10 in the area. Check near the dark scorched ground where the Deer was lying.

How long does it take to feed the Deer?

Feeding time varies based on what food you use. With stews, it takes 3-4 pieces and about 5 minutes. With raw meat, expect to use 15-25 pieces over 8-12 minutes. The Deer’s scars must completely fade before you can proceed.

Is saving the Deer permanent or do I have to do it every game?

Saving the Deer is permanent for your account. Once completed, the Deer will defend your campfire during Cultist raids in all future games. You don’t need to repeat the quest.

What rewards do I get from saving the Deer?

You receive rare loot from the legendary chest in the bat’s cave, plus the Deer permanently becomes your ally during Cultist raids. The Deer will actively attack cultists and hostile creatures that threaten your campfire.

Can the Deer die during the defense phase?

No, the Deer cannot take damage while you’re defending it from Alpha Wolves. Focus entirely on eliminating the wolves the Deer is safe as long as you’re alive and fighting.

When should I attempt this quest?

Attempt this quest during daytime for best results. Night attempts face additional threats from other forest entities. Make sure your campfire is upgraded to level 2-3 for longer day cycles, giving you more time to complete the quest safely.

Final Thoughts

The “Deer is Hurt” update represents a significant turning point in 99 Nights in the Forest’s evolving narrative. What began as a straightforward survival horror game has transformed into a complex experience with meaningful choices, evolving relationships, and deep lore.

Saving the Deer isn’t just about getting rewards it’s about fundamentally changing your relationship with the forest’s most iconic entity. The creature that once hunted you relentlessly now fights by your side. That’s powerful storytelling through gameplay.

As we approach the November 22 Bat update, the forest grows more dangerous and mysterious. But with the Deer as your ally, you’re better equipped than ever to face whatever emerges from the darkness.

Stay alert out there, survivor. The forest holds many more secrets, and I’ll be here to guide you through each one. For more survival strategies, check out the complete 99 Nights in the Forest guide and stay updated with the latest 99 Nights codes for free rewards.

Remember: in the haunted woods of 99 Nights, sometimes the monsters we fear most can become our greatest protectors. All it takes is a little compassion, the right resources, and the courage to help when it matters most.

Now get out there and save that Deer. Your campfire depends on it.