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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2016)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016 THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9 Local Cougar CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Immediately after ending the call, Koontz removed her gear, set her rifl e against a tree, and an- swered Nature’s call, while still wearing her sidearm, a Ruger 9mm. Donning her gear once again after her restroom break, Koontz took a few steps, and heard noise from the cougar, up in a nearby tree. Thinking the noise might have been from a deer, but quickly realizing that deer don’t normally climb trees, and that the animal was a cougar, she exclaimed, “Oh [exple- tive],” and she took three large steps back. She was thinking something like, “What is your plan?” or, “What are you doing?” about the cougar. Most of the cougar’s body was concealed by the tree, and he was facing and eyeing Koontz closely, with his front shoulders down, and his tail wag- ging, side to side, as he began to move forward. She stepped to the left, and at that point, she had enough of a target to send a 180-grain bullet through his heart, killing him instantly. “He was coming. He was not like, ‘Okay, I’ll leave you alone.’ My mili- tary training kicked in, I was on guard, and I did the right thing. Afterwards, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he was watching me pee,’ “ she said, as she was fl ood- ed with emotions, thinking about the period of time during which the cougar must have watched her, without her knowledge. She called Cannon, she relayed the story to him (he panicked at fi rst, she said, because he misunderstood, and he thought the cougar had actually attacked her), and she requested his help in transporting the cougar home. Cannon, and his father, Larry, arrived to as- sist Koontz with that task. She realized later that her truck had been parked less than 100 yards away from where she had shot the cougar. She said that the meat from the cougar was fully utilized, given to a family friend, who planned on making sausages. Koontz said, “I wasn’t willing to eat on it,” noting that pred- ator meat isn’t something that’s generally considered a delicacy. The skinning and butch- ering task was handled by Brody Turner’s Custom Taxidermy, 62849 Buchan- an, La Grande. Koontz plans on having a full-body mount, with the cougar in a pre-attack pose, similar to how he looked before she shot him. “I feel that I’ve earned it,” she said. Koontz said, “It was just really ironic for me, be- cause I hunt every chance I can, and I haven’t been able to fi ll my elk tag (she had gone bowhunting for elk, right before the deer hunt), or my deer tag, but I’ve gotten two preda- tors this year...” The other predator was a black bear Koontz harvested earlier this year, in May, in the Starkey Wildlife Manage- ment Unit, with the same rifl e--dropping it also with one shot, through the heart, another instant kill. Koontz referenced her military training again, to explain the initial response and kill shot, when she was faced with the threats from the predators. She’s a disabled Navy combat veteran, having served for 14 years, 8 months, and medically retired, due to fi bromyalgia, in January 2009, as a BU (Builder). She could hunt from a vehicle, but she prefers to walk, she said, with peri- odic rests necessary. She entered the Navy in February 1995, served four years as an EN (Engine- man,), and took a break. She signed back up after September 11, 2001. “That pissed me off, and I’m very patriotic, so, I jumped right back in,” Koontz said. She actually had three ratings (jobs), she said, which had included AW (Air Warfare Specialist), fl ying aboard Lockheed P-3 Orions, but on November 2, 2004, near a gate in Kuwait, she re- ceived incoming fi re while on a bus, part of which hit her in the face, which prompted her to change ratings, to BU. “I don’t like being shot at, and I don’t like cougars jumping on my head,” she said. In speaking about the issues with predators in general, Koontz said, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) rep- resentative stopped by to visit with her and the rest of the people in her hunt- ing camp earlier this year, and told Larry that ODFW has removed over 100 cougars from the Ukiah Unit in the last couple of years, due to overpopula- tion, and aggressiveness. “I don’t think the bucks have come back; they are saying there are a whole lot less deer, etc., because of it...” she said. According to ODFW information provided in the 2016 hunting regulations, regarding cougar manage- ment, ODFW has removed a total of 291 cougars in the Heppner, Steens Moun- tain, Ukiah, Warner, and Wenaha units, to benefi t deer or elk populations, the most dramatic results seen in the Heppner,and Ukiah units; elk calf survival doubled in both; the elk population in Ukiah grew by 500, since 2010; the elk population in Heppner grew by 2,200, since 2007; on average, an adult cougar kills one deer or elk per week; and Oregon has an estimated 4,000 adults, and a total estimated cougar population of 6,000. In 2015, ODFW raised the cougar quotas statewide, to 970, an increase of 25%. “I think I might stay home, and watch some chick fl icks, and get my nails and hair done, for a while...It’s important to get this story out, and to let people know—I felt cornered,” Koontz said, saying that, while she’ll continue to hunt (she’s a lifetime hunter), she intends to pay even more attention to the potential dangers around her, and potential predator hiding spots—including trees. Unity holds Harvest Bazaar Submitted Photos The Unity Harvest Bazaar held Saturday, October 1. Organizers would like to thank all who stopped by as well as all the talented vendors and skilled artisans. The Burnt River Home Extension ladies made all the home made pies, brownies and other treats.. All the money made from the sale of the pies and goodies go to the scholarships fund.The Burnt River FFA kids supplies and served lunch and goodies.The door prize a RYOBI miter saw was won by Brenda Kezerle from Hereford, (top photo). The other gift basket was won by Carol Purvis (below) from Prairie City. — Obituaries — CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Shirley Sorrels Richland, 1924-2016 Shirley Sor- rels, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother to many died peacefully on Shirley Sorrels October 5, 2016 at age 92. A memorial service will be held at the Method- ist Church in Haines, Or- egon on October 22, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. A celebration will follow at Shirley’s home at Radium. Shirley was born on September 13, 1924 in Stockton, California and adopted in infancy by the parents who raised her, Edna and Harold Edgar. She grew up in Berkeley, California, graduated from Berkeley High School in 1942, studied music at Mills College and attended San Francisco State for a short time before marrying Donald W. Sorrels, in a loving marriage that was to last 68 years. While growing up, Shirley loved to ice skate, spending most of her free time at the ice rink. She also had a beautiful voice and sang in many high school productions, as well as for the USO during World War II. After marrying her handsome Air Force Lieu- tenant during the start of America’s involvement in the war, the young couple moved to North Carolina where Don attended fl ight school and prepared to be sent overseas. When the war was over and Don was safely home, they lived for a while in Berkeley and then moved to Bothell, Washington shortly after their fi rst child Sandra was born. In Bothell they lived on a farm where Shirley learned how to garden, cook, raise chickens, and make butter. In 1949 the family, which now included son John, moved to Kenne- wick, Washington. The next year daughter Cynthia was born. Don and Shirley lived for the next 60 years in Kennewick, until Don’s death in 2011. Then Shir- ley moved to La Grande to be with her daughter Sandra. For the last three years of her life she lived in Haines at her beloved Radium Hot Springs, cared for by her two daughters. Shirley was a life-long homemaker, choosing to stay at home to raise her children. But she did not really stay at home because she made a career of volunteering for every- thing from the PTA to Girl Scouts to League of Women Voters. After her son John’s car accident in 1969 when he suffered a traumatic brain injury, she became a passionate advocate for mental health, serving on the board of the Mid Columbia Mental Health Center for 14 years and board chairman for two. She was also a founder of the Residential Services for the mentally disabled in the Tri-Cities. As a Girl Scout volun- teer, she was leader of two troops from Brownies to Senior Scouts, senior advi- sor, day camp director, fi rst aid instructor and president of the council for three years. In 1983 she was the recipient of the Distin- guished Volunteer of the Year Award given by the United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties. She also was a founding member of the First Pres- byterian Church in Ken- newick, where she sang in the choir for years. Never afraid of new challenges, Shirley learned to ski as an adult with the rest of the family. The love of skiing brought the family to Anthony Lakes Ski Area where they soon purchased a cabin. All of the winter holi- days were spent together at that cabin where Shirley learned to be an expert at cooking on a wood stove and friends were welcome to drop in. In 1966 when her husband Don joined the Anthony Lakes Ski Patrol, she became a fi rst aider for the patrol. Together they served on the patrol for 35 years. And when Don took up fl ying again and they bought a plane, she was his devoted co-pilot. He and Shirley took many trips in their plane, fl ying to Baja with the Flying Farmers, to Kelso to pick-up their grandchil- dren, to WWII reunions on the East coast, making their last cross country fl ight when he was 85 and she was 81. Shirley’s life was one of devotion to family, friends, civic duty, and church. She will be remembered for her beautiful laugh and love of people. Shirley is survived by her daughter Sandra and son John Sorrels of La Grande, daughter Cindy and husband Jack Wardlow of Kelso, Washington, two grandchildren and six great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Don and grandson Corey Wardlow. For those who would like to make memorial dona- tion in memory of Shirley, the family suggests that donations be directed to the Haines Methodist Church through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home and Cremation Services PO BOX 543, Halfway Oregon 97834. Online condolences may be shared at www.tamispinevalleyfu- neralhome.com Fugitive’s twin brother arrested On October 12, 2016 at 12:08 p.m., Baker City Police were watching a house at 2291 Orchard Street where Jo- seph Dial was believed to be. Joseph was known to have a State-Wide Felony Warrant. A male, thought to be Joseph, crawled out a window of the Orchard Street residence and ran from the residence. Offi cers searched the area and were unable to locate the Offi cer’s learned Joseph’s identical twin brother, Danny Dial, was the person seen crawling out the window. Danny Dial also had a State-Wide Felony Warrant. Offi cers in contact with acquaintances of Danny Dial worked to encourage Danny to turn himself in at the Baker County Jail. During this time Danny was contacted at 3215 14th Street where he was taken into custody without incident. Arrested at 3215 14th Street:- Danny R. Dial (arrest date/time: 10/13/16 at 12:39 PM)-Out of County Warrant ( Parole Violation Lake County, Oregon)
