Scotia hunter found dead

Body recovered in Fulton County

State Police, the Department of Environmental Conservation and the Fulton County coroner’s office are investigating the death of a 45-yearold Scotia hunter whose body was found by forest rangers Dec. 5 after he had been reported missing.

The search began at 9 p.m. the night before when dispatchers received a call from a hunting camp in the Sander Road area telling them that the man was overdue from an afternoon hunt.

Rangers searched throughout the night and located tracks and personal items left by the hunter. On Dec. 5 at first light, four more rangers arrived and conducted searches of the thick, swampy forest.

At 3:03 p.m. they found his body in the Shaker Mountain Wild Forest area. The man’s name hadn’t been released as of press time, nor was the cause of death stated.

The State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation.

Another search on Dec. 2 ended when a lost hunter was found in Ohio, Herkimer County.

In that incident dispatchers learned of an overdue hunter in the area of North Lake/ice Cave Mountain. Rangers spread out and fired signal shots to see if the hunter would respond. They heard a shot in return and headed east into the West Canada Lake Wilderness in the direction of the shot.

They then made voice contact with the 59-yearold hunter from Beaver Falls. At 2:14 a.m. he was located. The man was cold and rangers assisted him out of the woods.

Earlier in the afternoon, the hunter’s GPS died and with the heavy snowfall, he was unable to follow his own tracks and became lost about 3 miles from camp. The hunter was returned to his camp at North Lake at 3:47 a.m.

On Dec. 5 at 11:15 a.m. dispatchers received a call from a 31-year-old hiker from Nutley, N.J., who became disoriented while hiking Dix Mountain.

Coordinates provided by Essex County 911 placed the hiker considerably off the trail and he was advised to stay where he was. The hiker indicated he was prepared with a small tent and warm clothing.

Forest rangers entered the woods through the Round Pond trailhead and began making their way to the coordinates provided.

Working with Essex County and DEC’S Ray Brook dispatch center they pinged the hiker’s phone to more accurately pinpoint his location.

Because his phone battery was low, the lost hiker was advised to shut it off and keep it warm, and only to check it periodically for messages from rescuers. Rangers located the hiker at 5:05 p.m.

Once warmed after his extended exposure to subfreezing temperatures, the hiker was safely escorted back to his vehicle at 9:21 p.m.