Ice shack squatter!

[fishermanjake]

I went down to my shack the other day and found that somebody had broke in and fished in my shack without permission.  My sister-in-law spotted a red truck parked next to my shack last wednesday and we assume that they were the ones.  They didn't do any dammage to the door and didn't take anything, although i didn't have much in the shack.  there was a little dammage to some of my outlet caps, but nothing intetional.  I don't know what to do about it because if they know they can get in they will likely try again and there is a good chance i will catch them in the act because i live so close to my shack(takes me ten minutes) and people are keeping an eye on it for me.  What would you guys do if someone was breaking into your shack to fish?

[TaterSalad]

Wrap a strap around the outside, lock it tight and walk away.
(with them in it of course)

[JediMasterSalmonSlayer]

1.  Coat the door handle with peanut butter. If anyone tries to open the door they will get messy hands and spend a while cleaning up. I use to put it on the telephone ear piece, so when someone used my phone without asking they got an ear full.

2. Field expediant antipersonnel mine made with animal urine, set with trip line to go off when door is opened.

3. Or maybe try the strp and lock thing.

Serious that is not cool. Hope they get it 2 fold...Karma will get them.

TSS

[MrMarty51]

Join em and drink all their beer.Ya might have some new beer providing friends there.
Remove Your stuff from the shanty and don`t lock it as if they want in bad enough the door will just get busted.

[akjw7]

That sucks - those types are everywhere and seem to be getting worse. Too bad the days of teaching such punks a lesson are long gone - we'd have a much friendlier society!

I hate to say it, but in today's world the advice to just keep it emptied out and hope for the best is probably smartest. Anything that stops them from getting in or bugs them once they are in is probably just going to result in increased vandalism.

I doubt if the passive thing is what I would do, but nobody ever accused me of being smart!

lets see....one of those battery operated motion alarms mounted inside (you see them in the sportsmans guide and other misc. catalogs) to offend ear drums and draw attention once the open the door?

some sort of good-conscience offending sign inside the shack so they feel bad after they get in? "this shack represents my hard earned dollars - I'd appreciate it if you didn't take enjoyment of it away from my family and I"

of course nothing scares thieves like cameras - so maybe a sign inside that says "smile you're on candid camera!"

I'm sure some kind of non-lethal (animal urine, pepper spray, paint etc) booby-trap could be rigged if you got creative enough with string... maybe even rig it to a flag so you know when you hook one!

Put a sign on the door - "Hey Jeff, just ran to shore to use the facilities! Back in 15 minutes"

Or a sign outside that says
"An ice auger and other gear worth several hundred dollars was recently stolen from this shack. Witnesses reported a red truck parked nearby. This description was reported to the Troopers.

PS - smile for the camera!"

[fishermanjake]

great suggestions akjw.  I think that last one will be the one i do after calling the troopers thats practically what they suggested as well as a private property sign.  I don't want to encorage people to vandalize or set a trap that vadalizes it by going off.  also i was more worried about catching people in it and having to confront them about it...the trooper told me to call 911 and they would send somebody out.  the most they could get though is criminal mischiffe.  the whole public lake makes it an imposible case for tresspessing. 

[Ed_r]

Could show up if they are there with an Ice saw and some duct tape and have "Dueling Banjo's" Blaring from the radio in the truck.

[akdube]

well take the polite route and leave a note you may be surprised

[Milo]

I'd just be happy that they didn't steal anything, vandalize it, or burn it to the ground.   
That crap has gone on for years in the midwest which has far lower crime rates and vandalism rates than Alaska.   The only reason it doesn't happen more around here is that very few people use them. 
Leave it unlocked and don't leave anything valuable inside.   Invest in a good portable shanty when its gone.

[littlesturgeonguy]

1.  Coat the door handle with peanut butter. If anyone tries to open the door they will get messy hands and spend a while cleaning up. I use to put it on the telephone ear piece, so when someone used my phone without asking they got an ear full.

2. Field expediant antipersonnel mine made with animal urine, set with trip line to go off when door is opened.

3. Or maybe try the strp and lock thing.

Serious that is not cool. Hope they get it 2 fold...Karma will get them.

TSS

and if you have a wood stove and they have a fire going when you lock them in put a soup can over the stop pipe.

[akjw7]

I always wonder about the perception of crime rates - are you comparing total number of a type of criminal offense or per capita?

[littlesturgeonguy]

i say if you catch them in the act beat them with a sock full of wood screws.

[Fishin Fireman]

Jake buddy, I'm sorry you are having bad luck down there too! Seems like whatever you do to your shacks just makes them appealing to the perps in our state. At least this time they didn't get anything out of your shack since you lost your auger when they broke into it up here.

I think calling the troopers is your best bet but getting them to show up maybe a bit time consuming because your case may not be high on the priority list especially down there. Whatever you do make sure you are careful...now a days it seems like the law is more on the side of the criminals than us law abiding citizens.  I do like the sign about the troopers have been notified and I would add reward is being offered for information leading to their arrest

Good luck and I hope you can get to the bottom of it.

Tight lines in the mean time

Brad

[Milo]

I always wonder about the perception of crime rates - are you comparing total number of a type of criminal offense or per capita?

A rate would be per capita by definition.   Data source is www.city-data.com.   Tons of good information out there.

Wasilla - closest city to Big Lake with stats.
2001 to 2005   
crime index ranged from 607 - 814, national average is 320
Thefts ranged from 6585 to 8156 per 100,000
Arsons ranged from 18.1 to 124.6 per 100,000 (16 total in 5 years)

By comparison, 2 similar size ice fishing destinations

Grand Rapids, Minnesota
crime index ranged from 113 - 284, national average is 320
Thefts ranged from 113 to 284 per 100,000
Arsons ranged from 0 to 12.4 per 100,000 (only 1 in 5 years)

Minocqua, Wisconsin
crime index ranged from 129 - 224, national average is 320
Thefts ranged from 1707 to 3733 per 100,000
Arsons ranged from 0 to 40.9 per 100,000 (only 2 in 5 years)


I'm not trying to hammer on Alaska per se, its just that the crime rate in this state is depressing.   Don't get me wrong, there are certainly worse areas.   I'm just surprised it doesn't happen more to the handful of ice shanties out there.    I will stick with a portable.


                     

[fishermanjake]

hey i wonder how an iceshanty nieborhood watch program would go over with scott?

[mr.clean]

FishermanJake,
   The sign idea is good but in addition to one on your shanty contact yourlocal town government,see if you can put up a sign by a common lake access point. Also print up some fliers bring to local bait shop ask if you can post one on front door or somewhere else that is highly visible to customershave state police contact number on fliers. Two last ideas send a letter to your local newspaper get the word out in community the Vandals may go else where or cease their activities. Talk to fellow ice fishermen when on lake,my shack was vandalized keep your eyes open -you watch my shack I will watch yours.
   I hope they find the person/persons responsible.

Steve

[Drifter_016]

Cut a 3 foot square hole in the ice in front of the door, stuff in 6" of SM styrofoam and cover with a couple of inches of snow. 

[Fishin Fireman]

hey i wonder how an iceshanty nieborhood watch program would go over with scott?

It would be similar to report post but would go to all the members in your forum area. So it would be known pretty fast there was a problem.

[catchumall]

Cut a 3 foot square hole in the ice in front of the door, stuff in 6" of SM styrofoam and cover with a couple of inches of snow. 

I'm voting for this guy and upon your return check the hole for floating hats.  If you find one problem solved 

[Barleydog]

That news sucks Jake.  Like Brad said, you're shacks are magnets for vagrants! 
I like the suggestion of leaving a sign behind...  The guy who broke in at least left your stuff alone, so a subtile hint may be needed.  As for catching him?  If you catch him after you placed a sign in your shack, all bets are off!  Take down the truck plate first, then call the cops so they can nab him for being a jack@ss.  Your family is not worth a confrontation...

Milo, I don't know if comparing Minocqua to Wasilla fair?  Wasilla's very close to Los Anchorage.  I believe that if you placed Minocqua outside the city limits of Milwaukee, THEN you'd have a fair comparison.  For those of you who don't know where Minocqua is, it's a quite little town in the northwoods of Wisconsin miles from anything...  I have no clue to the whereabouts of Grand Rapids MN??  I guess it's location is it's burden.

[fishermanjake]

Your family is not worth a confrontation...

very good point Barley dog, hey if you come down this way pm me maybe i'll show you my shack, fish and game told me they just released about 150 brooder char in the lake   8)

[HIMO]

Hey Barley, if you moved Minoqua to to city limits of Milwaukee, not only would your shack be gone but they will steal the ice too.

                                               HIMO
                                      IceShanty Moderator

[akjw7]

BD - I was thinking the same thing, stats being skewed because the valley is such a close suburb to skanchorage

[Barleydog]

very good point Barley dog, hey if you come down this way pm me maybe i'll show you my shack, fish and game told me they just released about 150 brooder char in the lake     

Oohhhh,  I'll take you up on that perhaps in March Jake.  I have a lab class in Anchorage around that time!

if you moved Minoqua to to city limits of Milwaukee, not only would your shack be gone but they will steal the ice too.

HAHAHHAHA!  Only because I'm NOT from Milwaukee!

[Fishin Fireman]

The guy down the road has a sign up it says "NO Trespassing...I'm still on parole from the last guy I shot"...LOL

Or "If you can read this...You're blocking my bullseye"

I am coming down that way in early January for a conference on the 8th thru the 10th, so maybe we can organize a lake watch by then.

[Milo]

Milo, I don't know if comparing Minocqua to Wasilla fair?  Wasilla's very close to Los Anchorage.  I believe that if you placed Minocqua outside the city limits of Milwaukee, THEN you'd have a fair comparison.  For those of you who don't know where Minocqua is, it's a quite little town in the northwoods of Wisconsin miles from anything...  I have no clue to the whereabouts of Grand Rapids MN??  I guess it's location is it's burden.

Good question - so here is the fair comparison.   
Pewaukee, WI is right next to Milwakuee and has a very popular fishery.  It has a substantially lower theft rate than Anchorage, Wasilla or Minocqua.     
On the other hand Wasilla's theft rate is over double that of Anchorage and almost double of Milwaukee's. 

That does not make Milwaukee anyless of a toilet.   


Pewaukee (right next to Milwaukee)  2001 -- 2005
846 to 1823 thefts / 100,000

Milwaukee, WI  2001 -- 2005
3701 to 4363 thefts / 100,000

Wasilla 2001 -- 2005
6585 to 8156 thefts / 100,000

Anchorage 2001 -- 2005
2987 to 3462 / 100,000

source:  www.city-data.com

[littlesturgeonguy]

                            WARNING
             you are currently under surveylence
i am watching you through the scope of my .300 Weatherby Magnum

[mr.clean]

                            WARNING
             you are currently under surveylence
i am watching you through the scope of my .300 Weatherby Magnum
[You for got to say former armed forces sniper.
/quote]

Steve

[killandgrill]

What ever happened to the good old days where you could just punch the bum in the nose and all that happened is the bum left with a bloody nose?

[fish boy]

wait till their in your shack and then go out and get in their truck....I think they will get your point!   8)