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Missing western IA hunter found dead after competition

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August 5th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating the death of a western Iowa raccoon hunter who went missing during a competition. The Marshall County Sheriff’s says the body of a Carroll man, 26-year-old Preston Luft, was found late Saturday night in a densely wooded area near the Iowa river. Luft had been last seen around 2 a.m. Saturday when he went to retrieve his dog that had wandered away during the raccoon-hunting competition. He was reported missing at around 1-p.m. Saturday. Law enforcement became involved in the search Saturday afternoon after being contacted by other hunters from the Central Iowa Coon Hunters Association. A group of about 12 hunters who went to search for Luft on their own discovered his body just after 11-p.m., Saturday, just a few hundred yards from where he was last scene. Authorities did not immediately release details of what caused Luft’s death, but they indicated Sunday, that foul play was not suspected. Reports say he may have tripped in some underbrush and hit his head. The Marshall County Medical Examiner and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.