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6/12/2018 9:42 am  #18


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

Two pickup trucks and a camper parked on the Shirley end of the Shirley-Ryan portage this past spring. 

Me: "Geez, how'd you guys portage that in?"
Them: "We drove in through the hydro line."
Me: "Oh... didn't know they allowed that"
Them (somewhat shamefully): "Yeah... status card holders. Where you guys headed?"
Me: "Ryan Lake, for now"
Them: "Us too, we'll see ya over there!"  * pull out with two tinners in their truck bed.


And then when taking a rest on a logging road at the Dickson-Round Island portage, a pickup truck goes by full of kids in their 20s. 

Traditional lands? Bologna, Have some traditional respect for the land and use traditional methods ya lazy shmucks.

 

6/12/2018 9:59 am  #19


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

I was ice fishing a secret whitefish lake near Barry's Bay a couple of years ago and was told by a local on a snowmobile that he does all his ice fishing in Algonquin Park. He said they bring a portable heater, drill holes close to shore and stays in the trees because he said planes fly over to patrol for ice fishing (which I find hard to believe). I assume the area he was talking about is on the border of the park close to Aylen Lake. 

 

6/12/2018 10:03 am  #20


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

Lenny wrote:

I was ice fishing a secret whitefish lake near Barry's Bay a couple of years ago and was told by a local on a snowmobile that he does all his ice fishing in Algonquin Park. He said they bring a portable heater, drill holes close to shore and stays in the trees because he said planes fly over to patrol for ice fishing (which I find hard to believe). I assume the area he was talking about is on the border of the park close to Aylen Lake. 

One of my APP native friends told me they fly over once every 2 weeks all winter to track how many people are fishing and where, someone in his family is actually the pilot that does it. I've seen them a few times while out snowshoeing around Kiosk.

     Thread Starter
 

6/12/2018 10:29 am  #21


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

I can think of a few, sadly.

Little Coon 
The first time I camped in Algonquin we stayed on a site on Little Coon. I had nothing but fond memories of the site and the big rock platform that was the main sitting/fire area.  5 years later my friend and I returned when on a loop that tooks us through Little Coon. I was devastated.  

The site was trashed, every young tree had been cut down and turned into tent poles which were left scattered around the site.  The giant wooden bench was destroyed as someone had tried to burn it (and failed).  We had to pull it out of the firepit and rebuild the bench as best we could, though instead of seating 5 it could now only seat 2.

Lake Louisa
Was windbound on this lake one day so I did some exploring.  There was a trail that lead from my site to another one near by, that site was pretty sad looking but I think it was more the result of nature.  I then wandered in behind the site and found that someone had built a fire  pit back there with several benches, shelves, etc.  All built out of still green wood.  Each bench had green cedar branches on it and then was duck taped in place.  There was probably a whole roll of duck tape holding this crappy little camp together, not to mention all the rope/string. Also, any tree that was not cut down had been hacked away at with a hachet and were all bleeding sap profusely.  I'm assuming a group of people got sick of the wind and decided to build this monstrosity and didn't even think to clean up.

I took it all down, dragged the green wood back into the bush and scattered it as best I could.  Brought all the duck tape, rope, and the small amount of dry wood back to my site and burned it.  Unfortunately there's still a big hole in the forest where this was built.

Also worth mentioning, I found a metal minow trap at this site, which I'm quite sure is illegal due to the no bait fish rule.

Queer Lake
This one was probably the saddest.  We were just exploring the lake and spotted something odd from the water.  We pulled up closer to see what it was and basically every little hole in the ground was stuffed full of plastic drop sheets.  From what it looked like someone had brought drop sheets (probably to use as tarps) then got annoyed at the rodents and instead decided to block every possible hole on the site and then just left it all there to sit for all eternity.  Unfortunately we were already traveling pretty heavy and did not have the capacity to pack it out ourselves.

 

6/12/2018 10:23 pm  #22


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

This thread has raised some frustrated and sarcastic sentiments .. some generalized to the point of verging on racist. Just as there are numerous 'bad-actors' in the general community, there are also some 'bad-actors' in the local-community. All-encompassing control of behavior has recently fallen into a limbo of abandonment .. with some locals failing to exercise responsible self-control .. and with more of the general community apparently trying to out-do them in  a "fail army of bad actors".

These days, education seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Maybe the new government will see fit to put more resources into enforcement!

As for you users of this forum ... please don't let the 'bad actors' get you down or pull-you-down!. 

 

6/13/2018 12:59 am  #23


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

Dirty diapers in the fire pit is one I've seen a handful of times.  It always saddens me to know these people have already procreated.  

 

6/13/2018 6:22 am  #24


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

ATVenture wrote:

Lenny wrote:

I was ice fishing a secret whitefish lake near Barry's Bay a couple of years ago and was told by a local on a snowmobile that he does all his ice fishing in Algonquin Park. He said they bring a portable heater, drill holes close to shore and stays in the trees because he said planes fly over to patrol for ice fishing (which I find hard to believe). I assume the area he was talking about is on the border of the park close to Aylen Lake. 

One of my APP native friends told me they fly over once every 2 weeks all winter to track how many people are fishing and where, someone in his family is actually the pilot that does it. I've seen them a few times while out snowshoeing around Kiosk.

I was reading a post about someone ice fishing on an Algonquin lake close to the border of the park.  They were spotted by the flyover and then approached by CO's on snowmobiles.  They were fined for multiple infractions, including the use of live baitfish.
So I believe the flyover's do take place as ATVenture alludes to, but the frequency is questionable.

In order to protect and police the resource you need people to do it, which means you need to pay for the people/equipment, which means you need money...
I'll be interested to see what the newly elected PC government does with regards to MNRF funding, but I don't have warm fuzzy feelings about it.

 

6/13/2018 8:24 am  #25


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

a couple of dozen chainsaw cut trees (at snow level) and a hidden cast iron wood stove at a campsite on Eustache. 

 

1/27/2020 1:35 am  #26


Re: Whats the most despicable thing you've seen in the back country?

(Re: the pictures of stumps and cuttings) One time I actually came close to impaling myself on something like that. I fell forward by the edge of a lake, face first and my belly was centered on the point of a stump that was hidden in the undergrowth. Judging from the pain I was sure I was done for (I was alone, long way back to Hwy 60) but upon further investigation I was relieved that the impact never broke the skin - thunder sunsets 12" across is all I got for my trouble and no internal damage or anything like that.

I always pick up the little empty packets of ketchup and mustard etc.  I hate those!

So is the... bottle ban still on? I actually don't know! The last time I was there (May 2017) I don't remember seeing any signs saying "no water bottles" say, in the Mile 9 area (Canoe Lake) or Mile 20 (Two Rivers). I'm pretty sure we had a few bottles with us, which we drank and packed out.

I google'd the situation just now and... wait for it! The language is actually not clear.

http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/visit/park_management/can-and-bottle-ban.php

So there you go, letter time!!! ---> TFOP Box 248, Whitney, Ontario, Canada K0J 2M0

Last edited by Roman_K2 (1/27/2020 1:38 am)

 

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