2 missing Utah hunters found safe near Nevada-Idaho line

ELKO, Nev. (AP) - A pair of hunters from Utah who had been missing in the back country of northeast Nevada since Saturday have been found safe near the Idaho line.

The Elko Daily Free Press reports a search and rescue team found 38-year-old Chad Strain and 44-year-old Lee Peters in their stranded vehicle Monday after hearing them yelling and shooting a gun to draw attention about 13 miles southeast of Jackpot.

The Elko County sheriff's office say the two left early Saturday to hunt for rabbits. They packed only sandwiches for the trip and were not dressed for cold weather because it was relatively warm before a snowstorm moved in over the weekend.

They last were seen in Montello and cellphone pings indicated they were heading back to Utah at about 10 a.m. Saturday.

Searchers in Elko County and Utah's Box Elder County planned to send up a rescue plane on Tuesday but a ground crew found the men Monday where their pickup bogged down in mud on a dirt road near Granite Creek Reservoir.

The sheriff's office says the men were cold but in good shape. They still had fuel and built a fire to stay warm and attract attention.