Vanished Without a Trace: The Mysterious Disappearances of Seasoned Hunters

A search is underway for a missing duck hunter in Manitowoc. Authorities were called to the Manitowoc River off of West Quarry Road. We have some breaking news right now at noon: a search is underway at Clendenning Lake Marina for two missing hunters. Still missing tonight is a 61-year-old hunter who disappeared in the Pecos Wilderness near Santa Fe on Sunday. The search for a missing hunter in Laurel County continues. The search for two missing duck hunters along the Mississippi River is about to stretch into a second week. The race is on now to find a missing hunter in Sullivan County. More than 80 first responders are combing the woods right now. There are innumerable cases of people who seemingly vanish out in the wilds of our world, and it sadly makes sense that some people should go missing here. There are places on Earth far from human civilization with treacherous terrain, wild animals, and the propensity to confuse and bewilder those who find themselves unprepared or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yet, an alarming number of these disappearances leave behind mysterious clues and snatch away even those of us who are well-versed in the outdoors and experienced at being within these unpredictable realms. Here, we’ll look at five of the more eerie disappearances of experienced hunters and the most seasoned survivalists who have gone out into the wilderness and simply never returned.

Key Takeaways

• Experienced hunters and survivalists can still fall victim to the unpredictable nature of the wilderness.
• Many disappearances leave behind mysterious clues but no concrete answers.
• Search efforts often involve multiple agencies and extensive resources but still come up empty-handed.

Zeb Hughes and Gunner Palmer

21-year-old Zeb Hughes and 16-year-old Gunner Palmer disappeared on Thursday, December 3, 2020, while duck hunting on the Mississippi River in Warren County, Vicksburg, Mississippi. Zeb and Gunner set out from the LeTourneau Landing boat dock on what was supposed to be a typical day of duck hunting. River conditions were normal when they hit the water, and despite the chilly 46° temperature, the weather was fair. The Mississippi River, aptly named The Mighty Mississippi, sustains over 260 species of fish, with some tipping the scales at over 300 lbs. The river is 11 miles across at its widest point, and its currents are known to be unpredictable, sometimes even under the best circumstances.

Zeb and Gunner’s boat was found capsized on December 4, the day after the two were officially reported missing. Had the mighty Mississippi turned treacherous too quickly for the young men to react? Along with the capsized boat, searchers found most of their belongings, but there was no sign of either Zeb or Gunner or the dog that was traveling with them that day. The search went on over the river and the banks for more than a week, with nothing being found by the dozens of search teams, specialized aircraft, or drones. Sometime during the second week, the search efforts were refocused to cover solely the water. Does this mean that Zeb and Gunner never made it out of the water? While we hope that’s not the case for them, searching the river is necessary in the effort to locate them, and it’s no small task.

On December 24, 2020, Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace told WLBT Three On Your Side news reporters that Christmas Day would not slow down the search for Zeb and Gunner. Sheriff Martin assured that he and his deputies would be on the water all day Christmas Day, continuing the efforts. He’s quoted in the WLBT interview as saying, “I think the fact that we have multiple bodies in a moving body of water that’s 100 feet deep just adds to the situation.” How could two young and agile people who are used to being outdoors be so caught off guard by the river? Or is there something other than the mighty Mississippi to blame for their disappearance? We still don’t know, and as of December 28, 2020, Zeb and Gunner remained missing, and there have been no further updates.

James P. Rambone Jr.

51-year-old James P. Rambone Jr. disappeared on September 3, 2003, near the Caniapiscau River south of Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Canada. James was out on a hunting trip with three friends. The four hunters were knowledgeable about the outdoors and experienced at hunting. James hoped to land a big one that day, and while the group was out, he spotted a large caribou. He took off into the wilderness, hoping to intercept the bull. James never returned to the group from that chase.

The other hunters searched and found James’ fluorescent orange vest and his camera, both near a caribou carcass. There was no sign of his gun, no clothing scraps, or any indication that James had ever been there. Pam Russo, James’ girlfriend, said, “Bears and wolves don’t eat clothing and wouldn’t have eaten his gun. A guy who’s been working in the area for 35 years told me they always find a person, dead or alive, but they always find him.” James was confident in his abilities as an experienced hunter and outdoorsman, and he was taking part in what his girlfriend Pam described as the trip of his life, hunting caribou on the rugged tundra of northern Quebec. Most of the non-native hunters who visit the area opt for a guide for the caribou hunts, but James and his group had chosen an 8-day unguided hunt. It was out of Camp Sardine, some 240-odd miles from the nearest village.

There were multiple air and ground searches conducted, including the use of tracking dogs, but they all failed to locate him. It was as if James had completely vanished. No evidence was found that suggested James had succumbed to the elements, predatory animals, or even an accident. Pam still holds out hope that James, an epileptic, is still alive. She says, “For all we know, Jim might have developed amnesia caused by a severe seizure. He might be with someone who doesn’t know who he is and doesn’t realize that he is missing. Something’s just not right. You don’t just vanish.” As of December 28, 2020, James remains missing, and there have been no further updates.

Allan Ty

52-year-old Allan Ty disappeared in November 2003 while on vacation, a time he planned to spend collecting rocks and hunting mule deer in the Upper Missouri River Breaks area of Montana. Allan checked into his hotel without issue on November 22 and paid cash for part of his stay in advance. Nothing was unusual until November 24, his scheduled checkout date, when there was simply no sign of him. Most of his things were still in the motel room except for his hunting gear, so it was assumed that he must have gone out hunting and never made it back.

Two days later, on November 26, Allan was officially reported missing. Authorities began looking for him quickly thereafter. Allan stood 5’10” tall and weighed 160 lbs. He was an avid outdoorsman with a good reputation at his job and was known for being a responsible employee. It wouldn’t have been like him to miss an appointed checkout time at a motel. It was especially strange when an aircraft search team located his abandoned truck in a wilderness area along the Missouri River, but there was no sign of Allan himself. Strangely, all they found in his truck was an empty rifle case and his boots, which had been left behind and placed side by side.

What happened to Allan, and why did he go out into the woods without his boots? No trace has ever been found, and he was declared legally dead in 2011. As of December 28, 2020, Allan remains missing, and there have been no further updates.

Jeremy Childress

31-year-old Jeremy Childress disappeared on October 17, 2004, from Trask Mountain in Tillamook County, Oregon, while on an elk hunting excursion accompanied by his coworker Shane Louie and his son Shane Jr. On October 17, the three guys had spent the day out hunting and enjoying the great outdoors. Once back at camp, they decided to make a trip down the mountain to gather firewood for the night. The trio hopped in the pickup truck driven by Shane and made their way down the winding roads, collecting firewood. Traveling back toward camp, they encountered a dense fog that surprised and disoriented them. Driving through it while trying to find their campsite was seemingly getting them nowhere, and after a while, Jeremy told his companions that he believed the camp was beyond a particular stand of trees they passed. Shane agreed to pull over and let Jeremy investigate further.

Shane and his son got out with Jeremy and hiked a little ways into the fog but ultimately stayed behind while Jeremy went ahead solo to confirm where their camp was nearby. The intention was for Jeremy to return soon thereafter with news. As Jeremy melted into the thick fog, nobody could have known that it would be the last time anyone would see him again. Shane and his son got back to the truck and waited about an hour, but when Jeremy didn’t turn up, they went for help. When the fog finally lifted, an extensive area-wide search and rescue was conducted, but there was no trace of Jeremy other than a discarded gum wrapper of his favorite brand.

Despite the extensive efforts put forth in subsequent searches by Jeremy’s wife Kristen and dozens of other volunteers, no other signs of Jeremy were ever found. A seemingly odd clue was uncovered, though: a passerby witness who claims to have heard three shots fired in rapid succession on the evening Jeremy disappeared. Although this is a traditional SOS signal, it is unclear if the occurrence is connected to Jeremy’s case, and it is also said that his friends did not hear the shots. As of December 12, 2004, more than a 4-mile radius from where he was last seen had been searched by many teams, with still no signs coming up. Jeremy’s family is understandably devastated by his disappearance, and his three-year-old daughter Kelsey asked her mom over and over in the days thereafter when her daddy was coming home. As of December 28, 2020, Jeremy’s ultimate fate remains unknown, and he has been pronounced deceased. Any further updates are posted on the memorial website run by Jeremy’s family.

Barnett Barry Zeldin

74-year-old Barnett Barry Zeldin disappeared on Monday, October 7, 2013, after telling his wife he was planning to put some bait at a deer stand near Chatsworth in the Warren Grove Recreation Area in Barnegat, New Jersey. That’s the last time Barry was seen. He took his 1992 Chevy Blazer to the recreation area, where he would likely have begun checking his usual hunting and lure spots. He carried corn and molasses to put out for the deer and had brought his dog along for good company. They left their Mays Landing home and drove to a section of the Warren Grove Recreation Area.

The Warren Grove Recreation Area in New Jersey is mostly undeveloped wilderness, perfect for hiking, bird watching, hunting, and the like. The 617-acre area is just west of the town of Warren Grove. The land was acquired from the National Park Service in 1972 as part of their Federal Lands to Parks program. Access to the recreation area is limited to several sand roads and old woods roads throughout the area, but there are currently no marked trails. Barry frequented this wilderness and was a strong outdoorsman, avid hunter, and capable survivalist. The weather at the time of Barry’s disappearance was overcast, damp, and chilly. Both during the night and daytime, temperatures were around 66°F, with winds gusting to 30 mph. Even so, Barry was equipped with the necessary skills to handle the conditions.

When Barry didn’t come home as usual Monday night, his wife Janet Zeldin wasn’t really worried at first because he was known to make spontaneous hunting trips that sometimes lasted for several days. Janet said, “I didn’t think much of it. I figured maybe he got a deer and he was looking for it. He’s very independent.” She began calling his cell phone every hour by Tuesday and into Wednesday, but all she got was his voicemail. On Thursday, October 10, she tried to drive to the Atco Gun Club, where Barry was a member, but she couldn’t find it. The next day, she tried again, this time finding it and getting several members of the club to go out looking for Barry.

Wilbur Swees, president of the Atco Gun Club, said, “A couple of us went out Friday night looking for him, and we couldn’t find nothing. Then we went out Saturday, me and three other members of the club, and we found his automobile.” Barry’s 1992 Chevy Blazer was parked at Warren Grove. The keys were still in the ignition, with the windows rolled down, cell phone on the dashboard, and his dog Taffy still there waiting for him, having survived four days alone by eating the corn and molasses meant for the deer. Janet speculated of the dog, “He must have left her to check on the deer stand or to put some apples out, and there was a medical emergency. She does what she’s told, so he must have told her to stay put.”

New Jersey State Police and State Park Police searched for Barry using helicopters and K-9 teams. Search efforts originally concentrated on the Warren Grove Recreation Area but expanded closer to the Bass River Forest, also in New Jersey. By Sunday afternoon, October 13, six days after Barry’s disappearance, the authorities called off the official search and rescue operation. Even so, volunteers with Burlington County K-9 Search and Rescue went back into the recreation area the following Tuesday and then planned a larger search the following weekend. Janet said at the time, “I know he’s good in the woods. That’s why I never worried. He knows what he’s doing. He’s a very avid hunter. He probably could survive out there indefinitely.” Barry’s daughter-in-law, Debbie Zeldin, said, “It’s like he just vanished. His car was found with his dog. She’s okay, but we’re afraid of what might have happened because he loved that dog. He would have never left her anywhere if he wasn’t going to be right back.”

In November 2013, Barry’s wife Janet said, “Every weekend and sometimes during the week, there’s someone out looking for him. There have been different rescuers, state troopers, neighbors, friends, and the fire department. In two weeks, the shotgun hunters will be going out, and there should be about a thousand of them pushing for deer. Between the newspaper coverage, TV, and word of mouth, everyone out there will know he’s missing and will look for him. As time goes by, I guess I get less hopeful.” What made Barry leave his dog Taffy in the Blazer with his cell phone and belongings? Clearly, he only planned to be away for a short time. Did he suffer a stroke or heart attack because of his age and perhaps fall into the dense undergrowth in the area? Was he attacked by a large predatory animal? None of his gear or other belongings were ever located, only his truck, its contents, and his dog. As of December 28, 2020, Barry remains missing, and there have been no further updates.

So, friends, what do you think about these cases? How did all these wilderness-experienced people go missing, some with no clue ever to be uncovered at all? These mysterious disappearances are only five of a frightening number of missing person cases.