Last year my group did a northern entry. We paid our permit/camping fees at the park HQ and went in. We exited on the day we planned and headed back to the US. On the way home I got to thinking we should have checked in at the HQ so they knew we were out. Is a "checkout" required under these circumstances? I now believe it would be the courteous thing to do.

If no checkout is required, how would the park staff know you were safely out? Is it taken for granted? If weather or other factors would have delayed our exit, we would have checked with the staff and paid the extra camping fees. Is it also possible some would stay more nights than paid for and just leave when they exit?

Been going to the Q over 30 years. Never "checked out" with any official of any type.

Yes - they assume you leave on time (unless weather delayed) and would appreciate payment if you were indeed delayed.

The "in and out" dates are required for collection of proper revenue. They always take other data in case of need to locate your party - lakes you plan to visit, color of tents, tarps & canoe, etc.

Old Hoosier

have you ever "checked out" when you left the BW?

Geez Andy... had we known that you hadn't checked out yet, we could have put our camping fees on your tab. LOL

No need to "check out". Just load up, hit the road and head it south.

Unlike the BW, the reason I asked was the Q requires nightly camping fees. Sorry if I did not make that clear.

Just FYI, the rangers at PP said if I thought I would leave early, they recommended paying for the least, as it was easy for them to collect more, but not at all easy to refund for unused days - which they will do. I suspect if you overstay, that they'd be happy to accept payment via credit card over the phone to the head quarters even once you got home.

So, if a person wanted to be dishonest (which I am not,) they could pay for 5 nights and camp for more. If they were checked by rangers, they could claim they got lost or wind bound for the extra days and pay up. If not, could the scofflaws leave without paying? Seems pretty loose to me.

quote AndySG: "Seems pretty loose to me. "

It is. That's what's so nice about Quetico paddling. Only nice, honest people with integrity paddle up there. :)

Yes, you could deliberately overstay what you have paid for, but why? Wind bound an extra day can happen, but to do this on purpose would make you the kind of person who should stay home.

The Canadians have protected this park for the future to enjoy. Park fees are more than the Boundary Waters, but not unreasonable. My first Quetico trip was 49 years ago as a Boy Scout and we can fish all day away from camp and know that no one has stolen from our campsite. Anyone who would violate the honesty of this park should never be there.

quote AndySG: "So, if a person wanted to be dishonest (which I am not,) they could pay for 5 nights and camp for more. If they were checked by rangers, they could claim they got lost or wind bound for the extra days and pay up. If not, could the scofflaws leave without paying? Seems pretty loose to me. "

I wouldn't do that, I know Bill has been told otherwise but I just don't think that the Q person who said that was thinking it all out. I would only do that if I had it in writing and signed.

I am pretty confident if you got stopped a day or two over your permit and tried the ol'..."I was going to pay for it after the fact" you would get a fine.

The policy of the Quetico Park is if you violate a rule you get a fine, no explanation is okay, either you are in violation or you aren't. I have no issue with this, it is clear and fair but it is different than the BWCAW where enforcement is more of informing of the rules and educating than fine focused.

I have been checked 3x in the Quetico and each time they were friendly and courteous, but they did everything they could to find a violation and every group we encountered along the way that met up with them got a fine for minor or obscure rules (according to them FWIW :) ) one group had 3 walleyes on the stringer and admitted one guy caught the 3 walleyes. He was fined several hundred dollars as his limit was only 2 but for the group of 6 they only had 3 walleyes total. Another group admitted they did not follow the route their entry point indicated--they reversed the route due to weather and received a fine. You can argue the virtue of issuing such a fine or not but if they are going to levy a fine liek these they aren't going to let you not pay for extra nights on the honor system.

Get it in writing!

T

This is news to me. My understanding is once you enter through the access point on your permit, you can go anywhere you want in Quetico, wandering here, there, wherever. I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble in Quetico for such a thing.

Thinbluline: this is second hand info of someone fined and according to them for a violation that should be a warning :) FWIW

They had a Kashapeewi permit from Prairie portage, they entered at Prairie and headed to Agnes to avoid wind on North Bay and did their loop in reverse Agnes over to Kash. Somewhere in North Bay on the way out they got checked and when the Rangers asked their route, They were honest and told their route. Since they went in on the wrong entry point they got a fine. On the ticket they showed me it said" failure to enter at the designated Park entry". They were upset, I didn't ask what the fine was.

I just added that because if that get's you a fine, or having 3 walleyes amongst 6 guys when you could of had up to 12 walleyes...using the honor system and staying longer than your original permit will get you a fine IMHO.

The thing about Quetico is you have about a 1% chance of ever getting checked.

T

Q entry points and quotas

53. Kahshahapiwi Lake and 61. Agnes Lake are 2 distinct and quota EP's. Possession limits apply to single anglers not a group.

Similar laws apply in the US, nothing unusual.

butthead

Interesting in that the rules I can find just say you have to travel through the EP on your permit. When I asked a ranger, the suggestion was within a day or two of entering. I suppose if they had been in 4-5 days without going through it, that would be wrong. I've never hit Kash or Sarah on day one - usually on Isabella. (Though I met a bunch of groups once that had been wind bound on Inlet Bay for three days - so they could easily have been 4-5 days to get to Kash or Sarah.)

1% may be high. Feel like 1/10th of 1% or less is closer. I don't think there are more than 3 or 4 pairs of rangers actually in the park at peak season. I only ever saw a pair once - and that was after hours and they were going swimming at Louisa Falls and barely said hello as they walked past.

quote butthead: " Q entry points and quotas

53. Kahshahapiwi Lake and 61. Agnes Lake are 2 distinct and quota EP's. Possession limits apply to single anglers not a group.

Similar laws apply in the US, nothing unusual.

butthead"

Sorry, I didn't make my point. Bill said an employee told him you could book less days and stay longer, just settle up at the end. My point was that it is a violation of the rules and I think if a Ranger caught you in Quetico past what you paid for you would get a fine.

I used the examples above to illustrate if they will give out tickets for people violating the letter of the law but not the intent of the law (you have no argument from me on that) then they certainly aren't going to let you slip on not paying for all your days upfront, then when ya get pinched later...claim you were going to pay at the end.

I have no doubt Bill was told this, but probably because they knew him and trusted him. Most of us don't have that relationship with officials. Just trying to make sure someone doesn't get fined unnecessarily.

T

quote billconner: "1% may be high. Feel like 1/10th of 1% or less is closer. I don't think there are more than 3 or 4 pairs of rangers actually in the park at peak season. I only ever saw a pair once - and that was after hours and they were going swimming at Louisa Falls and barely said hello as they walked past. "

For you maybe :) I am the guy that always gets checked at the airport, if 10 cars are going 80 mph and I am at 75 mph--I get pulled over, one time I got pulled over 5 nights in one week for nothing---just random made up stops to check me out. my first trip to the BWCAW I got checked, my 4th trip I got checked in a PMA (Raven), my first Quetico trip I got checked, I got checked on Ted lake another time and then ran into the Park Supervisor the next day. I could go on. :) Anyway I always have everything in order, know the rules and always be respectful, it goes just fine, but I am that guy that draws the police or authorities :)

T

Don't ususally check out, but there are times we have if there was information we felt they'd want. For example, the time we made the mistake of trying the northern Cache Creek to avoid the Trousers-Cache portage, we figured they might want to know what that was like (as I recall the reaction was long the lines of "wait, you did what?"). Sometimes you get in conversation with a Ranger on the way in, and they might be curious about something you might see, and to report back if you get a chance. Just a courtesy thing, but certainly not a necessity.

I reported what they told me based on I my saying that I didn't know if I'd camp in the Quetico for 4 or 5 night before entering the BWCA for the rest of the trip. Perhaps it was off the cuff because it was much more work for them to refund than to collect extra. In fact, I paid for 5 nights, did leave after 4, and never considered asking for a refund. It was still a bargain. And while I think the odds of being caught for anything (I don't fish so leave that out) in the Quetico are very slim, I follow all the rules assiduously. I'd worry my mother would rise from the grave and scold me if I broke a rule. Heck if pinned by a raging thunder storm with exit delayed I'd race to the ranger to confess and pay up. All that doesn't change what I've learned, been told, observed, etc. And I'm the one in front of you going 70 when most are whizzing by at 80.

And BTW, if using PP I invariably check in to say hello on my way out. Maybe report tim going 75 on the 65 mph portage. Not so much at Beaverhouse.

quote billconner: "And BTW, if using PP I invariably check in to say hello on my way out. Maybe report tim going 75 on the 65 mph portage. Not so much at Beaverhouse. "

I knew it ! :) :)

T

quote timatkn: "

quote billconner: "And BTW, if using PP I invariably check in to say hello on my way out. Maybe report tim going 75 on the 65 mph portage. Not so much at Beaverhouse. "

I knew it ! :) :)

T

"

Funny as heck...you guys crack me up!!