Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada American & Australian shot in BC, Canada

these two thugs are going to be very dangerous now,probably end with a shoot out. let`s hope no one else gets hurt or killed but ??

Two young guys over 6 ft 4, how hard would it be to hide in Gillam? I was on a milk run through that small town in the early 90's, only time I ever was on a 737 that landed and took off from a gravel runway.

There is historical precedent for this. I refer to "The Mad Trapper from Rat River". Now there my friends, was one vicious psycho sob. Led the Queen's Cowboys on a merry chase, he did. Unbelievable stamina and toughness. Well worth the read, IMO.

flintlocke;
Good afternoon sir, I hope that the day is as nice down in your part of the world as it is up here in south central BC.

Although I've told these stories here previously, hopefully I can be forgiven for repeating them.

I've had a few "one off" connections with the Albert Johnson tale, starting with my late father who vividly recalled hearing updates from the hunt on the radio as it was unfolding. Dad was born in '20 so he'd have been 12 at the time.

Then there was the former RCAF pilot who was my elementary school principal, Mr. Sam Beaton who's son-in-law for a time owned the plane which Wop May chased the Mad Trapper with. He claimed there was still flight logs in the plane recording when he'd dropped charges near the trapper and such.

Finally, when we lived in Oliver, BC in the late '80's, there was a quiet older gentleman who lived at the end of our street who I knew was a retired RCMP member. Though his name escapes me right now, in talking with other retired RCMP members later on I learned he was the last living RCMP member who had been in on the chase. Though I'd have loved to talk to him about it, even if I'd known at the time he'd done that, in all likelihood I'd not have brought it up unless he did.

Anyway sir, for what it's worth there's my connections with the famous case from our north's past.

All the best to you as we head into the fall.

Dwayne

BC 30,
Thank you for posting that. Fascinating. That was one hell of a manhunt. I don't want to imply that, in any fashion, I find Johnson a romantic figure, he was a stone killer...but when I read the story, I followed, as best I could, Johnson's route on Google Earth. It just boggles my mind, that a man with only what he could carry on his back and a Savage .303 could traverse that many miles of rugged wilderness, lead the Mounties to exhaustion, lead their hired trackers to exhaustion in that climate for as long as he did. The book I read, was vague as to whether he disguised his trail or just wore out the pursuit. At any gate,the will to live or the determination to not return to prison was strong.

flintlocke;
Good evening sir and thanks for the reply.

For sure I didn't take it that you'd implied anything in your post other than relating the facts and indeed it is mind boggling how far he made it on very light rations.

Way back in the day - and perhaps still, I can't say for sure - but way back in the RCMP Museum in Regina they had the 3 arms taken from the body. There was a Savage 99, but I want to say it was a .30-30 and not a .303 - which is what my late father in law's father had on their farm.

I might be wrong about that detail, but that's running around in my head somehow. As well there was a single shot shotgun which had been cut down. It was perhaps a 16 gauge and looked like any Stevens or Iver Johnson of the turn of the century period. Lastly there was a small single shot, bolt action .22, but for the life of me I can't recall the type and it was also cut down.

Let's see if this works.

Sorry for the blurry photo, it was all I could find.

Anyway sir, again all the best to you as we head into the fall.

Dwayne

My mother-in-law's cousin lives in Gillam. Rest of her relatives are from The Pas, MB.

They are supposed to be visiting next week.

I'm thinking I'll hear some local info................

There is more than a little disagreement over who Albert Johnson even was. There is strong evidence the RCMP were called in over a trapline dispute, but by the the offender in the case. A J may have been acting in reasonable self defense.

Regardless of all that he did outrun a bunch of folks for a long time while carrying a prodigious pack.

don`t forget about the old baker in Alaska Bob Hansen killer and hunter .he did kill small very nice Alaskan animals too and did have a record or two on the animals he shot

Manhunt winding down...

haven't heard they found 'em...doubt they want to be caught alive

The manhunt is winding down because the RCMP lost them (not that they ever found them). I would expect them to head back west. First, they'll need to carjack a short, fat, Indian to drive for them and pump gas. Two 6'4", skinny, white guys are too easy to spot. GD

As of 4hrs ago:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/c...rder-suspects/ar-AAFkxIG?ocid=spartanntp

The young man was the son of a workmate of mine. Nice family. Hard to watch it unfold on TV.

bobnob17:
Good morning to you sir - or honestly it might be evening there - but greetings from southern BC.

We've got a fair number of Australian folks here, in my last work alone 2 of the tradesmen were from Aus, most come for the skiing and snowboarding and stay for the opportunities and lifestyle.

By all we could glean, the young man was well liked up on the ranch he was working on, which speaks volumes actually as ranch and stock work isn't easy on the best day, so folks who are disinclined to harder work drift from it in short order typically.

As mentioned by several posters, the area where the young couple were murdered is almost all tourists this time of year and they come from all parts of the globe to traverse the Alaska Highway.

Without minimizing the pain felt by the families of the deceased - one Australian, one American and a university professor from the Lower Mainland here, it's more than a bit of a shock to us BC residents who like to want to believe that we're safe from predatory human behavior outside the large urban centers and known gang affiliated areas.

For the most part that's still statistically the case and so help me I'll still continue to stop to help stranded vehicles on lonely back roads as it'd go against a lifetime of doing so not to, you know?

Indeed I am always armed and wary, but if I've got my head under the hood of an RV or pickup, it still would be no trick to off me and I get that.

Anyway lastly I'll comment that although I wish it wasn't so, I've come away feeling like the RCMP have performed in a much less than stellar manner - once again.

Please understand I am overall very pro LEO and have good friends who are retired and current serving members of the LEO community. That said, speaking privately even some RCMP members aren't happy with the current status quo and LEO who are not RCMP absolutely are able to see the many flaws in their day to day policing methods.

My goodness I wish I didn't feel that way sir, but as the Ian Tyson song says, "Wishin don't make it so"

If the opportunity arises, please extend my most sincere condolences to your workmate sir. It's changed our lives too and not one iota for the better.

All the best to you as we head into the fall.

Dwayne

Thanks for the message Dwayne.

Very nice of you, and most interesting too.

- Bob

Suspects found Dead

https://globalnews.ca/news/5736937/bc-manhunt-suspects-rcmp/