Hunt for the mad trapper

[trophybook]

I worked with the old gentleman who dug the mad trappers gave in aklavik.

[saddleup]

bit more trivia........

In 1974 a friend of mine who taught school in Aklavik listened to an old gentleman in his mid 90's name Lazarus Sittichinli tell the story of Albert Johnsons capture. While telling the story Lazarus was making an ulu, from scrap steel and musk ox horn for a handle. Lazarus was a special constable who assisted the RCMP I have the ulu the gentleman made.. also a transcript of the story of the capture of Albert Johnson --------- kinda neat.

[trophybook]

It's a interesting place. What blew my mind was 16$ for a 4L jug of milk at the northern store, I would have went broke if I had to pay for room and board up there luckly I was working for the govt.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by Grizzly Adams

Not a spectacular movie, it was made around Canmore. Any resemblance to the actual story is purely co-incidental. There was an eerily similar happening in northern BC, in the 1980's. Think the book about it was called Descent into Madness.
Grizz

Descent into madness is probably one of the best books I have read. A must read. The officer he killed was actually from Brooks. As said above, if it wasn't for that misfire.......
Oros was one tough character.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by saddleup

bit more trivia........

In 1974 a friend of mine who taught school in Aklavik listened to an old gentleman in his mid 90's name Lazarus Sittichinli tell the story of Albert Johnsons capture. While telling the story Lazarus was making an ulu, from scrap steel and musk ox horn for a handle. Lazarus was a special constable who assisted the RCMP I have the ulu the gentleman made.. also a transcript of the story of the capture of Albert Johnson --------- kinda neat.

Back in the late '70's early '80's I was in Aklavik and the delta area. I met Lazarus and had coffee with him. He told me of this hunt for Albert Johnson I was a young kid in awe as I read everything I could about him. Also visited Johnsons grave while there.

Interestingly I had a great uncle who was best described as a DNR officer in Saskatchewan in the 1920's - 1960's. He swears he ran into Albert Johnson trapping in what is now the Meadow Lake Prov Park area. Some of the thing he told me are described as being done by Johnson in The hunt for the Mad Trapper book. My great uncle investigated him and says he was in his cabin and wouldn't come out to talk. He left and when he came back Johnson had left never to be seen in the area again.

BW

[Norwest Alta]

Originally Posted by Y2K

love a hard cover copy of Decent into Madness

Good book.

[Jack Hardin]

When the movie was being made, Lee Marvin was interviewed by one of the news channels in Calgary. The interviewer asked Marvin what he thought about one of the RCMP descendants being peeved, that a 56 year old drunken sot was playing their ancestor in the movie (referring to Marvin). Marvin took offence and stated that he was not a 56 year old drunken sot, he was a 57 year old drunken sot.

Every time that movie comes up, I always remember that interview.

[Treehound]

I've been to the grave and flew around the area lots. I'd love to try and find the cabin but with all the changes to the river system and water levels it's likely lost to history. What a great story. First use of an aircraft in a man hunt piloted by Wop May none the less. Never would have caught him if it weren't for the bush pilot and the airplane. There's always two versions of this story depending on how you see him. Hardened criminal evading justice, or quiet loner trying to live outside government and society. Regardless of what you think the dude was hardcore. The RCMP bit off more than they could chew. I have no idea how he walked across those mountains with some dried meat and a few squirrels. Must have been tougher than nails. Certainly a fantastic Canadian story.

[Y2K]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Descent into madness is probably one of the best books I have read. A must read. The officer he killed was actually from Brooks. As said above, if it wasn't for that misfire.......
Oros was one tough character.

I seen the officers grave in Brooks

[Y2K]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Descent into madness is probably one of the best books I have read. A must read. The officer he killed was actually from Brooks. As said above, if it wasn't for that misfire.......
Oros was one tough character.

I seen the officers grave in Brooks
Very sad

[covey ridge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJxzasDRgC8

[Zip]

I spent a lot of time in Inuvik as well as flying to as many smaller and hard to get to communities in our far north during middle of the 70's for a few years then left but went right back up to Inuvik in the middle 80's... I've listened with Elders about this exact topic in full detail... Very very cool to talk with people who were so close to this.. Anyway, that Johnson fella was a very tough man, it's terrible conditions where they were, now the Mounties were pretty tough as well.. But back then... Most people were tough, it was hard living back then and easy dying!!
Zip

[bb356]

[bb356]

[bb356]

[Zip]

Originally Posted by bb356

Very cool pictures bb356, nice work buddy!
Zip

[1899b]

Yup Wop May flew out of my home town of Fort McMurray quite often. It was the first time aviation was ever used in Canadian Policing on a manhunt.

[kevinhits]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT84u8h893k

Just watched this documentary today and was amazing....

[bb356]

Originally Posted by kevinhits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT84u8h893k

Just watched this documentary today and was amazing....

yup ... watched it before ... bb recomended !!!

[gitrdun]

A fastening story that always peaks my attention.

[billycap]

Had a guy go down that road around these parts several years ago. Now days if your crazy, dangerous and hold up in the sticks they bring out a hit squad and put you down. If your kids happen to be there no problem they just shoot them too lol. They even brought a tank but never got to use it cause the guy burnt the bridge behind himself on the way out. http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/b...-iio-1.3578742

[IronNoggin]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

... It was sad how they romanticized Albert Johnson and made the RCMP look like a bunch of bafoons...

By and large the Mad Trapper pretty much did that all on his own.
Managed to elude a considerable force (for those days and area) for a very long time, under conditions that would kill most us today in short order...

Like a few on this thread, I have stood over his grave. In fact, I have also stood over and searched around the area of what remains of his cabin.
I can still recall the tales from two very distinct elders as they described the hunt for this tough fellow. Although they come close at times, most books do not really define just how tough conditions are in those mountain passes at that time of year...

I traveled the line of the hunt (by snow mobile) with a good Inuit Buddy, right down to where the end was said to have occurred. To think of wandering that "trail" on snowshoes left me shuddering! In fact I was downright thankful for a good machine, hand warmers, and an excellent Helly Hanson Arctic Suit!!

Been somewhat taken by this tale as you might surmise. I will wander back up that way again I am sure, and when doing so, am entirely likely to stop by the grave and offer my respects to one damn tough fellow...

Cheers,
Nog

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by IronNoggin

Been somewhat taken by this tale as you might surmise. I will wander back up that way again I am sure, and when doing so, am entirely likely to stop by the grave and offer my respects to one damn tough fellow...
Cheers,
Nog

Bad man or just a misunderstood person, Albert Johnson is an example of human will to survive.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by covey ridge

Bad man or just a misunderstood person, Albert Johnson is an example of human will to survive.

Not misunderstood at all- he was jumping traps that were not his own and shot a Mountie just to point out a couple if things .
Cat

[covey ridge]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Not misunderstood at all- he was jumping traps that were not his own and shot a Mountie just to point out a couple if things .
Cat

I guess I should have used a sarcasim emotcon

[nubuck]

Originally Posted by beansgunsghandi

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.

Another interesting read is Trap line Outlaw, Simon Gunanoot. He evaded capture from 1906-1919 with his wife and kids in some of the toughest country in Norther BC. My grandpa found a #5 trap hanging from a tree with his initials carved in the tree sometime in the 60's when he was cat skinning up in that country.

[Big Grey Wolf]

If he would cut his initials into his traps hard to believe he would trap on someones line. May have been delt a bad hand by mounties. Although they just wanted to talk to him before the trouble started.

[Nester]

The big bush drives some people crazy........some arrive crazy and spiral out of control and have to be taken down.



Interesting reads.


Years ago when much younger, our troop warrant officer would always tell stories of Albert.

"If he could run 35 miles in thigh deep snow......why can't you do it?"


"Old Albert........he once shot a ....."


"I heard AJ didn't need to eat nothing for weeks at a time......yet here you are........."

Yep, old Albert Johnson, wasn't the prettiest fellow around....but he did know how to take care of his kit....you on the other hand are no Albert Johnson.....your kit sucks"

"The mad trapper......there was a fellow who had great cardio....he was a cardiovascular god!!"

[The Spank]

Not that I'm a fan of CBC but I heard this several years ago and watched a documentary that interviewed one of the last surviving RCMP officers who took part in the manhunt. I think the guy was 102 at the time of the interview? Quite a piece of Canadian history.

https://youtu.be/c96YQ9yWbX0

[Supergrit]

My great grandma alway toid a story of Albert Johnson lived beside her family in days land Alberta. I know many people say they heard of a loner a quiet man on his own at many different locations and they say it was Albert Johnson it is so long ago and near impossibble to prove. The stories I heard about him are quite interesting and the time line fits, also one book I read about him a Rcmp officer said Albert hinted at trying his hand at farming.
The story of Albert Johnson is quite amazing what he went through and what others did to catch him. Canadian stories like this should be taught to our kids so they can learn a little more about what type of people built our country.