Search for hunter scaled back

The search for a duck hunter missing for 10 days is being scaled back.

Search efforts began Oct. 21, when the 65-year-old Kalispell man’s overturned green kayak and yellow paddle were recovered from the Flathead River just south of Sportsman’s Bridge on Montana 82.

In addition to the efforts of deputies and search-and-rescue personnel, boats, side-scan sonar equipment and a helicopter have been utilized.

“We are still obviously searching for him, but we have scaled back somewhat based on several factors,” Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said Wednesday morning. “For one, we know where he’s not, and he’s not where we’ve been searching, so we’ve looked further out in our area.”

Curry said water operations are ongoing and believed there were scuba divers out at the time that he made his comments. Most of what has been scaled back involves those searching in boats and on shore.

In addition to the fact that he is not on the surface of the water or along the shore in the search area, Curry said the current hunting season is another reason to scale back as the office’s resources were spread pretty thin.

“Maintaining a response ability is important for us to look at as well, and we’ve had other calls,” he said. “We’ll keep searching, at least in some capacity, until we find him.”

Curry said aircraft will fly over the search area frequently and lake and river levels are dropping every day.

Anyone with any information about the missing hunter is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 758-5610.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.