BY KELLY CAVANAUGH
“Did he have a deer tag?”
That’s one of the first questions those who witnessed Harlan Collins ski down Bald Mountain with a deer slung around his shoulders probably asked.
The story of a deer that was struck and killed by a local skier will surely go down in Sun Valley lore.
Now, that deer is being donated for stew.
“I am going to donate the salvaged meat to Hank (Minor) at Apples for free venison stew on Friday,” said Collins, noting a celebration of life will take place honoring the deer.
Harlan Collins is still shaken up over his encounter with a button-buck on this past weekend on Bald Mountain.
“I was on the Lower College run, making the last run of the day around 3:30,” he recounted. “It was pretty dark and I had dark lenses in my goggles. There was nobody around and I was definitely going pretty fast. I actually did see two deer on the side of the run and all of my attention was on those two. As I was skiing in their general direction, they peeled off the run, and I was like, ‘That was cool!’ ”
Collins said he aggressively turned off the steeps into the hill and hit a third deer that he had not noticed earlier.
“I pretty much hit the third deer--connected my shoulder to his shoulder,” Collins said. “I heard its neck break from the whiplash of the hit. I remember everything really well, I was so shaken but had a helmet on luckily. It was super sad. And a major bummer to see it laying there. It died in front of us as we shook from adrenaline.”
Rather than call the ski patrol, Collins lifted the deer on his shoulders and carried it respectfully down the remainder of Lower College, across the Sunset Strip cat track and then down 42nd Street and Lower River Run.
Mike Fitzpatrick, who is in charge of Sun Valley’s Guest Services, saw him as he reached the bottom and called ski patrol for him.
“Everyone was speechless. Patroller Will Roth said ‘I don’t have a form for this,’ ” Collins said.
Collins and the patrollers put the deer in one of the wagons used to cart skis and boots from car to lift. And Collins carted the deer off to his car.
“I then filled out a salvage tag for Idaho Fish and Game, which they have for road kill, because they don't have a form for ski accidents,” he said.
“It was not very fun and pretty sad,” said Collins. “I’m feeling super lucky I am okay.”
A Brapski movie will start at 5:30 p.m. at Apple's followed by a celebration of life for the Bald Mountain deer and dinner at 6:30 p.m.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Deer continue to hang out on Holiday and other slopes. So, ski aware!