Remains recovered of bow hunter who went missing in 1968

LEMHI COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) - The Lemhi County Sheriff's Office recovered the remains of a bow hunter who went missing in 1968.

39-year-old Raymond Jones of Salmon was bow hunting for a mountain goat in the east fork of Hayden Creek when he was last seen on Sept. 7, 1968. The next afternoon, Lemhi County Sheriff Bill Baker was called to the camp as Jones had not returned.

On Sept. 9, 1968, an official search was initiated and lasted for several days. The search was hampered by foul weather, and Jones was never located.

On Sept. 17, 2021 at about 4 p.m., the Lemhi County Sheriff's Office received a call from a bow hunter who was hunting in the east fork of Hayden Creek. The hunter was seeking a shortcut from one hunting area to another when he found human remains and contacted the sheriff's office.

Due to the lack of remaining daylight and ruggedness of the terrain, recovery efforts began on the morning of Sept. 18.

During the recovery effort, sheriff deputies found the remains and wallet which contained identification indicating this was indeed Jones.

Officials say next of kin has been notified.