Hopes fading for missing hunter

As weather conditions eased today the search for a 66-year-old hunter -- missing southeast of Taumarunui since Wednesday -- went into its fifth day, although police hopes of finding him alive are fading.

Search controller Constable Peter Karam said 15 people had been flown into rugged bush to look for Donald Wesley Hooker.

Up to 40 people had searched for him in the previous days.

"It doesn't look very good, in terms of survival. Weather conditions were very cold over the weekend with hail showers," Mr Karam said.

"Today's search includes streams and rough terrain not covered as intensively until now."

"We've got a lot of low cloud today but otherwise it's much improved conditions for searching compared to the very bad conditions over the weekend."

Mr Hooker, from nearby Owhango, was dropped off in the Tongariro Forest Park area early on Wednesday morning, but failed to turn up at a meeting point with a companion later in the day.

Mr Karam said there was no proof that a bootprint found over the weekend was that of Mr Hooker.

It was found in an area popular with Department of Conservation Staff and hunters, some kilometres from where the hunter was thought to be.

"We're not attaching any serious weight to this. It could have been anybody's."

- NZPA