Missing hunters in Colorado

[prm]

Many years ago I went out to explore in an area within those rings and got caught in a wicked thunderstorm at sunset. Luckily I had a cheap compass on my watchband. I was able to get back, but it was an eye opener and after that night I ALWAYS have a good compass (it’s connected by paracord to my pack) and two headlamps.
Regarding bears, I did run across bear prints in the snow there that seemed way too big for a Black Bear. I am no bear expert, but my size 9 boot print fit inside with plenty of room to spare.

Hoping for a positive outcome for these guys.

 

[sndmn11]

I thought about that aspect of the area too. I’ve spent a lot of time down there, but it gets a ton of tourist traffic, and the crime and murders and all the weird stuff typically happens to locals and people living on the fringes of normal society.

I’m not saying foul play couldn’t have happened, but I don’t think it’s likely as it relates to the missing hunters. However… if foul play is involved, and there was ever a place where something like that would happen, that area is where it would.

The jogger Keller is when I discovered the area. The Coroner's explanation when the body was found was a head scratcher.

In my eyes, anywhere breeding grizzlies can live undetected for 50+ years, and nobody cares enough to report missing families, is a wild place in more than one meaning.

 

[TaperPin]

These situations highlight the importance of learning how to stay safe in the back country and technology doesn’t replace knowledge, skills, leaving a detailed travel plan, and the 10 essentials. Still, some will have the takeaway to have a backup sat phone rather than doing the hard work to be able to stay out overnight with what’s in their pack.

Ten Essentials (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[fracguy]

These situations highlight the importance of learning how to stay safe in the back country and technology doesn’t replace knowledge, skills, leaving a detailed travel plan, and the 10 essentials. Still, some will have the takeaway to have a backup sat phone rather than doing the hard work to be able to stay out overnight with what’s in their pack.

Ten Essentials (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

Seems like everyone has a "life saving device" now. We all have phones, most have an in reach or whatever else is available, while they are great to have, it doesn't replace the skills or knowledge of how to survive if things go sideways. Hopefully these guys are found safe. I hope that they are hunting and nothing bad happened.

 

[ChrisAU]

I’m an overly abundant cautious person in the wilderness but I’ve certainly been in places where a slip would make me very hard to find even if you were standing where I slipped. Holes where I doubt a Garmin or iPhone would ever see a signal. I could see one falling into a ravine and the other trying to help and falling as well. Praying that’s not the case.

 

[3forks]

The jogger Keller is when I discovered the area. The Coroner's explanation when the body was found was a head scratcher.

In my eyes, anywhere breeding grizzlies can live undetected for 50+ years, and nobody cares enough to report missing families, is a wild place in more than one meaning.

I hear you, and when we’re in that area, I’m not carrying because I’m worried I’m going to discover that the last grizzly in Colorado wasn’t killed in 1979. Those little towns along the CO/NM border and some of the people there are sketchy.

 

[fmyth]

Saw in Facebook that there is now a $10,000 reward for finding them.

Seems like something is wrong.

Yeah somethings wrong. Someones son, fiancee and brother is missing. If it were my son I'd offer a reward too.

 

[fracguy]

I hear you, and when we’re in that area, I’m not carrying because I’m worried I’m going to discover that the last grizzly in Colorado wasn’t killed in 1979. Those little towns along the CO/NM border and some of the people there are sketchy.

We used to hunt the crested Butte area years ago up cement Creek. Always went up a day early to get camp set up and there was a mining road that went up to an old mine where we camped. We were getting wood split and guys on horseback came down and said to be really careful around there, they had an enormous bear follow them down the road. So me being a teenager hurried and got all the wood stacked and told dad I was gonna go check out these so called big bear tracks. So I went up on the wheeler and found the tracks in the snow, and they were definitely big, don't remember what size boot I wore at 15 but the track was bigger than my boot. My dad came up and looked at it and said there was no way that was a black bear. Never saw another bear track up there that was that big, and haven't seen a track that size since.

 

[TexasCub]

Something bad has happened here, no way two 20 something year old men if even lost don’t head downhill and at some point and within a reasonable distance they are gonna hit private land or a two track road at minimum. It’s fall in Colorado there’s a whole slew of other humans in the woods this time of year whether they be hunters or hikers, etc. With or without Garmins, cell phones, etc they don’t have to go too far before they’re out of the woods or run into other humans. 5 days……something bad happened whether they were chewed on by something, both took serious falls or something criminal happened, sad.

 

[fracguy]

I hear you, and when we’re in that area, I’m not carrying because I’m worried I’m going to discover that the last grizzly in Colorado wasn’t killed in 1979. Those little towns along the CO/NM border and some of the people there are sketchy.

I found the thread on here about the "creepiest thing that's happened to you in the back country". Plenty of creepy people stories on there.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Something bad has happened here, no way two 20 something year old men if even lost don’t head downhill and at some point and within a reasonable distance they are gonna hit private land or a two track road at minimum. It’s fall in Colorado there’s a whole slew of other humans in the woods this time of year whether they be hunters or hikers, etc. With or without Garmins, cell phones, etc they don’t have to go too far before they’re out of the woods or run into other humans. 5 days……something bad happened whether they were chewed on by something, both took serious falls or something criminal happened, sad.

....or they lost the satellite device and kept hunting. /crossing fingers

 

[Customweld]

5 days missing isn’t good. Hoping for the best, but the timeline is not on their side.

 

[RockAndSage]

If the unit is set to the default settings, it will send a location every 10 minutes. If the batteries die between this time frame, only the last location will be available.

For your SAR purposes - which device would you want a loved one to have on them if they disappeared on a solo hunt?

 

[TexasCub]

For your SAR purposes - which device would you want a loved one to have on them if they disappeared on a solo hunt?

PLB, goes right to sarsat, stronger reception , but it’s only purpose is to bring help to your GPS location, no comms/texts. A little more expensive than a garmin Inreach but no subscription, it’s only for oh shit situations.

 

[RockAndSage]

PLB, goes right to sarsat.

Don't you have to actually activate one of those? To clarify, the nature of my question is, 1) I know virtually nothing about these devices, and 2) if someone just disappeared, what device would make it easiest to track them? And always-on kind of thing, something that automatically pings every few minutes, etc.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Hope they find these gentlemen safe and soon.

Aside from a satellite type messaging system, a Recco reflector is simple insurance if local teams are equipped with their detection system(s).

 

[mtnbound]

For your SAR purposes - which device would you want a loved one to have on them if they disappeared on a solo hunt?

Garmin InReach is my first choice, but I do not have any experience with the other brands. I suspect they all have similar features. The biggest thing is sharing a map link so others can see your location and even ping you to check in.
My wife knows that if I'm in the backcountry and I don't move during the day for 4-5 hours, she should contact me. If I do not respond and I am still not moving, call the Sheriff's Office. This gives her a big piece of mind, which is priceless.
From a SAR responder's perspective, having a location that was only 10 or even 20 minutes old is huge.

 

[TexasCub]

Don't you have to actually activate one of those? To clarify, the nature of my question is, 1) I know virtually nothing about these devices, and 2) if someone just disappeared, what device would make it easiest to track them? And always-on kind of thing, something that automatically pings every few minutes, etc.

They’re quite simple but incredibly effective when used. It’s about the same size as a garmin in reach, has a 5 year lasting battery. You can do self test on it from time to time. You simply push a button on it and immediately it sends a distress signal to sarsat indicating you are in an emergency situation with the associated gps coordinates. You register it when you first get it and provide all your personal information to include who you’d want notified if you ever have an activation. You push that button and it doesn’t matter if you’re 30 miles off the coast or in a mountain ravine, they are sending a rescue team immediately to your location. I’ve owned several models mostly for marine applications but if I wanted the ultimate safety emergency tool while anywhere, it would be a PLB. For example It’s what a lot of mountain snow machiners use in case they are in an avalanche, has saved many a lives since their inception.

Most popular brand

Survivor stories Archive - ACR Electronics, Inc

www.acrartex.com

 

[sierracharlie338]

Also, as far as foul play what would those two really have for someone to harm them over? Everything was left in the car it sounds

The double homicide in an Arkansas park this year is a stark reminder that there doesn’t have to be anything involved worth taking when it comes to a person who has gone off the deep end.

 

[180ls1]

I carry a few of these whistles, pack and bino harness. They are so cheap they are essentially free and weigh nothing. Good to hand out liberally to partners. Can be heard for a mile or so.