Death Hunt

Albert Johnson stumbles upon an organized dog fight in the Yukon. A white German Shepherd is badly injured, and he forces Hazel to sell it, paying $200 for the dog. Johnson then nurses the animal back to health.

Aggrieved, Hazel leads several of his friends to confront Johnson at his isolated cabin. They attack with gunfire and create a diversion during the assault. Sitka is shot, and Johnson kills one pursuer, Jimmy Tom.

News spreads that Johnson bought 700 rounds of ammunition with 100 dollar bills, fueling the myth of the mad trapper. An old trapper named Bill Luce warns that the law is closing in. The story draws more trappers to join the manhunt.

Sergeant Edgar Millen, veteran tracker Sundog Brown, and constable Alvin Adams arrive to investigate Hazel's accusations. Hazel's ally Vanessa McBride is introduced as part of Millen's circle. Johnson fortifies his cabin, preparing for the looming confrontation.

Millen attempts to parley with Johnson, but gunfire erupts as the posse advances. The posse uses dynamite to blow up Johnson's cabin, and he escapes while firing, killing Mountie Hawkins in the confusion.

The chase expands as Sundog and Adams lead the pursuit, joined by Hazel with his tracker dogs. The case becomes front-page news and a 1000 dollar bounty attracts many trappers. Captain Hank Tucker, an RCAF pilot, is sent to help and reveals that Johnson was a member of a U.S. Army special intelligence unit in World War I.

Johnson employs a range of tracking techniques to stay ahead of his pursuers, living off the land in brutal winter conditions. He demonstrates remarkable resourcefulness as the hunt grows more frantic. The pursuers inch closer, but the harsh landscape favors Johnson.

Luce comes across two pursuing trappers and shoots them, then removes their gold teeth, confirming his role in the mad trapper myth. The label of the killer adds a new dimension to the chase as suspicions shift. The wilderness holds its own as the truth remains elusive.

The pursuers finally close in as Tucker strafes the area with his aircraft; Sundog is killed in the skirmish, and Millen and Adams shoot the plane down, sending Tucker to a fatal crash. Johnson kills Hazel during the chaotic pursuit. The terrain becomes a deadly trap as the hunt reaches its peak.

Millen spots Johnson and opens fire, but the bullet strikes a man who is later revealed to be Luce in Johnson's clothes, rendering him unrecognizable. They examine the body and realize the real Johnson is on a ridge above them, dressed as Luce. The dead man is Luce, while Johnson still lives.

As more pursuers arrive, Adams tells them that Millen has killed Johnson. A trapper discovers the dead man’s pocket full of gold teeth, exposing the deception and preserving the myth of the mad trapper. The frontier press heats up with the twist, leaving the truth unsettled.

Johnson remains at large in the Yukon, with the hunt continuing and the public's obsession with the myth unresolved. Millen's approach toward Johnson's survival tests his judgments about law and justice. Vanessa McBride's presence adds a personal dimension to the high-stakes chase.