BYRON – Maine game wardens and others intensified a search Tuesday for a Vermont hunter missing since he set out Monday morning near Tumbledown Mountain and did not meet up with two fellow hunters later that day.

Blowing snow and winter-like temperatures added urgency to the search. Wardens were following some man-made tracks as part of the search.

The missing muzzleloader deer hunter’s name was being withheld by the Maine Warden Service Tuesday pending notification of his family.

“We’re looking at huge tracts of land,” said Warden Lt. Pat Dorian, who’s heading up the search. “Hopefully he’s fine and he’ll find us. We’ll do everything we can to find him.”

Search efforts began at 11 a.m. Tuesday when Warden Sgt. Richard Mills and the Maine Warden Service were told about the lost hunter. An airplane and helicopter searched Tuesday while several game wardens combed the tough terrain throughout the day and into the night.

“With this type of weather, time is criticial so they will continue to search through the night in some manner,” warden service spokesman Mark Latti said late Tuesday night.

Tuesday night, a Maine National Guard helicopter equipped with an infrared camera began to search.

– Terry Karkos

surveying the area. Additional airplanes and helicopters will be used today, if needed, a service spokeswoman said.

The service’s Incident Management Team was being called in to meet in Byron, and two Maine Association for Search and Rescue teams trained to search mountain terrain were also being asked to help.

Dorian said Monday’s snowstorm left 15 inches or more of snow in the area. The region is heavily wooded and rugged in places, but also criss-crossed in spots by logging roads.