Basswood Arrests?

[Bluegill1510]

That is what exactly it is I am sure 98% sure of it, as locals messing with tourists. I could comment more on this but it would upset or tick off to many people on here about the subject of "locals vs. tourists". Plus I have to many dear friends who know the suspects arrested as well as I do know one of them too. So I won't say to much until I read more about it and hear from my friends about it, but more than likely I would say these locals were messing with the campers and I bet alcohol played a role in this too.

[upnorth]

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I have very little sympathy for folks that either don't know how or refuse to defend themselves. But I have absolutely no sympathy for thugs that take advantage of, or terrorize the gentle folks. Particularly when firearms are involved.

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Face to Face, hand to hand, I ain't backing down from anyone. Face to Face, my hand to his gun, better to back down live to fight another day.

[Surface Tension]

Bluegill1510, I'll bet when everything is said and done you'll be right.

Directly, a lot of locals depend on tourists.

Indirectly theres probably more, I think most locals know that.

I've been around here for some time. I know how topics spin off. Lets not beat each other up over the issue of locals vs tourists, self defense, or what not.

[Fur Fish and Feathers]

Some of the rumors of what the "terroristic threats" were are pretty asinine. I hope they aren't true.

I think a lot of the animosity between locals vs tourists stems from the fact that the BWCA is relatively new. I'm sure a lot of the locals remember doing a lot of tooling around in areas that are no longer easily accessible and harbor a lot of animosity toward people they regard as "holier than thou." Reminds me a little of (for any football fans out there) when Bill Walsh got punched in the face for pulling a "Do you know who I am?" at a Vegas casino.

[gunflint]

Sage advice as usual ST.

[ditchpickle6996]

Last I heard the authorities were trying to figure out with a GPS by some cans/bottles left if these guys had crossed over into Canada. I also heard from a quality source that the campers threatened were VERY shook up and even may have hid out in the woods away from there sites in fear for their safety.

[Casaloma]

Its too bad that people need to be reminded that Basswood is a lake, sometimes it feels like a 'state of mind' meaning that Basswood is a representation of the current land use plan for the woods. Some people love it, some..... not so much... Still no matter how you feel the law is the law & we can't go breakin' it for our amusement. When you threaten others you deserve a little lock-up to think about your actions. No one has owned Basswood for a long time now, but it seems one generation is not long enough. Just like in any relationship we ( Basswood ) users need each other to keep the balance we have, lets hope this incident causes everyone else to think about the other users out there, even if they don't look like you.

Later, -CLoma

[JustinG]

Do any of you guys go on vacation to other areas of the country where there is a "tourist vs. local" mentality? I have-it is weird to be the one who is the tourist. One thing you take home with you from an experience like that is the way you treat other people who are on vacation. I try my best to help tourists who need assistance, because you never know what might happen to yourself while away from home.

I just think back to the vacations I have been on, and how lucky I have been not to have the local drunk (Contact Us Please) mess with me. Although, it has helped me not to wear a cord on my sunglasses, khaki shorts, a fanny pack, or socks with sandals. I can totally see how a couple of (Contact Us Please) like those guys can really mess up someone's vacation. You plan your week's worth of fun all year or longer and count the days down, excitedly get to your destination, and then get a gun waved in your face by some drunk clown. Man! What ever happened to treat others the way in which you would like to be treated?

Justin

[threeball]

I owe a debt of gratitude to many people from many places who have been helpful when I travel. I've met some really cool "locals" from Ely as well.

I will make a note to get rid of the mustard stained, 7 year old, fraying khaki shorts (well, I'll tell my wife to do it anyway).

[SkunkedAgain]

Yeah, everyone just think of Deliverance...and then remember to be nice to tourists. We could all be in the same position!

Honestly though, I bet these guys never thought too far beyond having a good time (to them) or what not. They surely didn't think of how stories like this could affect tourism and the dollars flowing from urban areas to up north. Heck, the first time I went solo camping in the BWCA my grandma told me to take a gun. I laughed and told her it's mostly a bunch of nature lovers and fisherman. I wonder who's grandmother or parents will hold them back after hearing these reports.

Every action you take has a ripple effect in some manner of fashion. Most of us would gain a lot from thinking twice before doing stuff.

[ElyFishing]

Having been born and raised in Ely, and practically on Basswood for that matter, there always was an animosity between the "locals vs. tourists" but nothing serious. It was more of a joke than anything. Regardless, there is absolutely no excuse for this type of behavior, from anyone, ever. I am deplored that this happened. I feel for the victims, speaking of the movie deliverance, scared with some goofy local pushing you around on your dream vacation. I have helped my share of "tourists" on Basswood, Crooked, or Knife with injuries etc. I hope this is not a trend that will continue.

[upnorth]

I guess I don't quite get the locals vs tourists thing. 1st off both are just people. 2nd we are talking public land/water no ownership issues, at legally. 3rd it ain't like the tourists are mooching off the locals. Cripes I am thinking that they bring a whole bunch of $$$ to the area, kinda like biting the hand that feeds you, even my dog is smarter than that.

[chunkytrout]

Yeah I guess I'd put this in the "no brains" VS "brains" category.

[Surface Tension]

No charges yet for six who "terrorized" BWCAW campers

Duluth News Tribune

Published Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Campers in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness used cell phones to call authorities on the night of Aug. 7, saying they were terrorized by men firing shots from motorboats. Some told officers they feared for their lives and hid in the woods.

Six suspects in two boats apparently were involved in the incident.

Lake County Sheriff’s deputies responded with law enforcement officers from the U.S. Forest Service and Ely Police Department. Two men were arrested and taken into custody at the Fall Lake boat landing north of Ely as officers waited in the dark for the suspects to leave the wilderness. They were released within 36 hours.

Two firearms were taken as evidence.

No formal charges have been filed against any of the suspects in the incident on Basswood Lake, the Lake County attorney’s office said Monday.

The case is under review by County Attorney Russ Conrow and charges could be leveled later this week, the office said.

Four other people, including a juvenile, also are expected to be charged. All were Ely-area residents. The investigation and prosecution are being handled by Lake County.

One of the suspects arrested told the News Tribune on Monday that his attorney advised him not to comment on the case. The News Tribune generally doesn’t name suspects until they have been formally charged.

Officers returned to the scene the next morning to gather testimony and evidence, and several other groups of campers reported being threatened by the armed suspects.

There’s evidence the men may have crossed illegally onto the Canadian side of Basswood Lake with a handgun, which is a violation of Canadian federal law whether the guns were fired or not.

Lake County Sheriff Carey Johnson said the suspects appeared under the influence of alcohol at the time. He said the threats appeared random and that there’s no reason to suspect any more harassment of BWCAW campers.

“It was a mixture of alcohol and stupidity,’’ Johnson said. “This wasn’t a case were they went up there targeting anyone or planning to do something to someone. But when circumstances presented, they acted in the wrong way.’’

Guns are allowed in the federally managed Superior National Forest and in the BWCAW, and hunters each fall pursue grouse, moose and deer in the wilderness. But state laws on hunting and firearms discharge apply.

“You can’t endanger people; you can’t be reckless. You have to follow laws as far as how you use the firearm,’’ said Kris Reichenbach, spokeswoman for the Superior National Forest. “But this went way beyond being reckless or being a nuisance. This got to the point of a safety issue where people were threatened.’’

Johnson said lucky cell-phone coverage at Basswood Lake enabled officers to guess where the suspects would leave the BWCAW.

“If we hadn’t received those calls, we probably wouldn’t have been able to put this together as well. We certainly wouldn’t have been able to apprehend them so quickly,’’ Johnson said.

Reichenbach said the Forest Service warns people not to depend on cell phones to bail them out of trouble in the BWCAW. Campers should be prepared to handle medical and other emergencies on their own — that’s part of the wilderness tradition. Moreover, cell phone coverage is spotty to nonexistent in some areas.

“That’s still what we tell people, not to depend on them to get you out of a situation. But in this case it appears they may have helped speed up the response,’’ Reichenbach said.

Gunplay is not a common problem in the 1.1 million-acre BWCAW. There was a smaller incident of gunfire during which people felt threatened a couple of years ago, Reichenbach said.

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, Frank. That's about what I figured as per motive. Drunk guys doing dumb things they wouldn't have done sober. Good cautionary lesson for all of us, I think.

[threeball]

If I understand the article correctly the accused were supposed to have fired from their boats. Thats real manly.

[Mudcutter]

No place to play Cowboys and Indians. NO place is. I, and I speak for my group, goto the B-dub for some get-away time. But what a place for something like this, no immediate force of law, etc.

Threating me and my buddies campsite with the crap said to have taken place would not be a wise choice. It takes serious balls to do what they have been said of doing in the B-dub, and it would be met with some serious force from my group. I have the right to defend myself, especially in the woods. ALways nice to share a canoe with a ex Navy Seal.

[JustinG]

Yeah!!!! I could see it now- a boat full of drunk (Contact Us Please) harassing a Navy SEAL. It would have been cool to see your Navy SEAL canoe partner swim under the water and attach an underwater satchel charge to the bottom of their hull...would have looked just like when they took Norieaga's patrol boats out in the Mid 1980's.

Justin

[Steve Foss]

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Yeah!!!! I could see it now- a boat full of drunk (Contact Us Please) harassing a Navy SEAL. It would have been cool to see your Navy SEAL canoe partner swim under the water and attach an underwater satchel charge to the bottom of their hull...would have looked just like when they took Norieaga's patrol boats out in the Mid 1980's.

Justin

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I don't think that would have been cool at all.

[Great Outdoors]

For calling me fat in a previous post, I think it would be cool if it happened to your boat

You hurt me bad, man!

Gotta go in for therapy in the morning!

[Down Deep]

There is a lot of booze consumed on the B-Dub campsites and I've seen several big side-arms strapped on some campers up there. There could have been an incident with some tragic results if those guys would have encountered the wrong group. I hope they throw the book at these guys. The B-dub is a peaceful place and I think that law enforcement needs to do everything to guarntee that peace.

[Surface Tension]

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There is a lot of booze consumed on the B-Dub campsites and I've seen several big side-arms strapped on some campers up there. There could have been an incident with some tragic results if those guys would have encountered the wrong group. I hope they throw the book at these guys. The B-dub is a peaceful place and I think that law enforcement needs to do everything to guarntee that peace.

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There very well could've been a camper with a firearm that thought the threat would pass.

We should hope that all places be "peaceful" but a peaceful place can turn bad in an instant.

[big drift]

Hopefully this does not generate another knee jerk reaction of banning firearms in the BWCA. Yes prosecute them if they did wrong but do not ban a means of protection for those that do not.

[GoggleEye]

This is extremely sad and I hope that these safe havens and peaceful places we have in the wilderness are never ruined by these types of individuals. I don't know about any of you, but when I go into these types of places I feel overly safe and relaxed. This is the reason I go there because I don't have the worries and stresses that I have in my permanent residence. I hope they put these scumbags in confinement for a long enough time to teach them a lesson. This is something I hoped I would never start reading about (or worse, experience first hand). Today is a disappointing day for me........

[GoggleEye]

Just another thought- alcohol is no excuse for waiving a gun at someone or taking some pop shots at their campsite to have a little fun. I have been a traveler to places all over the midwest and beyond quite frequently in the past 8 years or so (many of which have been solo trips) and I have found most locals to be extremely friendly and helpful, but when you put yourself into an environment where alcohol is involved, you up your chances of running into that local that wants to ruin your trip in any way he/she can. Being a man that enjoys his beer and meeting new people, I have become very disappointed that I put myself at a high risk by just going out to have a few drinks and mingling. It's frustrating, but it is the cold hard truth.

[SkunkedAgain]

I didn't grow up with guns, but when my buddies introduced me to them when I was in my 20s, they taught me one important lesson:

One drop of booze = no guns

We definitely drink our share of beer and whiskey, but once the drinking starts the guns go away. I don't care who you are, you shouldn't even be holding a gun if you're on the sauce.

[gunflint]

Good advice skunkedagain. Could I get a definition of a "safe haven" or "peaceful place"? I didn't know that such places existed in the wilderness or in the urban jungle.

[GoggleEye]

I look at places like the BWCA as "safe havens" because when I am there, I have no worries other than extreme weather and natural elements that I have absolutley no control over, but also have the utmost respect for. I look at these places as safe havens because for the most part, you can isolate yourself from people and most trouble. It's just my view and opinion gunflint.

[Steve Foss]

I also feel far safer out in the wilderness at night than I do in downtown Minneapolis at night. I agree with Gunflint that the wilderness should never quite be considered "safe," but I also consider it a haven.

[JustinG]

Hey Steve!!!

Lighten up man!! I guess I have been watching too much Military Channel lately with my earlier comment. Laughter, the best medicine!

Justin