Sheriffs shuting down all public launches?!

[fsnrod]

Not to change the subject but check up on the new laws on trailering your boats in mn in 2012.

[Dbl]

Just drove by Medicine Lake and noticed a truck parked out on the lake. Not everyone got the message it seems (Though they might shortly)

[Zoobert]

For all the people who are saying "my rights were violated" - get a bit of perspective and grip.

#1 - You can still access the lake. Get off your butt and walk or ATV or snowmobile.

#2 - Driving is *NEVER* a right, it's a privilege that can be revoked. You learned that clearly when you got your license.

We had 50s in January. The ice is unpredictable. If I asked you "describe to me when ice is safe." - *everyone* will pull out the tired, old "assume ice is NEVER safe" - to cover your own butt, to keep it detached, to regurgitate what everyone else says. And that's the truth. Ice is never safe, and this has been an AMAZINGLY warm winter. So the cars are forced off the lakes three weeks early.

Big deal. Walk.

Ice is NEVER safe, and ESPECIALLY this year. If you think it's smart for the officials to "mark the dangerous spots" - it's not. It's safer for them to just say "stay off". If they marked spots, and someone else went through a different unmarked spot, they open themselves up to liability.

Again, walk.

[flipper]

No doubt this has been a bad winter for ice production. Do we really need somebody to tell us that???? I could go for a lot less big brother. I haven't driven on the ice all season but if somebody starts telling me I can't it sure makes me want to.

[OnAFly]

Apparently yes we need someone to tell us not to drive out after having 6 vehicles go through in one week.

I'm sorry, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for people b!tch!ng on this thread. As for the guys that can't walk out, yeah, it sucks but that's life. Sometimes it's not fair.

[Mike Wallace]

Has anyone else considered that since the Sheriff made the decision to close the lakes that there is now a precedence set going forward. Since they made the decision it is too dangerous now, will they ever be able to lift the ban?

If they do, are they then saying the lake is safe? What consequences may that have? Have they painted themselves in a legal corner?

[Hoffer]

Guys. Its not that big of a deal. Its not big brother. Its not a "rights violation". With the weird Winter we have had - I am sure they finally just needed to try and get the rest of the season out of the way in a safe manner. This isnt likely to happen again. Its the strangest Winter any of us have ever seen and I am willing to bet by this time next year we wont even remember this. Its pretty dang impossible to mark all the unsafe spots - and what if you do and someone then goes through a spot that wasnt marked - are they then liable for not marking that spot? We are talking about a few more weeks. Amateur also made a great point with the permies. I am sure that law enforcement is going to work with people. Lets get real. To those that say they are protecting the "stupid" and we suffer from that. In many cases this year, there have been the seasoned pros that have gone through the ice in their vehicles. There have been resort owners who do this for a living year after year and they have gone through. It can happen to anyone. It can happen to you on the 50th time you are going across the same path you have been taking all year long. Its plain and simple the weirdest year we have had for ice making and we just need to adapt for these last few weeks. It will be Ok - and next year we will probably have 2 feet of ice and worry about having to put extensions on our augers

[LMITOUT]

Gotta love it when when Hennipen County decides they need to "protect" stupid people from being stupid. As already stated good ole' nanny state.

Agree.

This is going to sound harsh, but maybe it'd just be better if some of these no-so-smart people who venture out on unsafe ice took a cold bath in the lake. Not allowing them to take that swim isn't making them any smarter and now everyone else has to suffer for their stupidity. Actions have consequences and they need to figure that out on their own. Knee jerk rules like shutting down public accesses does nothing other than allowing the dilution of the gene pool to continue.

[TruthWalleyes]

I hear that next year until there is 10" of ice you will be required to wear a PFD...And no, the striker or AA suits are not coast guard approved.

[TroutYammer]

I awlays walk and pull my little Otter Sled so no big deal to me.

[amateurfishing]

so all of the not so well informed can take a chance at hurting other more informed individuals? if u drive on in your tiny vihicle heeding possible bad ice conditions but someone goes flying by u in a 1 ton truck and causes an issue that may harm u as well, u have no problem with that? by your thinking, then there is no reason to stop a drunk driver either, right? both scenarios they not only endanger themselves BUT ALSO the ppl around them! THUS the reasoning behind this. some of you are taking this WAY too personally.

1. they are protecting the general masses, most of which are probably not as well informed as most that are here.

2. last i heard, this is one of the greatest states and countries in the world, if u personally are not happy, im sure no one is forcing you to stay

3. we have public services for the protection of the masses, all of u stating u know better probably do, BUT ARE NOT part of the masses in this situation. if nothing was done and 50 vehicles would have gone in this weekend, how many of u would have been ripping the local authorities for providing better up to date lake/ice info?

One would really think that most here would be happy with this as it should keep anyone that is not a true die hard ice fisherman off the ice, curb the amount of fish caught, and keep the traffic to a minimum for those who claim to really know what they are doing, if anyone is scittish or on the fence about safety will more than likely not go anymore.

Sadly we have turned into a me, me, me society and most ppl just want to be claimed as a victim. our state & country's departments deal with what is best for the masses, not the few.

[LMITOUT]

by your thinking, then there is no reason to stop a drunk driver either, right?

Yeah, that is EXACTLY what I meant.

Good grief. Quit trying to connect dots that are light years apart.

Keep protecting the stupid and we'll have even more ridiculous laws and regulations on the books that this "great state" is famous for.

[amateurfishing]

i agree, the thoughts ARE lightyears apart, the problem is THE PHILOSIPHY IS THE SAME! sadly thats our socity, if u dont like the dumb ppl u live around and the laws we have to protect them from themselves, you may just want to find another place to live with smarter ppl and laws around you.

[amateurfishing]

LMITOUT,

Good luck & hopefully u can enjoy rest of season & year and not let this bug you too much. I hope you find a happy place somewhere.

[coombia21]

How can they tell you not to drive on the lake, especially if you don't even use a public access?

[TruthWalleyes]

Greatest state in the world? Most taxed state in the world is probably closer.

Amateur Fishing...We're outlawing darwinism..Ya, letting the dumb die of dumb...Now we outlaw anything a dumb person can get hurt, preventing the majority of not dumb people from performing a safe activity..

Someone said it on an earlier page...some people fall down while walking...Don't pay attention and hit a crack, fall down go boom...I'll take this to the extreme, but THIS GREAT STATE WILL PROTECT THE MASSES BY REQUIRING ALL PEOPLE TO TRAVEL WITH THEIR SAFE METHOD OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, rather than allowing a few people to bump their heads for not looking down.

[morepower02]

+1

Greatest state?? Have you ever left MN?

[McGurk]

Don't be mad at the state/county/DNR; be mad at the fools the continue to go in time after time after time. They are the ones to blame. They are the cause, and the effect is that the gov. had to interfere with all of us to save them from going in again and again. We all know that for every one truck that goes in, there have to be thousands and thousands of people that venture out on foot, ATV, Sled, or even road vehicle that make it back safely. But, as in most everything else in life, rules need to be created and enforced to keep the fools from offing themselves, thereby nagging the rest of us blessed with enough common sense to not have these issues to begin with. Most laws are put in place to protect Darwin Awards nominees. At least in these scenarios, the only ones that are endangered are the ones in the vehicle.

I wasn't driving on the lakes before, and I wasn't planning on doing so anytime soon, so it really doesn't affect me anyways. Happy walking!

[TruthWalleyes]

I wasn't driving on the lakes before, and I wasn't planning on doing so anytime soon, so it really doesn't affect me anyways. Happy walking!

I'm in the same boat as you. Wasn't driving anyway, and don't live in the county either...The ONLY thing that irks me is protecting the darwin award nomninees. They are the few, not the masses. Gov't should be more intersted in the masses than the few.

[amateurfishing]

i totally agree, but just look up Ron White "you cant fix stupid"....so sadly our govt has too

[amateurfishing]

How can they tell you not to drive on the lake, especially if you don't even use a public access?

same way they can pull u out of ur own home @ gunpoint if they deem you a danger to the rest of your neighborhood

[amateurfishing]

+1

Greatest state?? Have you ever left MN?

actually, yes, many times, do i like the politics in this state? NO! Vikings statium deal should have been done long time ago

But we have a heck of a lot more here to offer our citizens than ia, nd, id, montana, ohio, indiana, il, wi, etc. higher taxes & beauracracy are not always a wonderful thing but sometimes u get what u pay for, we have lower unemployment and a lot of great nature that most dont.

again, NO ONE IS PROHIBITING ANYONE FROM GOING ON A LAKE, just cannot take larger 4 wheels, if u hate it so much, just dont heed the warnings and do whatever u like......or start your own personal lake that the state, co, or dnr has no jurisdiction over (and u wont need a license)

have fun & be safe out there everyone, im done

[muskE]

For those that are upset by professing that this move is keeping people from some form of Darminian peril should stop and think about the Big Picture for a moment.

What do you think would happen IF someone actually got hurt because they drove to a chilly demise while the various enforcement agencies were already skiddish about the practice on a marginal ice season? I'd bet the following year's season would be welcomed with new legislation (restrictions) attempting to stop that from happening again which could include a ban on vehicle traffic altogether.

Be thankful they are still letting you walk out there.

[morepower02]

I'm thankful not to live in the metro....

[Reservoir Dawg]

"or start your own personal lake that the state, co, or dnr has no jurisdiction over (and u wont need a license)"

Got news for ya. The DNR has jurisdiction over private lakes also

I heard of a guy that left a portable on his small private lake overnight and got a ticket for not having it licensed.