Feral Encounter — ruling 1

Casting Feral Encounter doesn't require any targets. As you put the delayed triggered ability on the stack at the beginning of the next combat phase this turn, you choose the target creature you control and up to one target creature you don't control.

Feral Encounter — ruling 2

If you cast Feral Encounter and no combat phases occur later in that turn, the delayed triggered ability won't trigger.

Feral Encounter : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Feral Encounter is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

Look at the top five cards of your library. You may exile a creature card from among them. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. You may cast the exiled card this turn. At the beginning of the next combat phase this turn, target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to up to one target creature you don't control.

How it works : Feral Encounter

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Casting Feral Encounter doesn't require any targets. As you put the delayed triggered ability on the stack at the beginning of the next combat phase this turn, you choose the target creature you control and up to one target creature you don't control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast Feral Encounter and no combat phases occur later in that turn, the delayed triggered ability won't trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.