Steamboat Springs — As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, the search continued for a 41-year-old Minnesota man who had not returned from bow hunting.

The people the man was hunting with in North Routt County reported him missing at 9 p.m. Tuesday night.

Routt County Search and Rescue incident commander Delbert Bostock said the man went hunting Monday separate from the four other people in his group. He did not return Monday night, but members of his hunting group assumed the healthy, avid outdoorsman had supplies for the night. They reported him missing when he did not return Tuesday night.

It was believed the man was in the areas of Sand Mountain and Meaden Peak.

Bostock said Search and Rescue began planning for the search Tuesday night. Four members of the man’s hunting group and five Search and Rescue members began searching early Wednesday morning with the help of a helicopter from the Steamboat-based Zephyr Helicopter Company. Search members on the ground scoured areas the man would most likely be.

At nightfall Wednesday, ground search teams pulled out for the night, but a U.S. Air Force helicopter, based out of Cheyenne, Wyoming, continued the search using infrared equipment capable of detecting body heat.

Search and Rescue searched with a grid pattern Wednesday but found no signs of the man. The man was carrying a cellphone, but Search and Rescue was unable to track it.

Bostock said it could be easy to become lost in the terrain, which includes scree fields and heavy timber.

“We’re starting to get concerned, but there’s always hope that he’s doing fine,” Bostock said.

A heavy frost was expected in the search area Thursday morning.

On Thursday, more resources were expected to arrive to help with the search, including two dog teams and six people with Grand County and Vail search and rescue teams.

Search and Rescue expects to release more information about the man Thursday if he is still missing.

To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247, email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @SBTStensland