The elk hunter from Onida who was found dead over the weekend died of natural causes, the Pennington County Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday.

A large air and land search was launched Friday when friends of Brad McGee, 35, notified authorities that he had not arrived at their home as expected Wednesday, Oct. 22.

The search parties first found his pickup truck Friday and then his body early Saturday morning.

Although the official autopsy report will not be available until next week, it is believed he died Wednesday morning, before he was even reported missing.

Fomer Onida resident Bonnie Zebroski, now of Keystone, said McGee's family and friends took some comfort in knowing that he did not suffer for days in cold, windy conditions.

"For his family and the other people who were trying to find him, to know he wasn't out there laying in the wind and the cold suffering for three days is very comforting," she said.