A 27-year-old turkey hunter remains missing after a solo hunt on Mount Shavano in southern Colorado last week, according to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.
Kaden Sites was reported missing around 7 p.m. on April 15. He left for a short hunt around 1:30 that afternoon and planned to be back for a doctor’s appointment at 3:45 but never showed.
Family members found Sites’ truck parked near Blank’s Cabin Trailhead on Mount Shavano. His cellphone was still inside with a dead battery.
Search and rescue efforts ramped up that evening, with approximately 80 people involved in a multi-agency effort, which included ground crews, K9 teams, drones, helicopters, and a fixed-wing aircraft to cover the area’s rugged terrain.
“He’s never ever been gone, even after dark,” Sites’s sister Hannah told KKTV. “He will always come back before that. So it was definitely shocking when he didn’t.”
Agencies assisting in the ongoing search effort include Chaffee County Search and Rescue, Colorado Search and Rescue Association, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Salida Police Department, Arapahoe Rescue Patrol, Western Mountain Rescue, Search and Rescue Dogs of Colorado, among others.
Sites is described as a 6-foot, 2-inch white male weighing 160 pounds with light brown hair, a goatee, and a mustache. The sheriff’s office released an AI-generated image on Monday depicting what Sites was believed to be wearing when he went missing, including a gray or black hoodie, ripped khaki pants, hiking boots, and a ball cap. Authorities say he was carrying a shotgun and a small binocular pack, but no other gear.
Sites appears to have planned a quick afternoon hunt, not an overnight trip. He didn’t pack for a backcountry expedition, carrying only a shotgun, bino harness, and probably a few calls.
But on a mountain like Shavano, even a routine hunt can go sideways in a hurry. Located in the San Isabel National Forest and rising to more than 14,000 feet above sea level, the mountain is part of the southern Sawatch Range and known for steep terrain and heavy timber. In April, weather conditions can swing on a dime. Warm afternoon sun can turn into a cold evening. What starts as a short hunt in pleasant weather can morph into something miserable if you end up injured, turned around, or caught out after dark. Temperatures in the area dropped below 20 degrees over the weekend.
The search for Sites entered a new phase Tuesday morning. Officials say efforts will continue for what could be weeks, but the large initial response will be tapering so volunteers can recover from physical strain. Searchers have already covered more than 3,000 miles of ground.
Authorities have reversed the request for the public to stay out of the area. However, they are urging anyone in the community who wants to join the search to use extreme caution, travel in pairs, wear high-visibility clothing, carry food and water, and prepare for fast-changing weather conditions. They also urge searchers to carry tracking equipment and a cellphone. Private drone use in the area is currently prohibited.
Search and rescue coordinators believe Sites may have traveled downhill and are asking those in the area to focus their search east and southeast of the Colorado Trail near Blank’s Cabin Trailhead. Anyone who finds Sites or his shotgun should leave them undisturbed and contact the non-emergency dispatch at (719) 539-2596.
Authorities also point out that searchers should be looking for an “immobile subject” at this time.
Photos courtesy of the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
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