Speculation. No clickbait.
It all sounds very suspicious, to me.
Tough with weather and such a big area of open country to search. It reminds me of a story: in 2012 a man went missing in Watertown Tennessee. Last seen at a Dollar Store, where his truck was found. In spite of a much milder climate and endless searches, it took SIX years to find his remains, even though they were not far off a road and only a few miles from the store.
Very sad for this man’s family, I cant imagine the pain of wondering and waiting.
Not only was he not far from the Dollar General, he was even closer to his home!
Just saw this: https://www.cfjctoday.com/article/657987/rcmp-say-missing-merritt-cowboys-disappearance-suspicious
Prayers for his safe return.
Thank you Zipperfoot - had not seen that although I still think of him a lot.
Thank you for the update. My prayers are with him and his family