The Mad Trapper of Rat River

tek77

tek77

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Oct 9, 2009
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I found this interesting survival related story of this guy on another forum and I think people here may enjoy reading it as well.
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/albertjohnson.html
From wiki: "Albert Johnson, known as the Mad Trapper of Rat River, was a fugitive whose actions eventually sparked off a huge manhunt in the Northwest Territories and Yukon in Northern Canada. The event became a minor media circus as Johnson eluded the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) team sent to take him into custody, which ended after a 150 mi (240 km) foot chase and a shootout in which Johnson was fatally wounded on the Eagle River, Yukon."

Reminds me of a movie with Charles Bronson...can't remember the name.
 
It is called "Death Hunt". Bronson's character was named Albert Johnson, but the mad trapper was a different guy who plays a pivotal role in the conclusion.
 
Death Hunt, that's right.
When I think winter survival, can't help but think of this story. According to the reports, this guy covered 150 miles in 48 days in the middle of Canadian winter. No fire for cooking or to worm himself during the chase. He carried 2 rifles , a 300 Savage 30.30 "Feather weight" lever action, and a Pump .22. His pack weighed about 200 pounds.....
 
I have some trapper friends who lived for awhile at Russell Post on the MacMillan river in the Yukon. It takes about 150 miles of canoeing to reach it and nearly as many miles to paddle out. They told me that the real Mad Trapper had supposedly traded at Russell Post back in the old days.

Very remote country even today. I can only imagine how wild it must have been back then.

DancesWithKnives
 
Without the airplane resupplying them the RCMP probably would have never caught him .
 
There are a few good documentaries about the ''mad trapper'', and one was on a recent exhumation, examination, and reburial. I have seen his equipment at the R.C.M.P. museum in Regina (Saskatchewan). Bullet clipped axe shaft and all. What that man did to survive was unbelievable and may never be repeated again. The natives couldn't even believe what he did.
 
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