HAMILTON - Craig Jourdonnais has spent thousands of hours hiking the high country as a state wildlife biologist and avid outdoorsman.

He's also helped coordinate backcountry rescues on a number of occasions over the years.

But until last week, Jourdonnais never thought he'd need to call for help himself.

"I've always spent time out in the hills kind of on my own," said the Bitterroot-based biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. "I discovered last week that things can happen that are just totally out of your control."

A week ago, Jourdonnais and his hunting partner, Jeff Polutnik of Missoula, headed south for an elk hunting trip in the Madison Range of southwest Montana.

Their trip started badly when Poluntnik's pickup truck collided with a deer. The crash resulted in enough damage to the vehicle that the men had to retreat back to Florence to retrieve Jourdonnais' truck.

Undeterred, the men arrived at their hunting grounds midweek.

They hunted hard Wednesday, but didn't get into elk. Toward evening, their fortunes appeared to turn and they spotted five bulls foraging in a high mountain park far above the valley floor just about dark.

The men decided to break camp early the next morning in an effort to hike up the hillside and get close enough for a shot at the animals.

"We camped at Bear Creek and then got up early the next morning," Jourdonnais said. "We humped up the hill in the dark."

The hike took them up about 1,800 feet and into the Lee Metcalf Wilderness.

It was a bit after 9 a.m. when they started down a steep, snow-covered, rocky hillside and Jourdonnais heard his friend scream out in pain.

The 44-year-old Polutnik had stepped wrong on the steep hill and ripped the Patella tendon off his knee cap.

"He was initially in a lot of pain," Jourdonnais remembered.

The biologist knew they were in trouble. His friend was in too much pain to move anywhere on his own. They were miles from the trailhead.

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Jourdonnais knew he'd have to drive back to Cameron to get cell phone coverage. It was already 10 a.m., and it was going to take time to put together a rescue.

"I knew that I was going to have to leave him and I didn't like it," Jourdonnais said. "I gathered up enough firewood and left him all the food I had. I thanked God that it was a reasonable day with temperatures in the 30s."

Jourdonnais hiked down the mountain and headed toward Cameron. As he was making the call to 9-1-1, local game warden Ryan Gosse pulled in alongside his vehicle to say hello.

"He was a great help," Jourdonnais said. "We used his radio to facilitate the rescue."

The decision came early to call in a helicopter to move Polutnik off the mountain, but that became complicated because the injury had occurred in the wilderness where helicopters are normally not allowed.

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest supervisor was contacted and he quickly agreed to allow the rescue.

"They were excellent to work with," Jourdonnais said.

Three Madison County search and rescue team members walked up the mountain with Jourdonnais to the spot where he'd left his friend that morning. They worked together to pack Polutnik to an area where the helicopter could make a safe landing.

A mountain rescue-equipped helicopter from Idaho Falls, Idaho, carried Polutnik to a Bozeman hospital.

"It was close to 4 p.m. when we got him loaded on the helicopter," Jourdonnais said. "The sun was on the horizon. We were fortunate that we could get it done before dark."

Polutnik had surgery to repair his knee this week in Missoula, Jourdonnais said.

"Never in all the hunting that I've done have I ever come close to needing that kind of help," Jourdonnais said. "But I was thankful that they were there when I needed them.

"These volunteers stopped everything they were doing for that day and stayed there to help. ... The work they do requires a lot of dedication. Much of it is done in the background and without much fanfare. When you find yourself in trouble and you need their services, it's really invaluable. I am just very, very thankful."

Ravalli Republic editor Perry Backus can be reached at 363-3300 or at editor@ravallirepublic.com.