how many of you guys have issues with break ins? are they worse for certain areas over others. lakes also? as I am guessing at Mille Lacs they get broken into at times. what about the metro area? what do you do to prevent it or delay it happening to you?
thanks
I would not leave a house on a metro lake unless I could see it from my living room couch. 
Just sayin’…
If you do, remove everything after each use. Keep the windows clear so any would be thief can see the shack is empty.
Mille Lacs is not too bad. Especially if you work through a resort. Ask them for a drive by on occasion. I still would empty the shack every trip.
The last staw for us (Brother and I had a shack on Bald Eagle in the early 90’s.) Shack got broke into. (Clear windows and obviously empty.) After they broke in, either the would be thief or other low lifes on the lake used our shack for a $hitter. 
Could not even give that shack away after that. Needless to say some gas and a match ened our venture into the perm sack world….
-J.
If I had one in the Metro,I wouldn’t lock it. Just shut the door to prevent slamming in the wind. I would have no problem having someone warm up in the shack if I wasn’t using it. If they choose to break in and destroy the house that is something they have to live with. I could just clean up the mess and have a nice fire.
No point in leaving anything in a fish house over night, it just invites persons over to steal from you, unless you have a bigger house on a bigger lake.
I would never leave a shack on a metro lake. We always had cheap built permanents on Forest, Centerville, and Owasso and even with clear windows and unlocked doors people would go inside and trash them on a weekly basis. especially Owasso! Even with having a wheel house now I still will not leave it if im not coming right back unless I can leave a vehicle parked at it while im gone for the week.
I seem to recall last year a guys house kept getting broken into through the window. So he designed some “trim” for the window that was lined with 100’s of #6 hooks. As you can imagine, crawling through the window after that was painful if not impossible. Plus, the burglar usually left a little something behind.
I always liked that idea.
You could put a 3′ X 3′ piece of sheeting with a bunch of 8 penny nails pounded through it under the window as well. That makes a nasty place to land when crawling in the window.
Won’t stop the break ins, but will provide you with some satisfaction.
Put a trail camera in your house so you can get their facial expression when they find what you left behind for them.
Unfortunaley, setting bobby traps is illegal. If it did work, the perp would sue you and win. You would likewly go to jail if there were serious injuries or death. There is already tons of case law on this.
-J.
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I would never leave a shack on a metro lake. We always had cheap built permanents on Forest, Centerville, and Owasso and even with clear windows and unlocked doors people would go inside and trash them on a weekly basis. especially Owasso! Even with having a wheel house now I still will not leave it if im not coming right back unless I can leave a vehicle parked at it while im gone for the week.
Forest was BAD.
We had our house out there for years, we never left anything inside, the door was always unlocked and we still had people come in and trash things. We had a wood burning stove in there and someone came in and trashed it one night. It happened every single year, someone would come into the house and trash it. We finally stopped putting out the perm. house becuase we got sick of dealing with idiots. My guess…..its kids out on the lake drinking and being stupid. It’s not other fisherman doing this-
You catch more fish in a portable anyway 
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Unfortunaley, setting bobby traps is illegal. If it did work, the perp would sue you and win. You would likewly go to jail if there were serious injuries or death. There is already tons of case law on this.
-J.
Dead men don’t sue.
Ok, that was a little over the top. 
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Dead men don’t sue.
Their relatives do.
-J.
I know it is more for the kids as at 8 and 11 they do not like the portables as not much room and not as warm as a permanent shack.
might have to go the resort way at mille lacs, but do people leave anything there? like mattresses and built in heaters and such?
Had a shack on forest lake never locked it and took everything out when not using. Jerks still had to mess with it so moved to rush lake. Left it open with only the light bulb in the socket and they took that and broke a window. Sold that shack and bought one on Mille lacs. An old shack, never had a problem and left a lot of stuff in it. Decided to fix it up put new windows in, new siding and roof, looked pretty good and that winter someone almost kicked in the door. Since then always make sure the windows are covered so no one can look in and have two locks with bars on the door so anyone thinking of breaking in has some work cut out for him. No problems since. On mille lacs only the one incidence in 20 years, so not to bad in my opinion but would never consider a permanent shack in the metro area again.
ok, where to put it on Mille Lacs as want the kids to get fish, but also enjoy fishing. as every time I have been there it has been a dead sea unfortunately of course. and is the fishing really that bad close to the resort there? as the 4 times I have done resort fishing we are 8 miles out.
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The last staw for us (Brother and I had a shack on Bald Eagle in the early 90’s.) Shack got broke into. (Clear windows and obviously empty.) After they broke in, either the would be thief or other low lifes on the lake used our shack for a $hitter.
Sorry, Jon. I thought it was Klawitter’s house 
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ok, where to put it on Mille Lacs as want the kids to get fish, but also enjoy fishing. as every time I have been there it has been a dead sea unfortunately of course. and is the fishing really that bad close to the resort there? as the 4 times I have done resort fishing we are 8 miles out.
George will do what he can to put you on fish.
http://www.hunterspointresort.com/forum.html
We keep our at Hunters Point, good services.
ML is a tough winter bite, you have to stay mobile, so much that we and many other just use the perm as a basecamp. The chitlins do complicate the scenario.
Is LOW out of the question. No break ins and lots of fish. (Sorry could not resist)
-Mark
what are you, know it all fisherman or lawyer or both. i was in shack and, was in fear for my life. self defense.
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My post was assuming the shack is left unattended. Your scenario is perfect. Bang!
I can try to find the case. Northern Mn 2-3 years ago. Man was sick and tired of his shed being broken into. He booby trapped it with a 12 gage shotgun. Blew away one of the neighbor kids. He is doing pretty much life in prison for 2nd degree murder.
-J.
I can see where the 12 gauge might be a bit much and get you into some trouble, but some extra nails to catch some clothing and scrape em up a bit sounds good to me! Course I’d probably end up caught on it myself more than anyone breaking in!
I’d guess a majority of the people who do it are kids, and that’s the problem.
How about a fake booby trap? Clear window and when you peek in you see replica shot guns, one pointing at the door and the other at the window with string tied to the trigger? No? I tried.
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