I did a little Google search and found myself reading posts on the BWCA site.Seems like this incident is causing a lot of controversy and some rancor among the members.

Official report says if anyone sees a guy fitting that description they should contact park authorities or the Mounties.

Some links speculate he’s wanted for questioning in a reservation murder, other say he’s someone known to wander the woods living off the land and is basically harmless BUT might raid camps for food in a pinch.

Some of the posters think the authorities are being too vague and that either he’s a threat and they should say so and start a serious manhunt OR stop scaring people without giving a good reason?

I wouldn't want to see someone unfairly maligned just because he’s some guy wanting to play Survivor man, but if a guy like that wanders into your camp when you have the wife or kids along, you’d be a little on edge IF you have any sense of self-awareness/preservation.

I had a guy come into my one-person camp once in Northern MI on a spring trout fishing trip. I was down a 2-track that took 4 wheel drive to get into river side camp and was having dinner and a few beers when this guy steps out of the brush and asks me “Where am I”?

I tell him and ask if he wants some coffee, maybe a bite to eat? As he walks closer I see a big hunting knife on his hip. I decide then that he should see the .357 Mag I had under my jacket.

He sees the pistol, said he had changed his mind about coffee /food and that he was just going back to his car, which he said was back up the trail and off a fork in the road.

He went from not knowing where he was at, being thirsty/hungry to knowing exactly where he was parked.

I left next day and took that fork out to the main trail. He was sitting in an old beater that was filled with garbage bags/fast food garbage.

I stopped at park headquarters and told the ranger, He said he knew who I was talking about. He was a homeless guy from the area who they had warned about camping on state land without a free camp permit and about approaching strangers.

I have NO idea if the guy meant me any harm, but it could of went bad real quick IF he did something that made me feel my life was in danger.

Same thing in this situation. A guy like that you can’t just ignore or assume means you know harm.

I would think if he’s wanted by the Mounties they should look at banning travel in that area until they find the guy rather than let paddlers/ especially families or  lone/tandem females go in, no matter how minimal the danger might be.