Stories and Special Moments

Deer Attack While Star Gazing at Ochoco Reservoir 7/20/96

It was an extremely clear and comfortable mid summers night, there was a slight breeze which carried with it a hint of sage brush and juniper (typical high desert fauna), but there wasn't a cloud in site. It was the beginning of the fire season, although, the few lighting sparked fires that were burning were far off to the west. With a slight but steady wind from the east it was by all standards -- a fantastic night for viewing the universe -- but at times things closer to earth must also be heeded to.

My wife and I, along with our two daughters Crystal and Tiffany ages 10 and 12, had just returned to camp at Ochoco Reservoir after an evening of star gazing at the Pine Mountain Observatory (PMO) located 26 miles east of Bend. Pine Mountain is a wonderful place to take the kids and makes for quite a interesting and enlightening experience for the adults as well, even those of us who don't know Cassiopeia from Andromeda. A primitive forest service campground is just across the road from the PMO. [ More information ]

The observatory has three large telescopes available for public use, one of the largest has a 32 inch lens. Just walking the paths to the viewing area is a neat experience in it self, following the dimly lit paths illuminated by small red lights that snake there way up the hillside. The observatory uses red lights because the red color spectrum does not affect a persons ability to see in the dark, thereby allowing the best view of billions of stars over head. Visitors are encouraged to place a piece of red cellophane or plastic over the lens of their flash lights so as not to impair the vision of others.

It was getting late as we returned from our astronomy lesson to our favorite camping spot, located on the east side of a bluff near the waters of Ochoco Reservoir 6 miles east of Prineville Oregon (see photo below). This spot is basically just a flat pull off along highway 26. We have camped here many times and really enjoy the view as the morning sun rises from behind the mountains at the far end of the lake. There is a trail leading down to the water where good fishing can be had. I first came here with my father and grandparents in the late 60's and have returned to fish and camp with my own family time and time again.

After leveling the camper we set up the lawn chairs near the back of the camper and the wife and I relaxed and commenced to gazing at the stars, intrigued by what we had seen at the observatory, while the kids settled down inside to a game of cards. About an hour had passed while Kim and I leaned back in our chars marveling at the unimaginable number of stars and galaxies visible in the clear desert sky.

As a distant car began approaching from the east (the only car to pass for hours) I suggested to my wife, setting just across from me, to close her eyes so that her night vision would not be affected by the headlights of the passing car. My back was to the road so I left mine partly open.  Then, when the car was within seconds of passing, we both felt and heard an intense thumping radiating from the ground. Kim, thinking someone was rushing out of the woods to do us harm, leaned forward in her chair bracing herself for the worst.

Suddenly, I spotted it coming out of the darkness just behind my wife. The first thing I saw was a fast approaching patch of brown hair about 5 feet off the ground, dimly lit by the meager amount of light creeping past the curtains of the camper. My first thought was a bear! Then, just as suddenly, something came over me. It may have been my natural instinct for survival or the instinct to protect my mate, or possibly it was the fact that I was so scared I just couldn't think of anything else to do. So I sprang to my feet yelling at the big brown hairy thing charging directly towards us at break neck speed -- "Get Out Of Here You Some Bitch." I normally don't talk like this, especially around the kids, but a potential life threatening situation sometimes calls for drastic measures.

I must have surprised the brown hairy thing because it made a slight detour around us (we felt the breeze as it passed by), but it didn't slow down one bit as it continued running blindly toward the road. The approaching car was now upon us, we then heard a loud "thump" and saw an unusually large yearling faun fall to the pavement near the center of the road. By this time the kids, having heard me yell out my instinctive survival slogan (which actually worked), were peering from the window of the camper only to witness bambi getting hit by a car.

Now, the wife and I are in shock as we stand there looking at each other unable to speak due to lack muscle control in our lower jaws, the kids are crying because bambi is dead, my heart is beating out of my chest and I'm thinking I'll be lucky if I can ever get my wife to sit out under the stars again. 

Well, as they say in the theater, it ant over till the fat lady sings.

As my wife heads into the camper to console the kids I notice that the deer is not dead. It is attempting to stand up, the kids see this and yell out with hopeful but short lived joy, "Look dad the deer is ok." I don't think so, I'm not a veterinarian but to me it looks as though the poor thing is messed up pretty bad. A 60 mile-an-hour impact will do that, from my estimate it likely had a broken back at the very least.

So now the deer is in the middle of the road attempting to stand up without much success. So I go to get my gun to put the poor creature out of its misery, but my wife stops me and says; "You cant kill it, then you'll be just like the hunter in Bambi" (we have the Disney movie and the kids have watched it a lot, evidently the wife has too). While I am debating with my wife about how to best handle the situation a second car comes speeding by -- bam -- and settles the issue once and for all. 

Well, I guess that's that, are you coming back out to look at the stars honey, I ask my wife. "No, not tonight" she says, "I'm too scared to sit out there now."

With my heart still beating like I just ran a ten mile triathlon, I sit down in my lawn chair to relax a bit and attempt to regain my composure. Then, through the silence of the night air I hear something behind me -- it sounds like heavy breathing -- Haaa.. Haaa.. Haaa.. I take the Mag light from my belt holster and shine it into the darkness. As I bring the beam of the light up I see two large glowing eyes peering at me through the night, its a wolf with its mouth open, tongue hanging out and large canines glistening in the darkness, and to my surprise it's only about 25 feet away. The wheels of my mind quickly break free and begin turning -- A.. HA... there must have been a pack of wolfs chasing that deer, that's why it was running so haphazardly.... Now it all makes since.

Well, that's it for me. I yell to the wife -- I'm coming in too honey.... "What about the lawn chairs," she asks.

I'll get them up in the morning. I don't think anyone will bother them tonight!

Notes: Pine Mountain Observatory is located 26 miles east of Bend Oregon. The last nine miles of road leading to the facility is gravel which gradually gains in altitude as you head to the top of Pine Mountain (6300 feet). Warning, the road is very washboard, all nine miles of it. Access is free, but a minimum donation of $3.00 per person is encouraged.

20 years from now you'll be more disappointed in the things you didn't do than in the things you did.

       -- Mark Twain

This page is under construction

It will take a bit to get all our photos optimized and story lines written for this section. Please be sure to check back.