By Sean Hauser
s.hauser@krdo.com

PUEBLO COUNTY - The search for a missing hunter in the wet mountains of Pueblo and Custer County has ended tragically.

Crews have been searching in the area along the county line near Highway 165 since Tuesday morning.  On Wednesday afternoon, they discovered his body.

54-year-old Ricky Greenhood left his home in Rye to go hunting last Friday.  When he didn't return home for work on Sunday and Monday, his family became worried and called police.  Officials quickly found his truck parked in the area where he was last seen.

From there, about 70 people assisted in the search from at least 8 different counties in Southern Colorado.  They searched by foot with K-9's and on horseback and ATV's.  Wednesday afternoon just after 1:30pm, an alpine search and rescue team trained to search on steep inclines made the discovery.

"He was located in a ravine and he had severe head injuries," said Kirk Taylor, the Pueblo County Sheriff.  "To what extent I do not know...but he is deceased."

Officials are still working to determine if the injuries were caused by a fall or by something else.  Greenhood's family had been at the command post assisting with the search when the received the sad news shortly after the discovery was made.

Taylor says the next challenge will be getting Greenhood off of the mountain.  He was found on a steep incline in very harsh conditions.  A specially trained team out of El Paso County came to assist the search and rescue crews.

Taylor says they have no reason to suspect foul play, but law enforcement officials were on scene to assist in the investigation because they don't want to rule anything out just yet.

Stay tuned to NEWSCHANNEL 13 and KRDO.com for the latest updates on this story.