No More Portable House License!!!

[LMITOUT]

Portable houses removed from the lake at night will no longer be required to have a license! Woo-hoo!

So what does that say after all these years of collecting this revenue and everyone saying it would hurt the DNR by not getting these dollars?

MN finally catches up to what other states have already done.

[Orlip]

Where did you see this? I just checked the DNR site and re-read the rules and dont see this.

[LMITOUT]

Article in the newspaper. It won't be in the rules until next year as it was just passed this session.

[sikasoman]

I now wish I hadn't bought licenses last March/April for my 2 portables for last ice fishing trip?????

[Walleyes4Matt]

Its great and actually they arent losing much money at all by this. They are going to increase the license of nonresident fisherman from 34 to 40.50 to even it about out.

[mnvikingsfreak]

Fee dropped for portable fishing shelters

Doug Smith,star tribune

Minnesota's ice anglers won't have to license their portable fishing shelters any more -- unless they plan on leaving them on the ice overnight.

That's the result of a new law passed by the 2007 Legislature. Owners of about 60,000 portable shelters will be affected. Few portable shelters are left on the ice overnight.

Ice fishing shacks left overnight, which obviously would include most of the state's 90,000 permanent shelters, still must be licensed.

"The Legislature decided we shouldn't be licensing portables anymore," said Bob Meier, assistant commissioner in charge of government relations for the Department of Natural Resources. "They wanted to give people with portable shelters a break."

That saves anglers with portable she! lters $11.50 a year but would cost the DNR about $768,000 in lost revenue. So the Legislature increased nonresident fishing license fees to offset that loss.

The cost of nonresident individual fishing license, now $34, will increase to $37.50 next year. The increase is expected to raise about $680,000 yearly.

Nonresident anglers took another hit: A $2 surcharge for aquatic invasive species management also is being added to all nonresident fishing licenses.

With the usual $1 issuing fee, that means a nonresident individual will pay $40.50 for a Minnesota fishing license. The state sells about 266,000 nonresident fishing licenses yearly.

Minnesota residents pay a $5 invasive species surcharge every three years with their boat registration fees.

[PierBridge]

For Sale one 07 shelter tag....$7....

Pretty soon we will be like all the other states....

[hovermn]

$7 for a tag? What a bargin, I'll take it!!

[fishing tech]

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For Sale one 07 shelter tag....$7....

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That may become a collectors item!!!!!!! But if not I can go 2 for $7.00

[LMITOUT]

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Pretty soon we will be like all the other states....

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One with any common sense can only hope......

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

YES - Woo-Hoo !!!!!!!!

[PierBridge]

How does this effect wheeled fish house's? They are kinda portable....

[hovermn]

Since they take the same license as a portable, I'd think it would be the same deal, as long as it's off the lake before the cutoff time.

[PierBridge]

That would make sense and the cut off time is????

[LMITOUT]

I think the key to this is "left on the lake overnight". And I'm assuming they'll add the declaration of "unattended" to that as well.

Maybe if you have a "permanent" or house on wheels, you won't have to license it as long as you take it off the lake when you leave. ??? We'll have to wait to see the exact wording in the proclamation for clarification.

[Phred52]

I found a way to use my tag!!! I'll get a house that can stay out all night!!! Phred52

[hovermn]

Now that's great thinking. It's kinda like starting a new project is usually code for having an excuse to buy a new tool. Or as I put it, toy!

[B420]

Did He!! freeze over last night or something? Finally the DNR removes their head from their behind. About time, the portable fee was a great scam the DNR had going.

[PierBridge]

Can anyone comfirm this has actually passed maybe it is The outdoors amendment thats two votes from passage.

[Phred52]

PierBridge, It appeared in the Sunday Tribune in the Outdoors section (pg C-17)It is in the "Almanac". Phred52

[PierBridge]

Yeah I know it was in the papers and online which of course means nothing as far as reality is concerned.

[PierBridge]

Anyway how do you guys feel about some of the other changes like cleaning fish on slot protected lakes and a longer license season.

Fishing And Hunting / Longer seasons, fewer licenses and other changes in the law

BY CHRIS NISKANEN

Outdoors Editor

Article Last Updated: 05/25/2007 12:18:20 AM CDT

Minnesota legislators have approved a long list of new laws benefiting hunters and anglers, particularly ice anglers. Here's a breakdown.

Ice Fishing: Longer License Season /

Minnesota's fishing license year no longer ends the last day of February. Lawmakers extended the date to April 30, giving anglers two more months to fish before they have to buy a new license. The rule also applies to permanent fish house licenses. Anglers often complained that year-round panfish season was still open in late winter and early spring, but they had to buy a new license in order to fish.

Portable ice fishing shelters that aren't left overnight on lakes no longer require a license, saving owners the annual $11.50 fee. Portable shelter owners have complained for years about paying for the license since they're not staying overnight on lakes. However, permanent shelters, whether with wheels or skids, still need a fish-house or dark-house license if they stay on the lake overnight.

There is a new three-year fish house license for permanent shelters.

Resident adults or guardians won't need a fishing license if they take a youth (younger than 16) ice fishing during Take a Kid Ice Fishing weekend. A date hasn't been announced. The program duplicates the Take a Kid Fishing weekend, scheduled for June 8-10.

Lighted fish decoys for spearing are now legal.

Other Fishing Laws /

Anglers who catch a fish out of season or outside other legal limits have a new definition for how long they can hold it before putting it back into the water. The new definition of "immediately released" or "immediately returned to water" allows anglers enough time to identify, unhook, measure and photograph a fish. It does not allow an angler to put the fish on a stringer or in a livewell, cooler or bucket.

Nonresident fishing license fees have increased, in part to cover the estimated $768,000 that will be lost by not requiring licenses for portable ice fishing shelters. An annual individual nonresident license costs $39.50, up from $34; three-day, seven-day, family and husband/wife nonresident license fees also increased.A $2 invasive species program surcharge also was added.

An angler in a dark house or fish house can fillet fish or possess fish fillets within size limits if the angler is preparing the fillet or fish for a meal. In the past, anglers could not possess fillets on lakes with special regulations because DNR officers have difficulty determining if the filleted fish were within legal limits.

Commercial netters can take up to 3,000 lake trout from northern regions of Minnesota waters of Lake Superior and sell them. Restaurateurs and commercial netters wanted lake trout available for consumption.

Anyone catching an Asian carp (bighead, silver or grass species) is required to report it to the DNR within seven days.

The DNR must study the diet habits of fish-eating cormorants on Lake of the Woods.

Hunting Laws /

Crossbows can be used to take deer during the regular firearms deer season, but hunters must use a firearms license. Crossbows are still illegal (with exceptions) during the archery season.

Novice hunters with an "apprentice" license won't need a hunter safety certificate as long as they are with a hunter who has one. The idea is to give novice hunters some experience afield with safety-certified hunters.

The DNR is required to prepare a walk-in-hunting access plan and recommend options for implementing the program, which still isn't funded. The report is due to the Legislature by Jan. 15, 2008. Hunters have longed wished for an access program similar to those in South and North Dakota.

The draw weight for bows used to take big game has been reduced from 40 pounds to 30 pounds, which makes bowhunting easier for hunters with disabilities and youth.

Hunters no longer need to possess the actual images of the pheasant and waterfowl stamps. They only need the electronic endorsement. Trout and turkey pictorial stamps were eliminated in previous legislation.

Smokeless powders are now legal for muzzleloaders.

Night-vision equipment is no longer legal for taking wild animals.

A new venison donation program will fund the processing of deer for food shelves.

What Didn't Pass / A proposal to increase the daily pheasant limit from two to three cocks after the first 16 days of the season didn't pass. The pheasant possession limit also remains unchanged.

Chris Niskanen can be reached at 651-228-5524 or [email protected].

[LMITOUT]

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Can anyone comfirm this has actually passed maybe it is The outdoors amendment thats two votes from passage.

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The amendment is for funding only. Not policy.

I'm guessing it was included in the omnibus game and fish bill.

[iffwalleyes]

As much as I like this law it leaves me confussed. Yes they raised the price of Non residents license but are still nearly 100K less in money that the portable tags brought in. I guess it is much like the lifetime trailer license they decided to do away with. I like the law but don't know that I think it is better than what we had. Oh well it will save me money so it must be a good rule .

[CrappieAttitude]

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Anyway how do you guys feel about some of the other changes like cleaning fish on slot protected lakes and a longer license season.

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I am not for the cleaning of fish on a slot protected lake. This leaves too much room for the illegal taking of non slot fish. Imagine someone who is catching a load of fish and as they are cleaning them "in preperation to eat" they cut the fillets into 3-4 chunks. How in the world is the DNR going to prove that these were legal fillets. It opens the door for the unethical.

As far as the extension of the license,I don't really see the benefit. So if they extended the license two extra months, there would only be a two week window before opener? If they are going to change that, why not make a year round license available.

CA