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Leaving wheelhouse on mille lacs


Skhots

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I'm used to red Lake and Lake of the woods but seeing as mille lacs is so much closer and the quality is there, I'd like to leave my wheel house on the lake. Being a new wheelhouse owner, I don't know the complications that come with that. I have a few questions for those of you that leave your house out there.

1 do you pay the resort a fee? I see some resorts offering packages for certain services like plowing?

2 is there a fee to leave it on the ice near the lake access?

3 I've read of issues with drifts and freezing into the ice. Not much snow up there right now but if I just bring a snowblowers, would I be OK with drifts? I'm thinking freezing to the ice is more of an issue if there is a thaw/freeze cycle. If I get frozen in, how would I get out? Chip the ice around the frame or what other methods are there?

4 vandalism or theft a problem? Also heard horror stories of houses being stolen or squatted in. I have a removable hitch so I would think the door locks are enough.

5 do you guys just Redrill your holes when you get there? Assuming you're staying in the same spot.

That should be it for now...

The cracking scared the dump out of us last weekend. Lake of the woods cracks are just single thus but mille lacs sounded like a continuous cracking noise from afar, gradually getting closer and closer until it felt like it was under us. Thought my truck was going through!

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skhots, as far as the house freezing in I still block up my wheel house just like I did my skid house. I have some 4x4 blocks that I put on all corners before putting it down. This helps with it freezing in, unless of course you get dumped on and a ton of slush forms. But I would think with as much ice as we have now that shouldn't be an issue even if it does snow.

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you block it up with a 4x4? does it take up a whole 9" hole sleeve then? do you have a problem with holes freezing overnight?

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Just on the corners and it's a 4x4x say 10" long? I do have the longer hole sleeves and to be honest I didn't have much if any snow for barriers so my holes did end up freezing often so most nights I ended up redrilling. If I was out there it was fine as the heater did it's thing and I had the sleeves in to prevent.

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Even just a simple 2x4 would help. Just be ready if there is a huge warmup as you may get more water. Or if there is a huge snowstorm as well.

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Thanks for the info. I guess no one else has an answer to the other questions. Maybe I'll try the ice fishing forum.

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Appledorns used to have a deal where you could leave your wheel house parked on shore for the week. Lybacks does have a similar package. Check out his HSOforum. There is always the risk of theft and vandalism unfortunately. When i had a wheelhouse i only left it on the lake overnight if i knew i was coming back in the morning.

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There are some variables to your questions. Most resorts offer wheelhouse packages. You can pull it out of a public access and leave it all season and all it will cost you is gas to get there. Now add in a 12" snowfall and 3' drifts, do you have the equipment to recover it? Bridges are another factor, live cracks here on mille lacs need to be crossed and paying a access fee will give you access to the bridge. Even though the bridge is on a public lake, it is a ethical choice to pay the resorter for the use of their bridge and road system. Come on up and check out the vast array of operators here on the lake and find one that offers up what you are looking for and enjoy the winter season here in the mille lacs area.

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