Hunter discovers remains of man who died stalking goats in same mountains 53 years earlier

Raymond Jones was last seen on 7 September 1968, when he went bow hunting for mountain goats

Representational image (Reuters)

The remains of a man who disappeared in the mountains of Idaho in the 1960s has been discovered by another hunter 53 years later.

A resident of Salmon, Raymond Jones was 39 when he went missing. He was last seen on 7 September, 1968, when he went bow hunting for mountain goats in central Idaho’s Lemhi county.

His remains were found on 17 September by another bow hunter who was looking for a shortcut. Officials found Jones’ wallet with some identification details still intact. They used this to inform his family members, who are still alive, the county sheriff said.

“The hunter was seeking a shortcut from one hunting area to another when he found human remains and then contacted the sheriff’s office. Due to the lack of remaining daylight and the ruggedness of the terrain, recovery efforts began on the morning of 18 September,” said sheriff Steve Penner.

“It’s pretty wild, ain’t it? You have another bowhunter looking for a shortcut who stumbled upon a bowhunter from 53 years ago,” the sheriff added.

The officer said it was not clear what happened to Jones as the area was rocky and cliffy. “He was in goat country, and that can be pretty perilous,” Mr Penner said.

A manhunt with over 70 people, a dog and a helicopter was launched the day after Jones vanished in 1968. The search operation was temporarily called off because of severe snow but later resumed after footprints were discovered on a nearby ridge.

Jones was eventually declared dead in 1970.