Devon Dobek texted back home on Friday, Oct. 31, that he had just caught a deer and was headed back. Dobek is an experienced hunter, and it was not uncommon for him to go into Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon to hunt. He knew what he was doing and had the right gear — it was just a routine trip for the 51-year-old hunter. Except this time, he didn’t make it home. It’s not uncommon for people to go missing when hiking, or even on simple errands — all manner of things can happen out in the wild — but concern grows the longer someone remains missing. People reports that the text about the deer is the last anyone has heard from Dobek, and it has been the crux of the massive four-day search. Experts describe this particular terrain as a “nightmare” because of its sheer lack of navigability. The missing report was filed at 6:20 p.m. that same night, and by 10:30 p.m., the Clackamas County Search and Rescue team was already on the trail. They got their first clue rather quickly — his truck. According to authorities, the truck was found near the Fish Creek Trailhead off SE Hwy 224 and 54 Rd. But it bore no sign of Dobek or the deer. If he had made it back to his truck, there would at least be some indication of him hauling the deer — but there was no evidence of that. This opens multiple possibilities — where did he go? Did he get lost? Which is more common than many think, even for seasoned hunters and hikers. And then, on that very Friday night, things got even stranger. The search and rescue team reportedly heard three shots — which is often used as a distress signal by people lost in the woods. But authorities were unable to pinpoint where the shots came from. The major challenge in this rescue mission is the terrain itself. After a wildfire broke out in this mountain range in 2021, it left the area choked with fallen timber everywhere. Getting from point A to point B is not just complex — it’s practically untested. It’s dangerous and exhausting work. They brought in thermal imaging through a drone that can cut through fog, but all the dense, charred trees from the wildfire have made that excursion more complex than usual, so the thermal imaging is getting false positives. Search and rescue are essentially working blind and deaf here and even though they still hope and are doing everything possible to find Dobek, a miracle is needed. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office is posting daily updates on their search efforts. Hopefully, good news will soon be announced. The scale of the search team has since adapted to the difficulties they’re facing, and they have simply put more boots on the ground. The operation has grown from 20 searchers to over 100 professionals in just a matter of days. But the rain is making things even slicker and more complex — so all the rescue teams are urging patience for now.