I'm set to take my annual trip on the 23rd - but my group is from out of state so none of us has a license - from what I have read it doesn't sound too likely I will be able to get a one it time. A people simply risking it - or heading elsewhere?

Only you can make the call, but according to some DNR sources they are only giving out warnings during this time.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/125047264.html

I can only speak for myself but I'd still go. If I was in your same situation I'd just fish without a license. I'd probably skip fishing the entry lake but once I got in further I'd fish like normal.

Of course I'd only do this in this one unique circumstance. I'm normally a stickler for following the rules but if the government left me no other choice during my one and only vacation then I'd just take my chances.

Maybe you should contact MN Senators and Representatives and let them know that you have people coming from out of state willing to spend hard earned dollars in our state but since they can't buy a fishing license their money just might go else where.

quote Wabler: "I'm set to take my annual trip on the 23rd - but my group is from out of state so none of us has a license - from what I have read it doesn't sound too likely I will be able to get a one it time. A people simply risking it - or heading elsewhere?"

I would never advocate someone fishing without a license, except in this circumstance, its not your fault these morons cant come to an agreement and you were more than willing to buy a license if one was available to buy. I would print out a copy of the state shutdown notice, and tape the exact amount you would have paid for it to the notice, put it in a baggie and show it to the dnr officer if you get stopped. If the state shutdown ends you should stop and pay for a license on the way out.

quote Basspro69: "

quote Wabler: "I'm set to take my annual trip on the 23rd - but my group is from out of state so none of us has a license - from what I have read it doesn't sound too likely I will be able to get a one it time. A people simply risking it - or heading elsewhere?"

I would never advocate someone fishing without a license, except in this circumstance, its not your fault these morons cant come to an agreement and you were more than willing to buy a license if one was available to buy. I would print out a copy of the state shutdown notice, and tape the exact amount you would have paid for it to the notice, put it in a baggie and show it to the dnr officer if you get stopped. If the state shutdown ends you should stop and pay for a license on the way out."

That is a good idea.

Fish! If you get a ticket, don't pay it!

quote nofish: "I can only speak for myself but I'd still go. If I was in your same situation I'd just fish without a license. I'd probably skip fishing the entry lake but once I got in further I'd fish like normal.


Of course I'd only do this in this one unique circumstance. I'm normally a stickler for following the rules but if the government left me no other choice during my one and only vacation then I'd just take my chances.


Maybe you should contact MN Senators and Representatives and let them know that you have people coming from out of state willing to spend hard earned dollars in our state but since they can't buy a fishing license their money just might go else where."

What Nofish says. I'd do the same in your situation.

P.S. I bought one on-line before this RIDICULOUS shutdown. Now I'm wishing I didn't.

Have a check in your pocket made out to MN DNR for the amount that your license would cost and dated the day before your trip. If you get stopped, hand the check to the officer. Should have read closer- what BP said.

fish anyway, if you get a ticket, request a jury trial, you won't even need an attorney, and no jury in the world will find you guilty, considering the idiocy of the state to refuse to sell you a license.

quote nofish: "I can only speak for myself but I'd still go. If I was in your same situation I'd just fish without a license. I'd probably skip fishing the entry lake but once I got in further I'd fish like normal.


Of course I'd only do this in this one unique circumstance. I'm normally a stickler for following the rules but if the government left me no other choice during my one and only vacation then I'd just take my chances.


Maybe you should contact MN Senators and Representatives and let them know that you have people coming from out of state willing to spend hard earned dollars in our state but since they can't buy a fishing license their money just might go else where."

+1

Go Fishing Wabler! You can take the good advice given but, no matter your not to blame and not in the wrong Imo. The state should suffer financialy for this and providing you are following the DNR regulations and not hurting the fishery you are good to go! ENJOY your trip and catch some lunkers!

quote walleye_hunter: "

quote Basspro69: "

quote Wabler: "I'm set to take my annual trip on the 23rd - but my group is from out of state so none of us has a license - from what I have read it doesn't sound too likely I will be able to get a one it time. A people simply risking it - or heading elsewhere?"

I would never advocate someone fishing without a license, except in this circumstance, its not your fault these morons cant come to an agreement and you were more than willing to buy a license if one was available to buy. I would print out a copy of the state shutdown notice, and tape the exact amount you would have paid for it to the notice, put it in a baggie and show it to the dnr officer if you get stopped. If the state shutdown ends you should stop and pay for a license on the way out."

That is a good idea."

This is what a lot of people are advocating and I don't think DNR employees are very fond of giving out tickets right now under these circumstances.

Please everyone in MN remember what these idiots are doing when the next election comes up. Neither side has done enough in my opinion to deserve a second term.

T

Thanks for the all the opinions, I appreciate your input.

A follow up question… what am I risking? Is MN regulation simply a fine? Can they confiscate gear, boat, etc….?

My plan is to bring cash and/or check, a copy of a few of my last number of years MN fishing licenses, a copy of shutdown article. I would have to get a ranger who is having a really bad day to still give me a ticket given the circumstances. Is it simply a ticket, or am I risking gear?

quote Wabler: "Thanks for the all the opinions, I appreciate your input.


A follow up question… what am I risking? Is MN regulation simply a fine? Can they confiscate gear, boat, etc….?


My plan is to bring cash and/or check, a copy of a few of my last number of years MN fishing licenses, a copy of shutdown article. I would have to get a ranger who is having a really bad day to still give me a ticket given the circumstances. Is it simply a ticket, or am I risking gear?
"

The ticket would be somewhere around $150--maybe soemone knows the exact number? If a DNR employee confiscates all of your gear for not having a license under these circumstances we should hang him or her form the highest tree:) We want and need tourists up here---not making them to leave with a bad taste in their mouth. I think that is the stance of the DNR right now---most are quite reasonable.

Now if you don't have a license and have 50 walleyes in the boat then they might confiscate everything...

T

quote Wabler: "Thanks for the all the opinions, I appreciate your input.


A follow up question… what am I risking? Is MN regulation simply a fine? Can they confiscate gear, boat, etc….?


My plan is to bring cash and/or check, a copy of a few of my last number of years MN fishing licenses, a copy of shutdown article. I would have to get a ranger who is having a really bad day to still give me a ticket given the circumstances. Is it simply a ticket, or am I risking gear?
"

Right now they are just warning people and telling them to stop fishing till they get a license. The chances of you getting stopped and asked for a license in the bdub right now is the same chance as a bear jumping into your canoe anyway.

quote Wabler: "Thanks for the all the opinions, I appreciate your input.


A follow up question… what am I risking? Is MN regulation simply a fine? Can they confiscate gear, boat, etc….?


My plan is to bring cash and/or check, a copy of a few of my last number of years MN fishing licenses, a copy of shutdown article. I would have to get a ranger who is having a really bad day to still give me a ticket given the circumstances. Is it simply a ticket, or am I risking gear?
"

Legally they can confiscate all of your gear (canoe, rods/reels, tackle, even the vehicle that brought you to the lake). However, this only happens in the worst cases. It would never happen for a simple fishing without a license. That kind of action is reserved for the people who are either repeat offenders or people who keep huge overlimits of fish/game.

Go and enjoy your trip. Obey all other fish and game laws and you'll be fine. If you even see a DNR officer up there I'd eat my hat. I've only been checked 2 times in my life and those were both on busy fishing areas known to have issues with poaching.

I saw some info on the MN state site about enforcement, I think it said somewhere around 185 officers would stay on during shutdown. I'm guessing that is state wide, I wonder what percentage will be in the BWCA?

quote LazyLefty: "I saw some info on the MN state site about enforcement, I think it said somewhere around 185 officers would stay on during shutdown. I'm guessing that is state wide, I wonder what percentage will be in the BWCA?


"

I wonder too, since all the state parks are shutdown. Anyone been checked since the shutdown up in the Bdubs? Anyone been checked anywhere in the state? I had a couple sheriff's approach while I was fishing, but they did not check licenses. They were checking to see if ppl were drinking or had life jackets I am guessin (this was around the 4th).

I'm guessing very few will be in the BWCA if any. The state parks are closed but they are still having to patrol them to prevent vandalism and to keep people from setting up camp.

I just don't see the DNR paddling into the BWCA just to check a few licenses right now. Most of the violations in the BWCA are bound to be fairly minor anyways. You aren't likely to see people taking huge limits of fish since they'd have to pack them all out with them. At best they'd likely find someone without a license or maybe fishing for trout without a stamp. Certainly not worth their time.

I am with the majority. I would not advocate fishing without a license except for this situation, in which you had no choice to buy one.

Yes, the DNR is maintaining enforcement, but to what degree is the question. I believe the DNR will be focusing enforcement on slot limits on their money lakes to protect the fish population.

I hope you're right, we made the decision to risk it last night after much deliberation. We are going to take checks made to the DNR in hopes that if stopped it will make any officers aware that we are serious about being willing to pay our normal share, and if we can purchase on the way out we will certainly do that.

Your call on this one. I can tell you my car tabs are out of date and I am still driving the car. The cabin speed boat tabs are expired. I will be driving that boat also in two weeks. I will pay the tabs when they deciede to play nice. I'm also prepared to pay the fine.

I just started another thread about the fishing and it dawned on me. Do they have the right to require a fishing license if they also refuse to offer one? I know there's folks out there who don't give a crap about laws and limits, but it seems to me very few who take the time to set up a bwca trip disregard a fishing license if that's what they're after. My thread is on the stretching it side, and devil in the details junk. For this one - Besides some of the locals, who out there decides on Tuesday to go in to the BW on Wednesday? This shat involves months of prep and coordination. I mean, you're the one who has to deal with the potential pitfalls because you'll be the one facing the charge, but I'm with most others here...Why cancel a long planned trip, and fishing, because the state refuses to sell you a fishing license they require. I'm aiming for a late August trip myself, and would rather not deal with that, but I will.

This is easy GO. Moronic political BS having a negative impact on those whom they represent. I'm going on my trip and I'm fishing. If I receive a ticket I'll bill the state of Mn. for the amount of the fine and my time. They dont pay I'll take the state to court. A great suit for a ticked off lawyer. Entrapment rings a bell ticketing someone for services not offered or supplied.

If you do end up fishing without a license during the shutdown, get ticketed for it, and want to fight it in court, I think you would stand a good chance with an argument based on this clause of the Minnesota Constitution:

"Hunting and fishing and the taking of game and fish are a valued part of our heritage that shall be forever preserved for the people and shall be managed by law and regulation for the public good." (Article XIII, Section 12)

Specifically, you could argue that shutting down the licensing arm of the DNR while requiring licenses infringes on your right to fish specified by "shall be forever preserved for the people". (Note that this does not give you the right to fish without a license in situations other than the shutdown, as clarified by "shall be managed by law and regulation for the public good".)

Thanks again for the input everyone...

I'm planning on heading up and doing some fishing. This is my 20th year going into BWCA, so it's a big deal for me. If the state ends up giving me a ticket over this, they may well lose the next 20years worth of business from me.

- I'm sure hoping they resolve this sometime during the next 9 days!

quote myceliaman: "This is easy GO. Moronic political BS having a negative impact on those whom they represent. I'm going on my trip and I'm fishing. If I receive a ticket I'll bill the state of Mn. for the amount of the fine and my time. They dont pay I'll take the state to court. A great suit for a ticked off lawyer. Entrapment rings a bell ticketing someone for services not offered or supplied."

I like the way you think.

We just got back today and 3 people in my party fished without licenses and we didn't have any problems. They all had checks written out to the Minnesota DNR in case we got stopped but it never happened. Obviously we were pretty happy that we didn't cancel our trip.

quote Erick: "We just got back today and 3 people in my party fished without licenses and we didn't have any problems. They all had checks written out to the Minnesota DNR in case we got stopped but it never happened. Obviously we were pretty happy that we didn't cancel our trip. "

Did they send their checks into the DNR after the trip was over? :-)

I agree with all the good advice given, and would say "Go forth and fish!

However, I am quite unhappy with the morons running Minn., and would consider telling you to go elsewhere, and send a letter to the Mnpls Tribune (letter to the Editor kind of thing) anouncing what you did and why.

Why am I unhappy? Gee, they can't let you stop at a rest area to relieve yourself, but the State Highway Patrol can pull you over. They can't give you enough service to sell you a license, but they can put DNR enforcement officers in the field.

I hope Minnesotans vote the Governor AND ALL the statehouse reps out of office. The state is losing a lot of revenue - much of which is dedicated to parks and outdoors. What a waste.

I just returned to my home state 3 days ago, from my bwca stay. I kept a signed check and a handwritten fishing license in my possession while fishing, figuring any DNR officer with authority to ticket me also had authority to take the check and field-issue a permit with his/her signature. I never got stopped, and fished Fall Lake on four different days (among many other lakes).

I also did not get pulled over, but saw a very large number of Hiway Patrol VERY actively enforcing speed limits on other poor souls while coming home. Made me mad as my kids and I passed by all the closed off rest areas.

quote QueticoMike: "

quote Erick: "We just got back today and 3 people in my party fished without licenses and we didn't have any problems. They all had checks written out to the Minnesota DNR in case we got stopped but it never happened. Obviously we were pretty happy that we didn't cancel our trip. "

Did they send their checks into the DNR after the trip was over? :-)"

Yeah those checks are in the mail as we speak!

GO!

JB

quote Basspro69: "

quote Wabler: The chances of you getting stopped and asked for a license in the bdub right now is the same chance as a bear jumping into your canoe anyway."

We had a bear jump in our boat last September! He ran off with a food bucket and we had to chase him down to recover it...