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HOUGHTON -- Police are offering a reward for information about a Houghton hunter missing since Nov. 18.
In the ongoing search for 71-year-old Rodney Granroth, the Houghton County Sheriff's Office hopes a $1,000 reward underwritten by Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue will yield more leads as to the man's whereabouts.
The reward will be paid if tips lead to an arrest and conviction, in the event foul play was involved in Granroth's disappearance.
"You have to consider all the angles," said Detective Sgt. Tom Rosemurgy of the Houghton County Sheriff's Office. "We just don't have enough information now. We have absolutely no indication whatsoever that any foul play was involved. We can't rule anything out. It's not a cold case, by any means. It is being investigated every day."
Granroth, a Hancock resident, was alone at his Portage Township camp planning to hunt deer on Nov. 17. When he failed to return home by the next morning, his son, Darin Granroth, headed to camp and searched his dad's favorite hunting grounds, finding nothing. Disconcerted, the family reported him missing at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 18.
"That was shocking," said Vickie Myllyoja, Darin's sister and Granroth's daughter, when Darin returned emptyhanded.
"He's dealing with it hard," she said of Darin, who searched for Ontonagon's John Buccanero for the National Guard, learning how hard it can be to locate people in the woods. Buccanero remained missing several years, before his body was discovered near his last known location.
"You know he's not coming back alive," Myllyoja said. "It would be unusual for him to have gotten lost. He went out (hunting) opening day, then came back that night. Until evidence is found or someone comes forward (with information), it's still a missing person case."
Police found Rodney's vehicle and gun case at the camp but no sign of him. Rosemurgy said Granroth probably left wearing hunter-orange and carrying his rifle, all of which was missing from the camp near Tapiola and Kallungi roads in Portage Township.
"A vast area in and around the camp has been searched well," Rosemurgy said, noting drones, helicopters and people on horseback, among others have been involved in the search along with numerous agencies. "He still could be there. We're following up, and hope to find him."
Recent blizzards have blanketed the area in snow, hindering search efforts.
"It's making stuff exponentially more difficult," said Michael Neiger, lead investigator of Michigan Backcountry Search and Rescue who's been working with police. He's searched the site the past four days and took water samples from ponds and the Pike River, unsure if anything will yield results. "Everything I do is a longshot."
The weather will determine how long Neiger continues the search this winter. If Granroth isn't located by spring, Neiger plans to again re-engage specialized dog teams and aircraft to continue the search.
As the search nears the one-month mark, waiting for results is hardest on the family, but Myllyoja said everyone's found comfort knowing if Granroth died, his last moments were spent doing what he loved best.
"He was out hunting on the farm he loved," she said. "He was hunting; He wasn't stuck in a hospital bed. He went out shining."
For more information and updates on the search, visit whereisrodneygranroth.com or Neiger's Facebook page.
Anyone with information on Granroth's whereabouts is asked to use links on the site to anonymously report tips, like calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or call the Sheriff's office at 906-482-0055.
Vanessa Dietz's email address is vdietz@mininggazette.com.