UPDATE, 1:55 p.m. — The Gallatin County Coroner's Office has identified the hunter found dead near Truman Gulch trailhead as 65-year-old Joseph Raymond Balyeat of Bozeman.
Balyeat's death has been determined to be due to natural causes.
No further details were available.
Balyeat served in the state House and Senate in the 2000s and 2010s before resigning in 2012.
The Montana Senate GOP praised Balyeat's tenure on Twitter:
“Joe Balyeat was a hardworking senator for Montana taxpayers who brought a lot to the table with his accounting and sportsman background. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and died doing what he loved. He was a fighter for freedom and will be deeply missed.” -Pres. Blasdel https://t.co/41wvFOrrkg
— Montana Senate GOP (@MTSenateGOP) October 5, 2022
BOZEMAN - Volunteers with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Search and Rescue found a hunter dead near the Truman Gulch trailhead outside of Bozeman early Wednesday.
Gallatin County dispatch received a call for an overdue hunter at 10:51 p.m. on Tuesday.
The caller reported driving to a location near the trailhead where the individual was hunting and found the hunter’s vehicle.
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers, the SAR Drone Team, the SAR Dog Team, and LifeFlight network responded to the area in search of the hunter. The reporting party was able to provide an approximate location of where the individual was hunting and the hunter’s tree stand.
A Search and Rescue dog team was able to locate the deceased hunter. The sheriff’s office will release more details following family notification.
