Bend hunter impaled by elk’s antler in Maury Mountains

A hunter from Bend was impaled by the antler of an elk as he was dragging it back to camp behind an ATV in Crook County’s Maury Mountains on Saturday, prompting a rescue effort challenged by the steep, rugged and remote terrain, authorities said.

Eventually, Gary Heeter, 69, was flown by Life Flight helicopter to St. Charles Bend, where a house supervisor said he was in fair condition Saturday night.

Around 11:45 a.m., Crook County law enforcement and medics from Crook County Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the area of Arrowwood Point in the Maury Mountains regarding an injured hunter, said sheriff’s Sgt. Ryan Seaney.

The reporting party advised that Heeter, a hunting partner, was involved in an ATV rollover crash, and that one of the antlers on the elk that he had been packing out impaled Heeter in the back.

This 911 call prompted the callout of Crook County Search and Rescue, a sheriff’s deputy, medics from Crook County Fire and Rescue, and a Life Flight helicopter.

The location of the crash, off of the 200 spur road off of the 1670 road in the Maury Mountains, is a very remote location that is distant from emergency responders, Seaney said in a news release.

Shortly after 1 p.m., a sheriff’s deputy who was searching the area located a member the hunting party near the crash site. The deputy was able to contact the Life Flight helicopter, which was flying overhead, by radio, and was then able confirm that the flight crew had visual contact with the deputy and the general vicinity of the crash location. The flight crew from the Life Flight helicopter had previously been flying over the area, looking for the crash scene.

When the deputy arrived at the crash scene, he found Heeter was conscious and communicative, but appeared to be going into shock, Seaney said. Prior the deputy’s arrival, members of Heeter’s hunting party had applied bandages and pressure to control the bleeding.

The helicopter flight crew had trouble locating a suitable landing area, due to the rough terrain, which consisted of intermittent forest cover and rocky clearings, the sergeant said. Fortunately, the flight crew was able to locate a suitable landing zone before reaching a fuel critical level.

Meanwhile, the medics from Crook County Fire and Rescue were able to locate the deputy and were taken to the crash scene. The medics had to leave their ambulance about 1 1/2 miles behind to reach the crash scene, due to the narrow, rock-covered spur road. CCF&R medics began treatment of Heeter around the time the flight crew from Life Flight was landing the helicopter.

After the medics from the helicopter arrived at the crash scene, they were able to assist CCF&R medics with Heeter. He was placed on a back board, and emergency personnel carried him approximately 1/2 mile to the waiting helicopter. Heeter was then flown to the Bend hospital.

An investigation and witness statements determined Heeter had been dragging the elk back to the hunting camp behind an ATV. Heeter began to drive up a steep hillside, which caused the front end of the ATV to come up. Heeter was impaled by the elk antler as the ATV rolled backward.