Gunfire in the BWCA

[Charlie]

I've been waiting to see if anyone else would post about the gunfire and camper harassment on Basswood Lake in the BWCA.

The most comprehensive story on the event that I've seen it here ...

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=48921&section=homepage

No charges yet, if you can believe it?

[Preacher]

Wow, I can't imagine what that would have been like. Come trip in Canada! Guns aren't even allowed in most parks and those that do allow them still have the buffer of provincial and federal gun control limiting the base odds that someone will have one. Up here such an offence would/could involve the offenders losing their guns, the boat and the vehicle used to transport the boat.

[SWIFT]

I got harassed a couple of years ago now, on Lady Evenlyn lake in Temagami Ontario Canada.

A trio of motorboaters came up onto our shore (where 2 of us canoed in) and said "get the "F" out we're camping here". At first we thought they got to be kidding. But they started unloading and setting up. We confronted them several times diplomatically to no avail. They were clearly intoxicated and high. Finally I sternly said "you can't stay here". Then they threatened me with an axe. After considering our options - to fight, continue to stand our ground - or sabotage their boat we finally decided to just leave.

To this day I have revenge fantasies about it...

People talk about the dangers of bears and other animals, I worry about the two legged kind.

[Canadienne]

I have discussed this on other boards and I will simply say that this is disturbing to say the least. Hopefully this group gets the deserving punishment, whatever that may be.

[OneBadApple]

IDIOTS plane and simple,always tryin to screw things up for the honest gun totin' citizens...matter fact Swift i can feel why your having revenge fantasies...bet it would have been cool as hek to say... yah better get a bigger axe bucko!!!!(while pullin out the cold blue steel) but im sure glad yall ended up ok in the end... that could have gotten nasty even with your cooler head and just leaving..whoa
OBA

[canuckcamper]

s

People talk about the dangers of bears and other animals, I worry about the two legged kind.


Hey Swift...good to see ya here....as I have said many times on other forums.....the two leggers scare me a lot more than the four leggers! Two leggers have actually become the reason that I still insist on carrying a bear spray!

Kirk

[Preacher]

Brutal stuff Swift. I've heard a few stories like these, but this is the first one involving gunfire.

Yeah, revenge fantasies. I can relate.

[SWIFT]

For those Canadians among us here (or anyone familiar with Algonquin Provincial Park)...

Just recently I was in the park going from Kiosk to Mouse to Erables, Maples, 3 Mile, Biggar, North Tea, Manitou and back to Kiosk (whew!!) And we were in 3 mile when a float-bush plane landed with a little aluminum boat. As they unloaded we were thinking MNR staff doing an audit or clean up. (we scrambled to hide our beer cans - ha! kidding)

Boy were we wrong. 3 ya-hoos bombing around the lake screaming and partying all night, even riding their boat all night well up to 1 AM!! For those who don't know this is no motor boat and plane access area.

No guns, no threats this time, but certainly inconsiderate jackasses!

[SWIFT]

OneBadApple said

"yah better get a bigger axe bucko!!!!(while pullin out the cold blue steel"

Thanks for the laugh.

Hmm... can't figure how to highlite the quote?

[Charlie]

Anyone else bothered by the fact that there still haven't been charges filed in the BWCA shoting incident?

Even the Ely Echo (http://www.elyecho.com/main.asp?SectionID=17&SubSectionID=34&ArticleID=8559) is getting impatient ...

[Preacher]

Are you kidding me? Well, I guess it's their right.

[Charlie]

I guess it pays to be patient...

Yesterday, 79 criminal charges were filed against the five persons allegedly involved in the BWCA "gunfire" incident.

The Duluth News-Tribune has a story on the filing of the charges HERE. (http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=50433&section=None)

[Preacher]

article not found

[Charlie]

Let's see if this link connects ...

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=50403


-- Charlie

[Dave-S]

It is in todays Star Trib.

Joe Soucheray talked about it for a while yesterday afternoon too on am 1500.

[Preacher]

Thanks. "terroristic threats" Hrm. Post 911 justice I guess. Used to be uttering a death threat and threatening violence was enough. I guess the colour has worn off those wordings and it needs to be brightened up for the New Millenium.

I hope they throw the book at them. I have several sisters and grew up with zero tollerance for rape threats. Rather sickened that the term is used wholesale by today's fanboy culture.

One boat went into Canada and fired multiple shots. Twenty-one shell casings were recovered in Canada.

Extradite. They'll have records and punishments in two countries. With any luck they'll be delayed at every boarder crossing after transporting guns illegally.

[Preacher]

Thanks, here's hoping the OPP throw the book at them. It's election time, call your candidates. They love to appear tough on gun crime.

[pknoerr]

Here is a highly comprehensive police version of the story

http://tinyurl.com/2ywyvr

PK

[pake rick]

Here is a highly comprehensive police version of the story

http://tinyurl.com/2ywyvr

PK

Thanks for the link PK


I took the time the police complaint. Wow, no wonder it took so long to bring charges.

I'm familiar with that area. It's a heavily used entry point if your headed up to Basswood. And the public campgrond on Fall Lake is often full of car campers. We used to stay there on the night before entering the BWCAW. It allowed us to get an early start.

Scary to read the account. Kind of reminds me of some of the ill will that existed in that area 35 or 40 years ago. The townspeople have worked hard since then to overcome the bad blood from those days. I hope that this doesn't set them back again. :confused:

rick

[Charlie]

Just keeping everybody updated ...

The defendants in the BWCA "rampage" appeared in courrt yesterday.

The Duluth News Trbune has THIS (http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=51387&section=homepage) story on the matter.

And the Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran THIS (http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1455937.html) good "context" story as well.


-- Charlie

[SWIFT]

Just got caught up by reading the above links.

I gotta say, "very weird"! What the heck kind of people live there? Classic-stereotypical-only in movies-rednecks?

Initially when the story first broke, I thought some damn yahoos, but according to the above there's actually some depth to it all?? An inner sinistism the locals have? Like "The Hills Have Eyes" or "Deliverance"?

I mean if I were there paddling with my family, I wouldn't have even know about the history, why the hell should I suffer theses assholes ignorances? How terrifying it must have been to feel so helpless that campers (with kids) ran deeper into the bush because these jerks landed at their site and yelled obscenities and rape threats. My blood is boiling just thinking about it. "Justice" would NOT be justice for these guys, nor would it adequately send out any deterrent messages afterwards. Death threats should be met with death.

I think if I were involved I would vigilantly their asses!

Enough said before I get into trouble!

[pknoerr]

SWIFT,

I'm not sure It's any different than in any northern community that serves alot of folks from the cities that recreate in their neighborhood. Ely has long been a neat town, and has changed some through the years. Since the early 1900s it was a hunting and fishing area. Motorboats were allowed wherever people were willing to expend the effort to haul them in. Then via several very contentious legal battles BWCA was created. Through the entire time that BWCA has existed there have been battles about whether motors should be allowed and whether some portages should be motorized with old Bronco trucks to haul gear in. The locals have seen this evolution and there are still many that would like it back how it was. But BWCA has turned into a gold mine for outfitters in the canoe business selling $2500 kevlar and carbon canoes and $200 paddles and Patagonia jackets. People drive into town in their Range Rovers and Expeditions from Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago and anywhere else where they make their money. While those living in Ely are either working in retail for a few dollars a hour serving these "canoe trippers", or building second and third summer homes for those who once tripped in the wilderness, but now are happy just to view it from the deck on their $500,000 lakefront home. It's tough to not develop a little irritation. This by no means justifies their actions... but surely creates a foundation for ill will much like what might exist in many of these towns that serve as launch points for our expeditions.

Ely is a very nice city, in a very nice part of Minnesota. Does it have problems... sure, but so does every other part of the world. This event happened, and that it is getting as much press as it has will surely affect tourism there. But having been there, and likely at some point returning.... it surely won't affect my opinion of the city or it's inhabitants. I'd visit BWCA again in the future... and I'd surely be conscious of not rubbing the noses of the folks there who are trying to scratch out a living.

PK