Found Deceased WA - Joel Presler, 37, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, 11 Nov 2017

[JerseyGirl]

Authorities are searching for a missing elk hunter in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Vancouver resident Joel Presler is missing from the Indian Heaven Wilderness. Presler, 37, is overdue from a hunt in the Forlorn Lakes area. He was last in touch with his family Saturday. Deputies found his pickup truck on a forest road Wednesday. There's about two feet of snow in the area and deputies didn't find any sign Presler had been there over the past couple days. Deputies don't think he would camp away from his truck. Presler has hunted in the area for many years and doesn't have any known medical problems. Another 6 to 10 inches of snow is forecast to fall in the area Thursday. Search operations will be based near the Peterson Prairie Campground.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...2017/11/authorities_search_for_missing_1.html

 

[doodles1211]

No pics of him up yet. I cannot figure out why people go hunting alone. If you get injured or lost you are in BIG trouble.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Deputies found Presler’s 2004 Ford pickup on Wednesday on Forest Road 6035. There are about two feet of snow on the ground near the vehicle, and it doesn’t appear Presler has been in or around his truck in the past couple of days. It’s unlikely he would hike in and camp away from his vehicle.

Presler has hunted around the area for many years and has no known medical issues.

Search operations are headquartered at the junction of Forest Road 24 and Forest Road 60 near the Peterson Prairie campground.

Snowmobile searchers and ground searchers focused on areas around Forlorn Lakes in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest northwest of Trout Lake.

Weather conditions have improved some in the area Thursday, but searchers say there is nearly 24 inches of snow in the area Presler’s truck was found.

https://www.columbian.com/news/2017...d-missing-in-gifford-pinchot-national-forest/

 

[JerseyGirl]

Skamania County Sheriff said Presler has been hunting off and on since the elk hunting season opened on Saturday, Nov. 4. He stayed at the Trout Lake Inn on Friday, Nov. 10, and checked out of the hotel the next day and headed to the Forlorn Lakes area.

Skamania County deputies have received information that Joel Presler, 37, of Vancouver, received assistance from a passerby on Saturday, Nov. 11, or Sunday, Nov. 12. The passerby said that Presler’s vehicle, a 2004 Ford pickup, was in a ditch in the snow, and Presler needed help. The passerby pulled the vehicle out of the ditch and told deputies that Presler continued up the road. That is the last known contact with Presler.

It is not uncommon for him to be out for an extended period of time, and the season closed yesterday.

http://www.camaspostrecord.com/news...r-a-missing-vancouver-hunter-near-trout-lake/

 

[JerseyGirl]

Authorities have suspended the search. Authorities don't believe he would have hiked in and camped away from his truck.

The sheriff urged caution for family and friends who planned to search for him Sunday.

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/search-suspended-for-missing-washington-elk-hunter/650525019

 

[Dalagali]

Authorities have suspended the search. Authorities don't believe he would have hiked in and camped away from his truck.

The sheriff urged caution for family and friends who planned to search for him Sunday.

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/search-suspended-for-missing-washington-elk-hunter/650525019

Found deceased [emoji20]: http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2017/11/post_43.html

RIP, Joel.


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[AmandaSkis]

Oh, so sad. And yet another case of the body being 100-150 yards from the vehicle.

 

[ElementalLaura]

It sounds like he may have been removing items due to hyperthermia behavior, so it’s tough to know whether he was heading back to the vehicle and just didn’t make it.