Body of Missing Hunter Found After 3 Weeks

UPDATE Nov 17, 2025 12:42 PM CST

The body of a man believed to be missing hunter Devon Dobek has been found in Oregon's Mount Hood National Forest. The 51-year-old, an experienced outdoorsman, disappeared in late October after telling a friend he had bagged a deer. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office suspended its search on Nov. 7. The body was found by a volunteer taking part in a search effort funded by a GoFundMe started by Jace Cook, a close friend of Dobek's, the Oregonian reports. The sheriff's office said the body was found Saturday at the base of a cliff near the trailhead, reports KGW. Cook said Dobek, who apparently fell from a ledge, was found with the buck he had harvested.

• "Devon Dobek was a man full of light," Cook, a deputy district attorney in Linn County, told the Oregonian. "My sister-in-law, his close friend, cherished his warmth and he treated our family with kindness, often sharing his bounty, like fresh fish from his hunts. His generosity and spirit touched everyone."

Nov 4, 2025 3:00 AM CST

Authorities in Oregon are searching for a 51-year-old hunter who vanished in Mount Hood National Forest on Friday, ABC News reports. Devon Dobek, described by officials as an "experienced" outdoorsman from Hubbard, Oregon, was expected back from his hunting trip late Friday but told a friend he was returning early after successfully bagging a deer.

When he failed to return, his absence triggered a large-scale search effort. Deputies located Dobek's truck near the Fish Creek Trailhead, but there was no sign of Dobek or a deer, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. Search teams reported hearing gunshots during the night, believed to be fired by Dobek, but they were unable to determine his location.

More than 100 rescuers were deployed Sunday amidst cool and rainy conditions. The effort has included ground teams, drones, ATVs, search dogs, and support from both the sheriff's aviation unit and an Oregon National Guard helicopter. Authorities are also trying to track Dobek's cellphone and GPS devices, though they note that coverage in the remote area is unreliable. The area was burned in wildfires in 2020, resulting in difficult terrain, OregonLive reports. "The area is full of fallen trees, making navigation extremely challenging," the sheriff's office says in a statement.