Fish in Quinzhee? (Igloo)

[federline]

Anyone ever build a quinzhee (igloo) out on the ice as a fishing shelter? And, would the DNR make a guy license it? ("Hey ossifer, I'm just playin in the snow!") Just a biscuit I'm throwin' out, haven't thought too hard about it... yet. I sleep in them on land, never connected them to this hobby before!

[Fergus Mor McErc]

A Quinzhee and an Igloo are two different things. An Igloo is made from snow blocks and a Quinzhee is more like the snow forts kids build. Either one may be tough to do on the ice. To build and Igloo, one needs talent and the right snow conditions. A Quinzhee is much easier to construct and takes less skill but it does take an awful lot of snow to make a good one.

Not quite sure what the DNR would have to say about it?

Edited because of really wrong spelling.

[Tonka Boy]

I work with a guy who buids quinzhee's up in the BWCA. He mentioned that he has to build them on shore, rather than out on the ice. His reasoning is that the water from the holes eventually creeps up onto the floor, making him cold and miserable.

I honestly don't know if they would be considered a shelter??

[LocalGuide]

Maybe later this winter when the fishing is slow and if we get some snow I'll try and dig one out. If we get the snow I'll just have to pile the snow up high with the plow and then one day go out and start digging.

The only issue will be drilling a hole in the ice and making the inside high enough with a thick enough ceiling. Wow that would be fun!

[Howieroch]

I have winter camped in the BWCA several times. We always built our Quinzhees on the ice, but we only used them for sleeping in - not fishing. All of our fishing was done out in the open away from the shelters to keep water away from them. The guide that I first went with built them on the ice because he said the snow was deeper and the "ground" was always level. It scares the heck out of you when the ice cracks under you when you are sleeping.

[slick814]

Another thing that I'd have to say is that I'd be careful on which lake and where you build it. There are some people out there who would love to jump their sleds or ATV's over a nice big hump of snow out in the middle of the lake. I'd hate to be in there when that happened...

[federline]

Hah! The sled jumpers were something that crossed my mind as well.