There's a pretty good book "The Ridgerunner" about a somewhat insane little man named William Cylde Moreland. He lived in the Central Idaho mountains in the 1930's, 40's. He was rarely, if ever seen by anyone. The only reason that people knew he existed was that he broke into fully stocked Forest Service cabins in winter. After 15 or so years of this, the Forest Serviced hired trackers to hunt him down and catch him. After years of tracking he was finally caught and found to be insane. He was interned in the State Mental hospital in Orofino, ID. Years later, after his release, he was seen heading back into the wilderness and was never heard or seen from again. The guy was a complete loon, but an excellent woodsman. The book was a pretty good read, too.
Yes, it is an interesting read, too. The difference between Bill Moreland and this dangerous self annointed "mountain man" jerk down in Utah is that Moreland never took anything but absolute essentials from the Forest Service cabins, and was never destructive of property. He never threatened anyone, and the only firearm he had was a stolen single shot .22 LR rifle and a few cartridges he used to kill small game.
Anyone interested in reading the story of Bill Moreland .... "The Ridgerunner, Elusive Loner Of The Wilderness," by Richard Ripley, Backeddy Books Publ., ©1986.
Find a copy and read it. You won't be disappointed with the tale of Bill Moreland.
S.M.
"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790),U.S. statesman, scientist, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
Seniorman-you're from the southern part of the state, what's your take on Claude Dallas? I hear he's been sighted in Grouse County, UT recently.
So, if it s cool, it's Ok to a thief?......Billy The Kid, Robin Hood, Buch and Sundance......
When thye steal from you, it ain't so cool anymore....
Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
Evoking the 50 year old rule...
First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27
No shut Sherlock.....
Well, like a quote by Jay Leno......"Politics is show business for ugly people..."
Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
Evoking the 50 year old rule...
First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27
Hi, I'm brand new here on this website! I have been lurking for a couple of weeks and find this place a great website.
To address your question, I knew Claude from the early 80s, and continued to correspond with him during his stay in prison. Unfortunately he has not contacted me since his release from prison.
He is a great guy, and he taught me much about trapping and meat preservation in the wilderness. I would literally trust him with my life! However he was extremely difficult to get to know and to gain his trust. This is a long story in which can't get into here.
Now I live in northern Arizona off the grid, 28 miles from the nearest town and store. It's absolutely fantastic living the way I do, as I have elk, deer, antelope, javelina, wild burros, wild horses, and even bears that come into my property! If the SHTF I would be comparatively well-off with an abundant food supply, and plenty of peace and quiet. Sorry I'm going off-topic, I just thought I'd give my 2 cents!
Thanks for the input on Claude Dallas. When I first came to Idaho in '81, I was on Hwy 12 crossing over Lolo pass from Missoula. The first thing that I saw was a wanted poster on a tree with a drawing of Claude on it. It really felt like the wild west at the time. I read the books on the subject and came up with the conclusion that the only person that knows what really happened on that day in the Owyhee desert, is Claude himself. I will then reserve judgement on the subject for this reason. But one curious thing is that while he was acquitted by a jury, the judge still sentenced him to 30 years.
If you're referring to the Ridgerunner discussion, that guy stole quite alot more than just a .22 rifle and some food. As he became more insane, he blew up a bulldozer with dynamite, and threatened some folks with a loaded handgun, actually firing shots at them. He spent time in jail for some of his crimes. Some of his crimes were overlooked because he was kind of a folk hero, an icon. Funny how history sways with public opinion. Like Billy the Kid-stone cold murderer, or legend? Jesse James- Hero of the Confederacy that wouldn't surrender, or common thief and bankrobber? George Washington-hated rebel, or freedom fighter? Moshe Dayan-terrorist, or tactical genius? The list goes on and on.
Power Giant, I was living in Los Angeles in 1981, and only read about Dallas and the killings in Owyhee County. I followed the story as to the stuff printed in a couple of newspapers, but that was it. When we moved here to Idaho, it was not unusual to run into people who knew both Dallas, and Pogue & Elms. Obviously, there were strong feelings about the issue on both sides of the incident.
I can't say I have any more information than the "hearsay" reports, trial information, and the anecdotes of several people with whom I have spoken who knew Dallas. The one thing I do know is that that Owyhee country of s.w. Idaho, n.w. Nevada, and s.e. Oregon is huge, very remote, very rugged, mostly lonely, and a person could hang around down there for a long, long time without running into anyone, if he were careful and knew what he was doing, outdoor skills, etc.
Last report I heard of as to Dallas' location was that he was working for a rancher around the Winnemucca, Nevada, area. I've not heard of the Utah sighting. Would not surprise me, however, if he has left Nevada and moved to Utah.
S.M.
"They that can give up essential liberty to gain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790),U.S. statesman, scientist, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
Hello, I'm glad you appreciated my input! I never did see one of those posters with his image and info on it. But I was hassled by a cop once who said I resembled Claude. (which I don't). Actually Claude was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. He would never bring up the incident, and I never asked him anything about it.
Getting back to the OP, this other guy, the Utah "mountain man", is nothing like Claude, and I'm glad this fellow got caught. Few folks like a common thief! This man relied on theft and dishonesty to get by, Claude utilized what was available in nature to eat when he was on his prolonged trips in the wilds. Sometimes he broke the law with his subsistence harvesting of wild game, but he never broke into private property to steal food, etc.
Does anyone know which is the best product among those listed on this site?
*****SPAMMY STUFF******
Last edited by Rick; 07-13-2019 at 06:47 AM. Reason: Removed Link
They don't even try to hide the fact that they are spamming. If they'd put more effort into it we could have some fun.
They do such a god awful bad job of it. That's the sad part. No imagination. No sense of adventure. It's as if they know they are doomed to failure and they have accepted it.
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