Tis The Season For Stolen Ice Houses + Gear In Minnesota

Some people just plain suck. It's terrible to see someone's fish house stolen, and there's been quite a few this year. I just saw two recent thefts or attempts in the last 48 hours. The deadline is approaching for removing ice houses, and thieves are taking one last chance to haul them off.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources requires permanent ice houses to be removed from the ice by March 3rd for the southern two-thirds of Minnesota. For the Northern Lakes, the deadline for removal is extended to March 17th.

Read More: Minnesota Ice Anglers Caught Off Guard For First Time In Years

Ice houses like Ice Castles and Yetti's are ideal targets for thieves because they are on wheels already and full of gear and valuables. Don't ever leave your ice house without putting a trailer lock on it, and some even suggest putting a chain around the frame.

Recent Ice House Thefts / Attempts

A thief was chased off the ice in East Rush Lake after trying to steal this ice house.

On Rush Lake, another house was reported stolen this last weekend.

Other tips for protecting yourself from theft include hiding a tracking device inside the ice house. Take photos of your equipment and write down serial numbers. Make sure you lock everything up, and keep valuables out of view.

Do what you can to make it look difficult for a criminal to steal your house. Have a good security lock for the hitch. It's an old theory, but it's true: if it looks too hard a thief will go on to the next one.