Hunter killed in ATV rollover

Wednesday, October 6, 2004

The body of a Boise County man who had gone hunting for elk was found last weekend in the mountains above Mountain Home, crushed by his ATV.

James Wadley, 37, had gone hunting for a special bull hunt in Unit 43 last Tuesday. When he did not call his wife Thursday, as he said he would, she waited 24 hours, then called the Elmore County Sheriff's Office at about 8:30 p.m. Friday to report him missing.

Twenty-four members of the Elmore County Search and Rescue Unit and forest service officials began a search that night in the Sprout Mountain area where he had said he was going hunting. Search operations were curtialed at about 2:30 a.m. that night, then resumed the next morning.

Wadley's truck was spotted at about 10:30 a.m. about 18 miles from the area they had initially been searching, said Jim Nolan, head of the search and rescue unit.

Wadley's body was found about 5:30 p.m. up Cayuse Creek near the head of the Elk Creek Trail.

Nolan said it appeared that Wadley's 4-wheel ATV had flipped off the trail, crushing him against a tree.

The accident occured in an area where ATV use is not allowed.

Nolan said "it was basically just an ATV accident," noting that Wadley had been hunting alone at the time.

Nolan urged hunters heading into the hills to always let someone know where they are going and when they will be coming back, and to hunt only in the area they said they would be, or to notify someone if plans change.

"Every year, we (Search and Rescue) gear up for hunting season," Nolan said, and usually make several trips into the hills looking for lost hunters.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: