Elk Hunter Missing in The Crazy Mountains

[katqanna]

Elk hunter Aaron Jospeh Hedges, 38 missing in the Crazy Mountains. One team will search from the Cottonwood Trailhead up the Trespass Creek Trail and the other from Sunlight Road to and up the Sunlight Trail. Hedges is reported to have minimal supplies however he indicated to his friends he would be heading for a cache of supplies he had in the area of Sunlight Lake.

Hedges is familiar with the area and an avid outdoorsman. If anyone sees or hears from Hedges, they are asked to contact the Park County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center at 406-222-2050.

News article for more information. I figured if anyone was out in the area or planned on being there, they could keep an eye out.

I called dispatch to see if he had been found yet before posting. He is still missing.

 

[earlybird]

.....

 

[mtmiller]

.......................

 

[Topgun 30-06]

^^^What he said!!!

 

[mdunc8]

..................

 

[npaden]

Sure hope he's okay. That's a long time missing with some pretty crappy weather during that time.

 

[RobG]

oh boy... I didn't realize he'd been gone since Sunday. It was in the eighties when he went missing and it will be in the twenties tonight in town. Hope he planned for cold... clear skies tomorrow will help find him.

 

[Wyatt G]

Thats a bad deal, hopefully they find him okay

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Yep, this is the 5th night and 4 full days out there already, so it doesn't sound too good unless he was able to get undercover somewhere with some warm clothes or was able to get and keep a good fire going. This weather is so crazy any more that you just never know what the next day will bring. The BigHorns in WY where I'm heading tomorrow is getting hit and Rapid City, SD had 2" today and it was the earliest measurable snow they've had since they started keeping records in 1888. Here in lower MI we've gone from the 80s to the 40s in less than a week and it now sure feels like it's hunting time!

 

[katqanna]

The news article said that he had minimal supplies with him but mentioned a cache he had. Hopefully he knows enough about what is around him and has enough equipment to take care of himself to survive, but if he is injured, he may not be able to get to the cache or fend for himself.

 

[twodot]

If I was a billionaire with a helicopter, I would have my ass down there in the morning and be helping to find that guy. Sorta to "mend fences" with other sportsmen if you know what I mean. just sayin

 

[RobG]

I don't go far without my PLB.
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-beacons.html

 

[Straight Arrow]

...

 

[Hem]

I have bailed out of the high country there in stormy summer weather,can't imagine being under prepared for freak mountain weather like the Crazies probably had yesterday.Hope he hunkered down and took cover.Stupid comment about Search and Rescue fouling the hunting.

 

[earlybird]

I sincerely apologize for how I came across. This is by far my favorite and pretty much the only site on the net I look at. My tag and hunting plans by no means trumps this fellow hunters safety. I was out of line for what I said. And again I'm sorry for the offence that was taken. I was actually told by a game warden this morning before reading it on here that this man was missing and offered any help I could with my horses while I was in the area. It sounds like they did have a short ping on his cell phone but didn't get to follow up on it before the weather hit. Prayers are sent to him and everyone searching, for all to be home safe.

 

[Straight Arrow]

Thanks for manning up on that one, earlybird. Many of us have also rung bells we wish we could "unring".

I'll join you in those prayers.

 

[npaden]

I don't go far without my PLB.
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/personal-locator-beacons.html

My DeLorme InReach SE just arrived in the mail today. I will have it activated and ready to go for my Wyoming hunts coming up in the next few weeks. A very small price to pay for a piece of equipment that really can save your life.

I typically hunt with others and have always felt like I really didn't need something like that, but the story on the Colorado mountain goat hunter falling made me decide to get one. Getting emergency response crews moving your way even a couple hours earlier than you could if you had to get out to cell reception could make a big difference if one of the guys in your hunting party ended up getting hurt.

Not going to save you from a 100'+ fall or a bear attack maybe, but sometimes just a few hours could mean the difference between making it out alive or not.

The prices on the service plans have gotten too cheap and too flexible to not be able to justify having one anymore for me.

 

[brownbear932008]

I really hope god protects him and he is found soon by the S&R teams out there looking for him. Terrible to see these things.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Prayers

good luck to all
the dog

 

[katqanna]

As of a couple hours ago dispatch said he was still not found. These are pictures of the conditions there.

UPDATE - The two rescue teams on horseback checked the trails for Aaron Hedges, but were not able to reach Campfire Lake or Sunlight Lake due to snow and unsafe trail conditions, a new press release states.

A search and rescue ground team was flown in to search that area.

Aerial view is obstructed by cloud cover which remains over key areas of the primary search area.

A military helicopter arrived at the site Thursday, equipped with Forward Looking Infra-red (FLIR).

An additional military helicopter is expected to arrive at 7:00 p.m. Thursday.

Additional resources, including search dog teams, have been requested.