DNR Reminder: Fish shelter identification required

[PiedmontAngler]

Lets not forget to follow the rules when it comes to ID on your shelter. It can turn a fun day of fishing sour. There are a few other points that we often fail to remember. Take a look to refresh your memory, or learn for the new hard water folks.

Fish shelter identification required

(Released December 10, 2010)

Conservation officers from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have some reminders for ice anglers and others who plan to place shelters on the ice of Minnesota waters this winter.

All shelters placed on the ice must display either the complete name and address, a driver’s license number, or the nine-digit DNR number on the license of the owner. The information must be plainly and legibly displayed on the outside of the shelter, in letters and figures at least 2 inches high. The requirement includes ice skating warming houses and other traditional structures placed on the ice, either temporarily or overnight.

There are other shelter regulations:

1. Any shelter (fish houses, dark houses, warming houses, etc.) left on the ice at any time between midnight and one hour prior to sunrise must have a shelter license.

2. The Department of Public Safety now requires the registration of trailers used to haul ice fishing houses or dark houses, and enclosed trailers or recreational trailers used for fishing. Registration can be done at a local deputy registrar.

3. A tag, furnished with a license, must be attached to the exterior in a readily visible location.

4. Shelters left on the ice overnight need to have at least 2 square inches of reflective material on each side of the house.

5. A shelter license is not required on border waters with Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota or South Dakota.

6. On border waters, shelters must comply with the identification requirements of the state for which the angler is licensed.

7. A shelter may not be erected within 10 feet of an existing shelter. (this is a primary cause for friction)

8. Portable shelters may be used for fishing within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), but must be removed from the ice each night. The structure must be removed from the BWCAW each time the occupant leaves the BWCAW.

[leroy77]

The way I read the regs I thought you did not need a shelter license if you did not leave the house unattended. Am I wrong? I may have misunderstood the regs.

[DTro]

1. Any shelter (fish houses, dark houses, warming houses, etc.) left on the ice at any time between midnight and one hour prior to sunrise must have a shelter license.

[FIRECAT]

I've got the Reg book in my hand it says, A shelter may not be left UNATTENDED anytime between midnight and one hour prior to sunrise unless the shelter is licensed. That seems to tell me that if im in the house during that period I shouldn't need a shelter license. Sure would like to know the right answer!

[Greg Clusiau]

Here's some more stuff to consider if you are traveling at night with a snowmobile and pulling a shelter.

Reflector Material

• Snowmobiles must have at least 16 square inches of reflector material

on each side forward of the handle bars. (My registration numbers are reflective and more than 16 sq. inches)

• Any sled, trailer, or other device that is towed by a snowmobile during

hours of darkness must display visible reflector material on each side

and at the rear.

[ROOOOSTERFISH]

I have always gone by if you do not leave your house unattended then you will not need a license.

[olbaidhh]

I understand where everyone is coming from with "what if its occupied, unattended" etc.

But aren't we talking twelve bucks here? Why not just get the license and call it good... I am sure we have all spent $12 on worse things.

[Maverick]

Right from page 61 of the Regulations: A shelter may not be left unattended anytime between midnight and one hour prior to sunrise unless the shelter is licensed

This discussion comes up every year. You can come up with all the "what ifs" you want, but if the house is on the lake and you aren't in it or near it it is unattended. It's 12:01 in the morning and you hop on your sled to go kiss momma good night. You aren't in the house or near it so you better have a license or take the shelter with you.

Right about now we should start to hear the stories about the guy someone knew who was on the ice after midnight in his car and the CO gave him a ticket for not having a license on his house. Or, how about the guy that was using his portable outside his wheel house for a biffy and the CO gave him a ticket because he wasn't in the house.

[Steve Foss]

2. The Department of Public Safety now requires the registration of trailers used to haul ice fishing houses or dark houses, and enclosed trailers or recreational trailers used for fishing. Registration can be done at a local deputy registrar.

3. A tag, furnished with a license, must be attached to the exterior in a readily visible location.

I think leroy's question arises from 2 and 3. Is 3 referring to a trailer license? Or is three referring to the shelter? And if it's referring to the shelter, it does seem a bit open ended and could easily be interpreted that shelters need to be licensed no matter what. My guess is it only refers to those shelters left overnight.

But 3 definitely gave me pause when I read it, and I scratched my head over it.

All it would have had to say to avoid any confusion is this: A tag, furnished with a license, must be attached to the exterior -- in a readily visible location -- of all shelters left on the ice overnight.

[castmaster]

Right from page 61 of the Regulations: A shelter may not be left unattended anytime between midnight and one hour prior to sunrise unless the shelter is licensed

This discussion comes up every year. You can come up with all the "what ifs" you want, but if the house is on the lake and you aren't in it or near it it is unattended. It's 12:01 in the morning and you hop on your sled to go kiss momma good night. You aren't in the house or near it so you better have a license or take the shelter with you.

Right about now we should start to hear the stories about the guy someone knew who was on the ice after midnight in his car and the CO gave him a ticket for not having a license on his house. Or, how about the guy that was using his portable outside his wheel house for a biffy and the CO gave him a ticket because he wasn't in the house.

Your telling me they can write a ticket for unlicensed/unattended fish house for a portable sitting right outside a permanent/wheelhouse being used as a bathroom? Thats the most ridiculous thing I have heard in quite some time.

If you drive by and see a truck parked next to a wheel house with people fishing in it would you say that truck was left there unattended? The portable in such a situation would be no more "unattended" than that truck would be.

[olbaidhh]

Thats where I am coming from... buy the $12 license and all this is pointless.

[gotum]

What is the point of wasting the $12 if you legal don't have to?

[VMS]

Because it puts money back into the system for fisheries, paying for those CO's that help to catch those who decide to break the law, etc...

Essentially, you are talking one meal at McD's for you and one other that gets you out there for the year without worry of being ticketed, even if it happened due to being some sort of gray area.

Or....

you could go the other direction if you'd like and allow yourself to get caught, putting more money into the system... :-)

Steve

[kevfish1]

I think you are kidding yourself if you think that $12 is being put back into the system for those things.

[JSK76]

Here's some more stuff to consider if you are traveling at night with a snowmobile and pulling a shelter.

Reflector Material

• Snowmobiles must have at least 16 square inches of reflector material

on each side forward of the handle bars. (My registration numbers are reflective and more than 16 sq. inches)

• Any sled, trailer, or other device that is towed by a snowmobile during

hours of darkness must display visible reflector material on each side

and at the rear.

Wow, did not know this one. My sled comes stock with less than 3 square inches up front and I can honestly say I've never seen a portable sled base with a reflector on it. Good to know.

[JSK76]

My 6X14 house only needs 2 square inches per side but my snowmobile need 16 square inches forward of the handle bars on each side???

[Maverick]

No, but just wait and read. There will be stories like this. This is a very difficult law to follow. My gosh, you have to know what "unattended" means. It's so hard to understand that I'm not going to buy a license "just in case", I'm going to send the DNR payment for my fine up front.

[crappiekid]

here is the scoop for the portable bathroom fishtrap outside the house.

While on red lake CO made me take down my flip over frabill and or move it.

It was 2 feet away from my wheel house (Close for my wife and daughters)

he asked for the shelter sticker as it was unattended and less than 10 feet away from my wheel house ..

i said i had no idea folded it up and put it in my truck until morning.

I probably wont pay the 12 for the porta potty but do have lic for my wheel house .

[olbaidhh]

No, but just wait and read. There will be stories like this. This is a very difficult law to follow. My gosh, you have to know what "unattended" means. It's so hard to understand that I'm not going to buy a license "just in case", I'm going to send the DNR payment for my fine up front.

a few people get it... !

[Itsa Pole Bender]

Replying to VMS

That is what my fishing liscence is for. We put enough money back into "the syetem" every day whether it is through income tax, gas tax, etc. If I legally don't have to spend $12 dollars on a government fee then I won't. I will use it on something I do need.

That being said..... I don't know what the answer is to the question. But I also don't have a perm and wouldn't leave my porty on the ice without me.

[Greg Clusiau]

JSK76 ~

Yes, that does seem kind of screwy, with the fishing shelter only needing 2 sq. inches per side. Also, I didn't realize the need for tote sled reflectors until I was reading through my snowmobile rules & regs. After that, I went out and bought a few yards of reflector tape, as I plan on coming off Lake Winnie, in the dark, with a limit of nice walleyes.

I haven't seen that on any pull-behind shelters either. I just wanted to be well-within the law, just in case, and I don't care how prepared you may think you are, there are so many little unknown regs that we don't know of that they could probably pinch you for something if they really wanted to and a lot of it is up to the descretion of the CO and how they interpret the law.

[bogwalker]

Minnesota, land of 10,000 licenses.

[Duffman]

Also, I didn't realize the need for tote sled reflectors until I was reading through my snowmobile rules & regs. After that, I went out and bought a few yards of reflector tape, as I plan on coming off Lake Winnie, in the dark, with a limit of nice walleyes.

I haven't seen that on any pull-behind shelters either.

My shanty is all reflectored out, after nearly getting taken out by a sled over ten years ago I loaded up the outside with reflective strips before it was even law.

I even have the reflectors on the back for towing by hand or sled/atv. Didn't know it was the law, was always worried about some drunk bafoon running up the back of me as I'm walking back to the access after the bite shut down.

[bigbucks]

May have something to do with the speed & manueverability of snowmobiles. Not too many portable fish houses flying around the way sleds can.

[JSK76]

I was thinking that too but you have headlight and tail light if your moving.