How about having the neighbor kid fire up a diesel every morning at 5:30 am? No, I don't shoot and didn't even disable the diesel.

But even if we agree that she was pushed beyond her limit, how would you respond if a good shot returned fire and killed her? No answer required.

CNR:

Chain saw bit is not a good example!!!!!......

with the jet sled.......its run up the river.......back down.....boondoggalling, maybe for 2-3 miles, then run back up and repeat.............the chain saw would be all day long, in about the same place.........SAME person day after day.

I wonder what the landowners that live on the Cowlitz think?????

Bottom line is.........more and more people are at a age where they want things to do. We have the money, we have the time, some like to travel, some like to hunt, some like to fish........not everyone likes to golf!!!!

PS----I did the "stand in the water" for 20+ yrs., then watched as more and more drift boats were being used, so I got one and used it for yrs. still have it...........it's just soooooooooooo much easier for me to fish out of my "small jet boat"..........


"worse day sport fishing, still better than the the best day working"

Sorry CNR.

No justification. Period.

We ALL do things to irritate other people. We all have to live through periods in our lives when neighbors, strangers or others mess with what we believe to be "our" way, life, quiet or whatever. If you don't like what is happening and have tried many avenues to affect change without resolve.......... then live with it....... or don't.

I never thought she had an excuse for shooting, just a reason, in her own mind. Gee, maybe the family can talk her into a nursing home, thats always a fine choice. I know her daughter and grandsons, they are very carrying and concerned people. People live in rual areas for a good reason. CNR's perception is on the money.
Others responding to this issue are correct. Every one has right to the river, every one can run a sled, driftboat or sailboat on the river.
It's all legal. Just for a moment think what she must feel like.

P.S Drifter, you should play golf, I'll give you a stroke a side.

Does anyone have a link for this story.

I think think that the problem has been exaggerated. Not that many sleds run that part. I think they/she just hate(s) to see people on the river.
I would like to see the family members held accountable. The old lady isnt totally sane anymore, but her family still lets her pack heat.

Ok, I'll think about how she feels about how in the last 10 years or so there has been increasing traffic on a river that used to be pretty quite before the advent of invading armadas of sleds. I'll come to the conclusion it's not so quite & rural anymore & I'll think I'll sell my riverfront property to a sled owner & MOVE!

I'd hate it too if I had lived there since Moses & enjoyed peace & quiet for 90% of my lifespan & now it's all gone & my piece of mind is all but a memory. SO MOVE! Times change! Things happen!

Like I said earlier -her FAMILY should have stepped up & either removed her gun or encouraged her to move to another home on a non-navigable stream. They should have seen it comming. Even if I agree with my parents point of view but feel they will put someone in danger or are making threats of bodily harm I will do something about it. I would hate to see my mom behind bars or have her kill someone.

Conflicts like this have been going on since the advent of private ownership. Exercising the proper responsibility of property ownership is a choice.

The Sheriffs Deputy could file a civil suit & own that nice piece of riverfront! Did the old lady or the family ever think of that?

I am sure the last thing they thought about were the civil liabilities of their actions. As I said in my first post, It was unfortunate that she did what she did. The Deputy just happen to be
in the wrong place (even though he had the right to be there) at the wrong time. We are all lucky it was a trained professional in that situation and he reacted with the wisdom of his experience and training. She may have not been as fortunate if someone else was her victim. I am sure the Sheriff dept has talked with the family about the guns. I will talk with the grandsons to make sure. Having a long L.E background and dealing with people that have commited major crimes against people I have found very few of them really consider the consequences of their actions. Many of them just get their chained pulled.

Local:

Best thing that has happened in a long time, was to have that deputy on the river. He was able to report it and because he was who he was, they had to listen and react.

It never happened to me but this is not the first shooting that has taken place in that area, with fisherpeople on the river.

To hear the families talk, you'd think that there are jet boats in that section of the river, 365 days a year. April 1 thur October 1 MOST years you won't find a jet boat close to that area.........not like the Cowlitz where there could be some kind of fishing, 365 days a year.

Keep your 1 stroke, I'll pray for sunshine so you can enjoy your time on the golf course, just leave me alone to enjoy what I like to enjoy.........tight lines on a light rod and reel and just being able to enjoy being 63, doing what Ilike to do!!!!

"Worse day sport fishing, still better than the best day working"

This is really a weird case. I used to launch my drift boat at Carter Creek there back when I lived in Monte in the late 70s-early 80s. Somebody at that house actually helped me get my old '69 F150 unstuck there once. My wife and I also use to walk up Carter Creek in October to watch the kings spawn. Big suckers use to spawn up there, don't know if they still do. No excuse for shooting at people, but I do hate to see sleds up high on the Wynooche. We never used to see them. Now they're all over and the difference is this is a small river. It's not a Cowlitz. I fish elsewhere now, but I still love that river, always will.

What she could have done is to support the proposed rules by the WDFW to not allow fishing from a motorized vessle. I hear the department chickened out on the proposal ( to bad). I cannot remember if it would have applied to the mentioned area but it would have been a start.

She and her family did support the changes. I have a small sled and I would have supported no sleds above Carter ck too! But thats the way it is, end of story.

I'm new to the posting on this site, but it is kinda funny to hear the different re-actions of everyone. The victims of this shooting are my buddy and father in-law. I found out about the incident as soon as they got back into cell phone contact. This is not the first run in with this gal that we've had. She has yelled at us and others in the past, usually just ranting and raving. While I can understand her frustrtation of having 'Her' river invaded, this is by no means acceptable behavior.

She shot a 22 cal rifle at these guys at least 3 times, 22 cal is a small round however it is one of the rounds a standard ballistic vest does not stop due to it's small diameter. Bottom line, do the crime do the time. Perhaps in this case in a retirement home would be thte best place to do that time!

I'm thinkin funny farm

Dude,
A few years ago only one or two sleds ran that part of the river. Now there are a few dozen, everyone from Chuck W. to Little Robert are on it and all making this woman madder and madder along with all the driftboaters they are low holing. The department had the opportunity to eliminate sleds from up here but they did not so who knows who will pay the price in the end one of us or the old lady.
Peace
Superfly

W.Coyote, SalmonBelly, & Superfly:

W. Coyote--Can tell you don't own a sled, that you don't live close to this river, that are another of the "out of towners" that thinks they have the answers for other people problems........take care of your own area!!! Plenty of problems in the Everett area..

Salmonbelly----I to used to slide my D.boat down the bank at Carter Creek, fished many summer days and lot's of winter days from there to White Bridge.......then the barbed wire, went up so I changed fishing areas, still on the Wynoochee but different areas. Oh, by the way......I'm a old Redmond boy, caught my 1st steelhead at the mouth of the Tolt, 1964 summerrun. Also rmember when the Sammish Slough was "wild" from Lake Sammish to Lake Washington...and when Bear Creek in Redmond had "native trout" and a sockeye run to dream about...Lived on the Avondale, 1953-57.....Things change, times change.

Superfly---I owned 1 of those small sleds, fished that area from White Bridge up to just below Carter Creek, that was only after the barbed wire was installed so I couldn't d. boat fish that area of the river. Was never a major problem is the late 80's and early 90's(Except for Jerry Matthews who though he owned all the water on the Wynoochee and the Satsop.)

If you want to drift boat fish----you sure have all the water from Scheafer Creek to Carter Creek.....then just row out.......problem is...drift boaters wanted all the water from "water intake" to the dam for themselves.

I have a great time fishing around the "jet boat" guides........love to catch fish after them!!!

I don't like to row the drift boat any more, still have it.........just so enjoyable to go where I want and LEAVE WHEN I WANT...so you fish your way.........just don't tell me how to fish my way!!!!

"Worse day sport fishing, still better than the best day working"