Canadian history is broad, especially up north.
As others have noted, there were actually two "mad trapper" types (at least!). Both were definitely not well-adjusted individuals but did have some solid survival skills, and were fit. Whiskey--I think the connection is maybe not between insanity and great physical strength but between a really hard life that leads to fitness plus having your back against the wall. I see the same sorta thing in other situations (climbing, polar exploration, many others). But yeah, interesting.
The original one was Albert Johnson, who got himself shot in about 1932 after a really involved chase that used planes, dogs, etc. to hunt him down. Good story,
http://www.yukonbooks.com/shop/custo...productid=2290
The "descent into madness" guy was Michael Oros, and he got himself shot in about 1985. I think this is the slightly better book despite some really glaring holes in the narrative,
http://www.amazon.com/Descent-into-M.../dp/0888393210
I have both books, both are good reads. Both these guys were (beyond being totally nuts) incredibly tough individuals--I doubt many modern men could do what they did in terms of distance travelled with that amount of weight on that gear.
There were some similarities in the "chase" after both men; new technology that both worked and didn't work (tragically in the Oros case, pretty successfully in the Johnson case), ideas, weather. Interesting to read both.
I kinda collect this sort of writing about Canada; lots of great bush pilot stories, adventures, physical history.