C.O. rifle hunting season is off with a bang

Starting Saturday, it’s open season for rifle hunters in Central Oregon. To celebrate and educate, Search and Rescue personnel in multiple counties are manning hunting booths.

“Lost hunters are always a problem for us this time of year,” Crook County Emergency Manager Michael Ryan said Thursday.

In hopes of cutting down cases of having to hunt for the hunters, Search and Rescue has been leading the charge in the booths for decades. But they don’t do it alone.

“The primary mission for us about 30 years ago was to give current fire restrictions,” said Oregon Deputy State Fire Marshal Dave Fields. “But now we also try to give people the local flavor and good customer service.”

In Prineville, that flavor came in the form of barbecue pork off the grill. But with that smoky flavor came a warning to prevent smoke from turning into anything more while on the hunt.

“If they’ve got anything burning, like a campfire, they’ve got to make sure it’s out before they go hunting or head back home,” said Fields.

Along with providing tips to stay safe, SAR was also accepting tips to boost funds. The centerpiece was a raffle for a new hunting rifle. It caught the eye of recent Prineville transplant Richard Killingsworth.

“You can never have too many (guns),” laughed the Idaho native.

After buying 20 tickets for the raffle, he said he was glad to give a hand to those lending help to lost hunters.

“If your loved one gets lost and you need someone to find them, these guys are there to help,” said Killingsworth.

Friday is the last day to visit a hunting information booth and enter the rifle raffles. Below are locations and times.

The Dalles:

Memaloose Rest Area

6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Dodson Road

9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

La Pine:

La Pine at Rays

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Prineville:

Prineville at Rays

5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Highway 58:

Milepost 71

9 a.m. to dark