Authorities in Oregon are intensifying their efforts to locate 51-year-old hunter Devon Dobek of Hubbard, Ohio, who has been missing since Friday after embarking on a solo hunting trip in the Mount Hood National Forest, southeast of Estacada.
According to a Facebook post from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office on Monday, Nov. 3, search and rescue operations have entered their fourth day. “Efforts included approximately 50 searchers from across the region,” officials stated. The operation involves multiple agencies, including the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team, Mountain Wave Emergency Communications, Portland Mountain Rescue, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, the 304th Rescue Squadron (PJs), Hood River Crag Rats, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Forest Service.
Despite heavy rain, an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter has joined the mission, alongside drones equipped with thermal imaging technology. Authorities said teams are concentrating on steep, fire-damaged terrain still filled with fallen trees from the 2020 wildfires, making travel and visibility extremely difficult. Crews plan to continue their search into the night.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/missing-hunter-search-110425-3-f97758d5c8594dd4aa5fe9cb932e37fe.jpg)
More than 100 personnel were deployed Sunday as weather improvements allowed for additional drone support. The previous day, over 20 searchers used ATVs, drones, and K9 units to cover the rugged ground.
Dobek last communicated with a friend on Friday, saying he planned to return early after successfully hunting a deer. When he failed to return home, deputies received a missing person report around 6:20 p.m. His truck was later discovered near the Fish Creek Trailhead, off SE Hwy 224 and 54 Rd., but neither Dobek nor the deer he reportedly caught were found.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/missing-hunter-search-110425-5-2207839ee09444af91349694a57c2653.jpg)
Friends described Dobek as an experienced hunter who was properly equipped for the trip. Search teams began operations late Friday night, continuing into early Saturday. “Gunshots, presumed to be from the missing hunter, were heard at various times overnight, but searchers were unable to pinpoint the exact location,” officials said.
Authorities remain on the scene and have urged anyone with information about Dobek’s whereabouts to contact the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
