Two Hunters Rescued in Montana Backcountry

Two mountain goat hunters were rescued near Palace Lake, south of Bozeman on Sunday October 11.

According to the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office, Gallatin County 911 received a call regarding two overdue mountain goat hunters at 10:02 p.m. on Sunday, October 11. The reporting party has located the vehicle belonging to one of the hunters at the Blackmore Trailhead up Hyalite Canyon.

The two hunters were from the Bozeman area and were considered experienced hunters, according to the report from the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office. The hunters were prepared for changing weather conditions and had proper provisions. As a result, the Gallatin County Search and Rescue team decided it would be safest to wait until first light on Monday morning before starting the search.

With help from the Air Force Communication Center, the Gallatin County Search and Rescue team determined that the Elephant Mountain and Palace Lake areas were good areas to start searching for the missing hunters.

On the morning of Monday, October 12 at 10:19 a.m., the hunters were located near Palace Lake with the help of Central Copters, Inc.

The hunters and their equipment were flown out to the Hyalite Dam. Neither of the hunters suffered injuries. High winds, snow, and the difficult terrain had forced them to hunker down and wait for better conditions.

According to Montana law, all hunters who were born after January 1, 1985, must complete hunter education certification in order to hunt in Montana. For information on Hunter Education, click here.

Regular hunting season in Montana begins on Saturday, October 24. If you plan on going hunting this year, it's a good idea to be prepared for Montana's changing weather conditions. To learn more about rules and regulations for hunting in Montana, click here.