unoccupied shelter

[straydog]

Last year i was informed on the forum that if there is no one in your shelter you need not have a tag on it, so you can use the tag on differant houses. Can someone verify this and mabey tell me were to find it on the dnr HSOforum.

[PierBridge]

Many people use only 1 shelter license and they move the tag accordingly others buy a duplicate License for $2.50 so they don't have to move the tag when switching shelters.

Some believe if your not fishing out of more than one of your shelters at the same time your good to go and to me reading the Law and factoring in common sense I tend to agree.

Others will say you need a shelter tag for every fish house you own including your Fishtrap Scout in the rafters of your garage that you only use for early ice....

Here is the statue.

97C.355 Dark houses and fish houses.

Subdivision 1. Identification required. All shelters on the ice of state waters, including dark houses and fish houses, must have: (1) the owner's name and address, (2) the owner's driver's license number, OR (3) the "MDNR#" license identification number issued to the owner legibly displayed on the exterior with characters at least two inches high.

Subd. 2. License required. A person may not take

fish from a dark house or fish house unless the house is licensed and has a license tag attached to the exterior in a readily visible location.

[Nutty Fisherman]

pierbridge I sure like the picture you have under your name.

[PierBridge]

Thanks I like that one also normally I would use a fish Picture.

Go ahead and right click it,save picture as, and save it to your picture or Avatar folder.

[Giant_Jackpot]

I thought one of the reasons you needed one on each house was so the DNR knew who to contact if you left your shack on the ice past the removal dates or if there was some other problem? Based on this, common sense says you should have one permit for each house. I know most people don’t have two boats but those that do, they have a tag for each one.

PierBridge, you include the statute which seems to state pretty clearly that each house needs a permit. Did I read your post wrong when you stated that you thought the law says you only need one permit for multiple houses?

[ccarlson]

I called the DNR on this last year to be sure. Like the other post said, your fish house always needs to have identification on it (like your DNR #) but only needs to be licensed when you are using it.

I keep my license on a card with a wire on it and keep that in my flasher soft case. When I get out fishing with either my portable or my permanent, I simply take it out of my flasher case and wire it to the outside of the house.

ccarlson

[ChuckN]

Yep, what ccarlson said.

I contacted the DNR also and I have practiced this method.

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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I thought one of the reasons you needed one on each house was so the DNR knew who to contact if you left your shack on the ice past the removal dates or if there was some other problem?

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All houses must have Identification, unrelated to having a shelter license or tag.

Subdivision 1. Identification required. All shelters on the ice of state waters, including dark houses and fish houses, must have: (1) the owner's name and address, (2) the owner's driver's license number, OR (3) the "MDNR#" license identification number issued to the owner legibly displayed on the exterior with characters at least two inches high.

Quote:

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Did I read your post wrong

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I think so, again it's pretty clear you only need a shelter tag while fishing.

Subd. 2. License required. A person may not take

fish from a dark house or fish house unless the house is licensed and has a license tag attached to the exterior in a readily visible location.

[fishin magician]

How about this one.

A new rule this year states that if you are north of the line to leave fish houses out past Feb. 28th then the fish house must be occupied. Does that mean if you are north of the line want to keep your fish house out for another couple weeks then you have to be in it everyday?

It is kind of unclear because let say you have a cabin and would like to keep the house out till this weekend. Could you actually get a ticket for not being in it till the weekend?

[dangnear]

The key words are when the shelter is on the ice ! Not when you are fishing in them !, so if you have two or more shelters on yhe ice at the same time you need two or more shelter tags ! My buddy broght his fish house down to the lake parked it on the ice while he went to the bait shop to buy his new shelter tag and minnows,when he got back, 20 min. later he had found a ticket on the door for not having this years tag on the shelter. so it not if your fishing in it , its if the shelter is on the ice it needs a curent tag

[Giant_Jackpot]

PB,

You are correct, I did read it wrong. Some form of ID is what I was thinking about and I associated that and the license as the same thing. Good to know.

[straydog]

that is the reason I asked, I've been doing the same thing as you ccarlson, but yesterday someone said the got a ticket for this so I'd like to see it in writing. Last winter I had a house on Bowstring and Red and there was no tag on them unles I was there fishing.

[ccarlson]

As has been referenced in a couple of the other posts, it IS in writing from the DNR. Just follow the rules pamphlet as it is stated.

I suppose there is always the chance a CO makes their own interpretation or a mistake and wrongly tickets someone but I'm more inclined to believe there is more to a story than I am hearing when someone gets ticketed for something that is this clearly stated and backed up by the head office of the DNR. Perhaps those people getting ticketed do not have proper ID on their shelters? Just a guess. If it was true as the person told you, then I would be on the phone with the DNR and get the ticket dropped.

ccarlson

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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How about this one.

Does that mean if you are north of the line want to keep your fish house out for another couple weeks then you have to be in it everyday?

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You can not leave your house on the ice after midnight if your not using it.

But my friend is a CO he said if he comes across a house with no one in it and the heat and lights are on he will not site you, as long as your lines are not down...

Just one CO's interpretation of the statue.

[PierBridge]

Quote:

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The key words are

when the shelter is on the ice ! Not when you are fishing in them !,

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No it's not.

Of course if your using more than one shelter at the same time you would need another tag.

Every one should have a copy of regulations.

Here is what it says on page 70.

70

DNR

ICE ANGLING

Shelters and Spearing

General Regulations

Quote:

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• All shelters, which include dark houses, fish houses, and portable shelters, placed on the ice of Minnesota waters must have the complete name and address or driver’s license number or Minnesota DNR number of the owner plainly and legibly displayed on the outside in letters, and figures at least 2 inches in height.

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More than likely your friend was in violation of this statue.

Now to clear this up for you."key words are"

Quote:

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Dark houses,fish houses, and portable shelters placed on the ice

for shelter while fishing

must be licensed

, except that a license is not required on border waters with Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota.

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[Satchmo]

I beleive this is one of those rules that will be interpretted by the the CO involved and the mood he is in at the time. I license each house individually just to be safe under ALL circumstances that may come up throughout the season.Besides, I personally don't think that $12.50 is too much to pay to eliminate the possibility of a differant interpretation.

[minneman]

fishin magician, the answer to your question is if the shack is north of the line it can remain on the ice till march 15 (occupied or not). if you wanted to put it out "after march 15", it would have to be removed before midnight of each day used after the 15th.

all the answers are in the book!

[fishin magician]

Thanks minneman,

I feel better about leaving the house out till the 15th.

Will probably yank it off before then.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Quote:

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The key words are

when the shelter is on the ice ! Not when you are fishing in them !, so if you have two or more shelters on yhe ice at the same time you need two or more shelter tags ! My buddy broght his fish house down to the lake parked it on the ice while he went to the bait shop to buy his new shelter tag and minnows,when he got back, 20 min. later he had found a ticket on the door for not having this years tag on the shelter. so it not if your fishing in it , its if the shelter is on the ice it needs a curent tag

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I think your bubby could beat that ticket, (if he had proper ID on the house at the time)! As according to the laws he would be legal even without a lic. on the house!

Sounds like a C.O. just wanted to make an easy bust to me!

Cliff