Terry gets caught in MNR raid

[solopaddler]

I'm only going to respond to this one because it bothers me that you suggest that I feel people "up here" are more entitled than anyone else in the province. How I feel is quite the opposite and that I feel ANYONE should be able to access these lakes that have had roads built and maintained by public dollar, on public land.

 

This is PUBLIC land and not everyone is wealthy enough, or physically fit enough for a fly-in or 7 day canoe trip.

 

 

This is what you said in your first reply:

 

"you can try and maintain a facade of "remote" wilderness all you like.. but i wouldn't be expecting those of us who live up here to accept it any time soon, we know better. "

 

 

That smacks of entitlement by a local to me, but whatever.

 

There's plenty of public crown land that's free and clear for every citizen to use as they wish.

 

There never has and never will be any need to fish a "fly in" lake by using restricted roads.

 

The tourism industry is huge in northern Ontario. Protecting the outfitters interests makes perfect sense to me.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

i don't agree with you, but respect your reasoning. i wish you could try to do the same. i'm not sure why you have to insult me by saying this is local entitlement. i don't even fish this area, i just don't like the precedent it sets.

[Moosebunk]

Terry, at first I thought your post was a joke.

 

Boy... what a weird thing it all is, really. Did I miss the report somewheres? Despite your run-in, I'm sure ya certainly had a quality time.

[Terry]

Yeah

it was a great trip

a few problems doesn't take away from the joy of the trip

 

 

http://ontariofishingcommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=55985&st=0&p=610043&fromsearch=1entry610043

[Alfiegee]

We did this unintentionally to people at a fly in camp last year. A friend of mine took me to a Speck lake north of the Soo. It was a 2 hr drive on old logging roads from the hwy but we made it towing a boat. We really didn't expect to see anyone there. We trolled around a point and here were 4 guys in 2 canoes fishing. They were as surprised to see us as we were them. They had paid quite a bit to be flown into this lake and here we were, in plain clothes I might add. They didn't take any offense to us being there, rather they wanted to know how they could drive in, in the future and said good for us. A little local knowledge can go a long way towards finding places like that.

The trout fishing was great and the 6 of us shared the lake for the next 3 days. We were even invited to camp by their outpost cabin.

 

Alfie.

[Headhunter]

Firstly, let me say that I truly respect Solo for his knowledge and experience and what I am about to say in not meant to insult anyone...

I can no more support the MNR creating a monoploy on a public lake as I could support the Feds for bailing out Chrysler and GM.

Sorry, but we live in a capitalist society and if your "outpost" suddenly becomes road accessible as a result of modernization of the north, then be prepared to live with change. RE-market you camp and do what every surviving business has to do, adapt.

HH

[Terry]

I have no problem with them protecting fly-in lakes that have been remote for years, if the make a logging road need it maybe it should be protected

 

but to protect future fly-in lakes..no

if people have been accessing the lake by trail for years it should not be closed in favor of a fly-in lake

[porkpie]

lol... many is the time we have been motoring around in a stashed tin boat, enjoying ourselves when we see the float plane land and drop off guests on the "fly in lake" We can only wonder what the guests say to the operator when they see us there!! We usually keep away from them, don't want to spoil their experience! lol!

[Terry]

lol... many is the time we have been motoring around in a stashed tin boat, enjoying ourselves when we see the float plane land and drop off guests on the "fly in lake" We can only wonder what the guests say to the operator when they see us there!! We usually keep away from them, don't want to spoil their experience! lol!

 

so you're the guy...LOL

 

I can just image what they would think

[Dara]

so you're the guy...LOL

 

I can just image what they would think

 

 

I would think...hmmm, I guess there is another way in here...oh well, I took the easy way because I don't have time for the hard way...no biggy

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

we might take a different route to get these places, but we are all after the same thing. point is, we should all have access to every inch of our crown land, not just special interest groups.

[Bill Shearer]

Had a similar experience to Terry on Onaman Lake 40 years ago.

MNR flew in to check licenses. Dropped out of the sky right beside us. We said we don't have licenses. They were almost salivating by that time. They could hear the dollar signs ringing. We told the COs that we were from Ontario. (For the younger crowd, no licenses for Ontario residents were required).

They couldn't believe it. We had to show our drivers licenses...lol.

Good folks doing a job that they wanted, and felt lucky to have. I'm sure the present day COs feel the same.

When you have done nothing wrong, you have noting to fear.

Over exuberant law enforcement officers are nothing new, and usually they get assigned to the boonies.

Patience.

[akaShag]

A thread that came back from the dead...........

 

............and something like another one that appears to be current, with some less than complimentary remarks about (some of) Ontario's conservation officers.

 

There are bad apples everywhere and some of them are COs. Deal with enough dickweeds and just plain rude people and my guess is that even the sunniest personality could have some bad days. Having said that.............busting out of the bush, at night, in plain clothes, to ambush unsuspecting anglers strikes me as unwise in the extreme. Even the most patient of men, dead sober, might well react poorly to being scared out of his wits by dark-clad figures jumping out of the bushes.

 

Like try that with one of our Afghanistan veterans suffering from PTSD who goes on a remote fishing trip to get away from his demons. There is not a jury in this country who would convict that veteran for killing his assailants dead, right now, in that kind of context. Unwise in the extreme, as I said................and just freakin SAD too.

 

Doug

[BillM]

Like try that with one of our Afghanistan veterans suffering from PTSD who goes on a remote fishing trip to get away from his demons. There is not a jury in this country who would convict that veteran for killing his assailants dead, right now, in that kind of context. Unwise in the extreme, as I said................and just freakin SAD too.

 

Doug

 

How in the world does this go from the CO surprising a few guys on a fly-in, to a veteran with PTSD killing a few CO's...............AND not getting convicted? Biggest thread hijack in history of OFC?

[chris.brock]

I like Shags posts, keep'em coming

 

I was thinking similar scenarios when Terry said he reached for the machete

[akaShag]

Back to BillM..............

 

seeing as I cannot do the quote thing again, even though it did work once or twice.......

 

I would be proud indeed if I were the author of the biggest hijack in the history of this channel.

 

I guess I may have neglected to mention what I did for thirty years. Anyways, people busting out to ambush unsuspecting anglers (or anybody else) would tend to surprise the persons being ambushed. A person with PTSD often has an exaggerated startle reflex and reacts VERY strongly, and immediately to things that startle them. And it would have been a very sad thing for these COs to have found that out the hard way.

 

Doug

[Terry]

I don't think it is all that far off track. We were warned about bears so I almost brought a rifle with me. Had I picked up the rifle when they came running at me rather then a knife. I think there would have been a different out come. We were on an island. There was nowhere for us to go had we done something illegal. They were stupid morons for hiding and running out at us. . IMHO

[akaShag]

Yes, that's my point, the COs put themselves in an unsafe and untenable situation.

[BillM]

I don't think it is all that far off track. We were warned about bears so I almost brought a rifle with me. Had I picked up the rifle when they came running at me rather then a knife. I think there would have been a different out come. We were on an island. There was nowhere for us to go had we done something illegal. They were stupid morons for hiding and running out at us. . IMHO

 

Weren't you fishing in the Chapleau Game Preserve? That would have been a hefty fine.

[MrSimon]

I just read this whole thread. Entertaining.

 

Regardless of how you feel about COs or how they perform their duties ...... this is certainly a good reminder for all of us to stay legal, no matter where we are.

 

Personally, on my upcoming fly-in, I will make sure my entire group does all the little things properly .... like carry our licenses with us at all times, keep the life jackets sorted properly, zero alcohol in the boats, etc etc etc.

 

Knowing that the COs can and do go to great lengths to check up on remote groups is a good deterrent against illegal activities.

 

I also find it interesting that folks are quick to call for extremely severe punishments for law-breakers, but they turn around and complain that COs go overboard in trying to catch the offenders.

[Terry]

I disagree. It seems that in these days of cut backs and the mnr crying no money. Boating in and mainly flying in to try to catch 2 guy. Seems like an extreme waste of mnr resources If they had half a brain they would be at the air port checking them as they get off the plane. I mean except over harvesting. What laws are you really going break.

[Headhunter]

They'd probably net more money if they focused more on the locals and some of their "sense of entitlement" then "tourists" only there for a week.

HH

[porkpie]

I also find it interesting that folks are quick to call for extremely severe punishments for law-breakers, but they turn around and complain that COs go overboard in trying to catch the offenders.

That's the reality of enforcement type jobs. The public is never happy, and the guy doing the job is ALWAYS the bad guy. Such is life I suppose.

[grimsbylander]

All very interesting point of views. So if the MNR goes out of their way to try to catch two guys, it's a waste of time and money. If they wait until there is a more highly populated group, they're cherry-picking and harassing. It just seems like everyone has an opinion on when, who, and how they should conduct their duties. Should they hide in the bush and scare the hell out of Terry? Heck no, but that's because it's Terry and we all know Terry's a stand up guy. But if we read in the paper that they busted a couple guys with 100 walleye and they hid in the bush and scared the crap out of them, we'd all applause and suggest they do worse to them.

All I'm saying is I think it's dead easy to reflect and criticize after the fact. After we know the outcome.

 

I had a day last year when I got stopped 3 times on the Upper Niagara. Once by the MNR with a OPP officer on board, once by marine unit police on seadoos and once by the US Marshall. All three were pleasant and no warning or infractions. I have zero issue with being stopped. I just think that with that kind of due diligence, that day someone is going to get caught poaching, or drunk driving, or without proper safety equipment. Go get 'em.

[icedude]

Agreed Grims -easy shot to criticize after the fact to be sure--the silly OMNR buggers should have known a lot better to suspect our very own Terry from any violation ,intentional or otherwise.

 

Stupid MNR Enforcement Unit -raise the bar on their training maybe ?

 

 

 

Paul

p.s. Extremely unusual you'd ever meet a- US Marshall on that body of water-looks like you were an exercise that day--Good for you to take it all in stride