Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
13h ago

Large Search Underway for Two Missing Hunters in Colorado Wilderness

Harsh weather plus a failed Garmin link hinder efforts.

A bull Elk chases a cow while flicking his tongue, a courting maneuver, during the rut in a meadow near Moraine Park on Sept. 24, 2023 in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park. A herd bull will approach cows slowly and carefully, with antlers high and tongue flicking, doing everything he can to win over a cow. If a cow is not ready to mate, she will move away with her head low, weaving her neck side to side and the bull will stop his immediate courting. Fall is approaching, and elk are entering their mating season, also known as the elk rut. Beginning September 1, annual meadow closures go into effect in Rocky Mountain National Park to prevent park visitors from disturbing elk during their rut.  According to a press release from the park meadow closures are in place between the hours of 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. Meadow areas that are closed include Horseshoe Park, Upper Beaver Meadows, Moraine Park, Harbison Meadow, and Holzwarth Meadow. During the specified hours, these areas are closed to all travel on foot or via horseback off established roadways and established trails.  The elk rut lasts from late September to mid-October in the park as well as Estes Park. During this period, hundreds of elk descend to the lower meadows of Rocky Mountain National Park looking to mate. RMNP is home to over 3,000 elk in the fall months. Elk are highly social animals and travel in various herd sizes throughout the year. Herds can grow as large as a few hundred individuals. Elk have a large range and move according to seasonal food availability. In the summer, herds move to higher elevations to feed on tundra vegetation, while in the winter they move down to lower elevations of the park and down into the Front Range. Elk primarily graze on grasses and forbs but they also browse shrubs. They feed mostly in the morning and evening, and seek sheltered areas during the middle of the day to digest. They eat an av

Overview

  • Andrew Porter of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ian Stasko of Salt Lake City, both 25, failed to check in during an elk hunt in the San Juan Wilderness on Sept. 13.
  • Deputies found their vehicle at the Rio De Los Pinos trailhead with camping gear and backpacks inside but no sign of the men.
  • The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating air operations, multi-county and state ground teams, dog teams, drone units, ATVs and local volunteers.
  • Porter’s fiancée says their Garmin stopped responding Thursday evening and described persistent storms and fog through Sunday morning.
  • Authorities and relatives are seeking qualified hunters and hikers to help on foot and ask anyone with information to contact the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office at (719) 376-2196.