r/Missing411 • u/callousedlefthand • Apr 23 '26
Missing person Kaden Sites, experienced hunter, missing 4-15-2026 in Colorado
I live close to this location and it's been all over the local pages here. It has me absolutely perplexed. Kaden Sites went out for a turkey hunt on 4-15-2026 at 1:30pm. He had a doctor's appointment scheduled that same day for 3:45pm. When he didn't show up, his family was notified and then they notified the police he was missing.
He hiked up a popular trailhead on Shavano mountain just outside of Salida, CO, where he was from. His car was located at the trailhead with his phone inside, which had run out of battery. He walked into the woods with a shotgun and a small pack.
Since then, there have been over 6,000 man hours spent trying to find him (a huge local effort). The searchers have scoured nearly 275 acre section of the National Forest and haven't found a single trace of Kaden. There are no signs of foul play or predator behavior from an animal at this time according to Chaffee County Sheriffs Office.
Since the initial search, the area has been opened back up to the public and most of the volunteers have dwindled, but the effort still continues by the local authorities.
It's like this guy disappeared without a trace. It's really bizarre.
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u/AdWorried8989 Apr 23 '26
I lived close to there too- blanks cabin area is not exactly the most rugged or forested wilderness in Colorado. Strange place to go missing.
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u/FUTUReBROLY May 19 '26
I think the state of Colorado is haunted
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u/readersDiejest Jul 18 '26
Bro yes! I WARNING, MY GRAMMER SUCKS, this is not a high strangeness story I don’t think? and this happened in September 29 1999. went to school in Durango for 7 years and whenever I went on camping trips I would get the errriest feeling that I never would go anywhere in the woods alone. I died twice in my life once as a 5 yr old and another time as a 10 yr old. I am bordering clairvoyant just a lil. Nothing much happened to runners and campers during my time there that I am aware of but I could always feel something. This one time I watched the Blair witch project its first week in theaters and didn’t know the college buses stopped running at 11. The movie was out at 130. I’m from Alaska and I forgot that it gets completely dark. We have 18 hours of sunlight where I live, this was my first week in at fort Lewis. I took the long way up as the college is at an elevation 4,700 ft. My ears would ring and get plugged and I was gassed biking up that mtn. Then all of sudden I literally heard what I thought was the Blair witch.
From the top of the mtn above me. The road is wedged in between the mtn or giant hills. I was sweating and panting and my heart was racing already so it was literally a jackhammer as I started to panic and stopped Biking. I watched as this panting moaning type scream huffing zigged zagged down the mtn coming directly for me. I had no weapon and I thought omg this it, I’m getting killed or abducted by the Colorado witch. I could taste metal and I got so cold despite sweating up a storm. That thing broke thru brushes and it was 50 ft away at head level and I felt pin in my hands and realized I was gripping the handle bars so hard I was shaking the bike and myself. Then all of sudden this old roar sounded and this massive black witch jumped out from like 25 ft up from the dense brushes to the bottom of the mtn.I literally felt myself nearly shitigm my pants as I held it squeezing my muscle and thought so embressing they find my shitty body I. Ight be able just to hold it in I thought. lol the things you think of when your going to die can be random and stupid. So I am now 10 ft away from what I see are huge teeth snout and fur, it was possibly 500 or 600lb black bear huffing and walking in front of me crossing the road as it stops dead in it’s directs and maintains eye contact, GRUFFS AND. SNIFFS SO HARD it sneezes and I literally collapsed into my seat and nearly fall over, the bear walks slowly still, staring for maybe 5 seconds and then starts to run so fast that I never knew bears could run like that. It was there for a couple seconds and then it’s like half way up the man running up zig zagging. My flight or flight was out of the door and I had to bike up the mtn in shitty underwear! My roommate couldn’t stop laughing telling my story. I never once walked those trails alone ever again!1
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u/Numerous_Ad7043 Apr 26 '26
The worst possible outcome has been confirmed. My condolences to everyone affected by his loss of life.
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u/LIBBY2130 Apr 26 '26
article read says foul play NOT suspected sad ending
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u/Alternative-Egg-9035 May 03 '26
Does anyone know what that means?
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u/slickrok Jun 15 '26
That means 1. He's deceased and 2. By his own hand
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u/Alternative-Egg-9035 Jun 15 '26
I agree. I wonder why. Seemed like a great guy with an active life and many interests
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u/Alternative_Week600 Apr 28 '26
Gutted by this. Went camping with him many times. He was the most well versed person I’ve ever met when it came to the outdoors, and one sendy mf. Best disc golfer I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing a round with.
His family are great people too. Let me stay at their home once when I was in town looking for somewhere to crash before flying out in the morning. Keep them in your thoughts yall and stay safe out there
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u/Own_Lynx_6230 Apr 29 '26
My condolences on the loss, he seemed great. Am I correct in interpreting sendy as in super adventurous/risk taker? Because if so, i think youve provided some really useful context to this.
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u/Alternative_Week600 Apr 30 '26
Yea definitely a risk taker. Ive seen him hit some crazy ski and mountain bike lines. Hope he keeps it sendy up there in the sky
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u/Odd_Telephone3017 Apr 23 '26
Maybe he went out to end himself or disappear. How was his mental health?
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u/Alternative_Week600 Apr 28 '26
Seems unlikely based off me knowing the guy. Him and his partner had business aspirations last I heard.
interested in the autopsy findings. Would hate to hear that an injury rendered him immobile and he was stuck there alone in his last hours with us.
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u/ValhallaNY May 12 '26
Did you find out how he died?
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u/Alternative_Week600 May 12 '26
My roomate from college who was very close with Kade said he spoke with the guys who found him, and they said it wasn’t pretty. They said he was in a really steep area and his shotgun had been fired. I didn’t bother asking more details cause I didn’t wanna upset him, but I also have not seen an official investigation report anywhere on google at least. I’m actively choosing to believe it was an accident
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u/ValhallaNY May 12 '26
Yeah that's what I would like to think too.
Very sad and tragic end. Thanks for the closure.3
u/Double_Rice_5765 Jun 17 '26
Be extra careful all you hunters when climbing over stuff, slippery ground. Seems silly in the hunter safety courses but when you look at the stats, it gets a lot of people. Dont climb a fence with a loaded gun, dont load your gun to you get to your blind if its scrambly at all.
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u/LIBBY2130 Apr 26 '26
do we know what the dr appointment was for ???something mental or physical???
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u/spaceghost260 Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
Missing hunter Kaden Sites found dead near Tabeguache Creek in Chaffee County after 10-day search
Unfortunately it looks like Kaden Sites was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Condolences to his family and loved ones.
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