Let's see your...HUNTING SHACK

[Craig_S]

This is a little place we call Shooterville!

Location: South Clearwater County.

Land: 80 acres Private, surrounded by a couple of thousand County lands.

Established: Built in 1999, land owned since the '60s.

Size: 16x24, truss frame construction.

Amenities: Gas lights, gas range, wood stove heat. Bring your own water - fiberglass shower stall and a solar shower bag.

Capacity: Self limited to 5

Target Species: Deer, Grouse. There's ducks, but we choose to do that somewhere else. Plenty of bear, haven't done that yet. Excellent trapping potential.

[KidWalleye]

Now there's a hunting shack. Nice job. Bare necessities and still comfortable. I hope to find a 40 or 60 acre spot in the next few years. I thought about getting an older camper, but I think this is a better idea. And I could probably build it fairly cheap.

Kid

[bigbucks]

Nice looking shack.

Mine is 30 X 56 with a 24 X 48 garage on 50 acres. Of course my family's there too on my hunting weekends (& all the rest of the time too), but I still walk out to a stand from the house if I want to. The other hunting spots are primarily anywhere from a 5-20 minute drive.

[luckey]

KidWalleye, the camper isn't a bad idea. Remember, with a permanent building, comes the tax man!

[Craig_S]

It's a pretty sweet spot. Built with a little sweat. As far as the taxes go, there's a few options. You can build a hunting shack in most "hunting" counties without a building permit. I think the max is 480 square feet? And with the loft we're right there. Once discovered, it'll change the status from timberland to seasonal recreational which has happened here. Pretty minor unless you have lake shore.

And, if you're managing your timberland, you can get a tax break less an acre or two the shack sits on. It's a rebate of a few dollars per acre. And a pretty good deal.

I did the camper thing for a number of years and can't emphasize enough how much better this place is. No butt rubbing to get by the sink. Stretch out and play a little cribbage. Not to mention the camaraderie of building and satisfaction of a job well done.

The whole place cost about 5 grand. Rough sawn spruce from a local sawmill and a little more for trim and decor.

I'd like to see others shacks and what you've done - to get some ideas? Takers? Got to be proud of the shack......

Craig

[Craig_S]

Come on now, I wanna see your shack! Maybe move this to the the Deer forum?

I threw it all out there, how about you?

Craig

[Craig_S]

Bump.

Craig

[nitroant]

I'll will be glad to share some photos, but I don't have any that are digital right now, just got my digital camera a few months back. I will take some on MEA weekend. Your place puts our to shame, but I am happy to havw what we have. I would like to see some other too.

[widetrack]

[Jeremiah Johnson]

NICE shacks fellas, Widetrack-that buck there with the spread as long as your muskie!, that isnt a MN buck is it?!

I'll try to find some pics of my shack...

[widetrack]

Yes, it's a Minnesota buck...

[stmichael]

That ain't no buck...Thats a moose. WOW is that a wide rack!

I will post pictures of our shack after opening weekend, unfortunately, I will only be able to post pictures of the outside, the inside has floor to ceiling wall paper that would not be appropriate for this site.

Once you see the outside you will understand why it is important to dress up the inside.

[snapcrackpop]

Quote:

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unfortunately, I will only be able to post pictures of the outside, the inside has floor to ceiling wall paper that would not be appropriate for this site.

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So much for the "St" Michael. Ha!

[stmichael]

The name is a cover SHHHH! (do not tell anyone)

[Craig_S]

Yeah baby! That's what I'm talking about. I love the tounge and groove. We've thought about some nice wood. Maybe next year on the ceiling.

You must have a pretty secure spot there with all the trophy action. Although we've never had any trouble, all I've hung is some ducks that my wife said were too past prime for the living room anymore.

But do you have a Viagra clock? When we get there and it's cold, the poor second hand just pulses a little. But it spins nicely when it warms up a bit!

Craig

[ChuckN]

Well, my wife and I took on a big project this summer to gut out my grandfather's cabin he built 50+ years ago. Spent a week tearing off the old roof (a lot of rot/repairs) and re-roofing. Several other days gutting the inside, but the roof was a major priority.

Hopefully the interior will look like widetracks someday.

I don't dare post any other photos at the moment...it's a major construction zone.

Day 2 of the roof.

Day 7- finished the roof.

[Tom7227]

There's a better alternative than LP. Wire the cabin with standard 14 gauge wire, fixtures etc., but hook it up to 12 volt batteries. A relative has done this and has switched lights, a radio (on a timer so it turns off after you're asleep) a fan for the woodburner. The best part is the shower. A 15 gallon steel drum with a bung on the side. Hook a hose from the bung to a 12 volt pump that would be used in a motor home (Northern Tool has them). Hose from the pump to the shower. We set the whole thing on top of one of those small propane buners (again at Northern) and drop the outdoor thermometer probe in to get the water temp. Total cost was about $135 for the shower. The owner hooked up two boat batteries, ran it through a fuse, and then just wired the inside of the cabin as if it was 110 ac. The rig lasts for four days before the batteries died. No noisy propane lamps, no flames, just total comfort. Also no TV.

[MNDeerhunter]

I finally got around to posting my hunting shack…here it is. No running water or electricity. Everything in the building (including 2 refrigerators), runs off of propane. In fact a couple of years ago during rifle season we had a nasty storm up there, but needed to go to the store for some supplies. When we got there, the told us that they had been without electricity for 2 days, but we never knew it. Enjoy.

[Craig_S]

Now we're rolling. I see a story in the pictures ChuckN. Man labors hard. Woman brings cooler up to roof. Man empties cooler. Woman finished ridge cap while man passes into dreamy, well, pass-out.

[Craig_S]

Yes there are alternatives. Me personally, I'm not too thrilled about potential gas leaks. We have detectors. But electric would be a nice trick. We go on a fly-in every year and love the solar setups. RV water pump, electric lights, and usually propane fridge and water heater. It's sweet, but can't see the expense for the solar and wonder how it'd work in colder weather. I'd like to hear more ideas...

[Craig_S]

And you gotta love the log shack. Nothing beats warming up those logs and re-radiating the heat. I sense a lot of history in your place. That's what it's all about.

There's something special about being "off the grid". Makes a guy feel pretty special when it's all stormy and you're all comfy. I've dreamed about WW3, all the grid is down. We're heading to the shack 'cause that's where we can make a stand.... Not a nice dream, but not a bad backup plan either!

Craig

[ChuckN]

There is a long story behind the place and that's what drives us to fix it up. It has been a simple cabin of all sorts, hunting and relaxing year round. That's what it's all about. The good old days.

My wife worked very hard and she didn't leave me after all that. lol

Nice cabins everyone! Let's see more...I would like some further ideas for my project.

[harvey lee]

I stay in a house while deer hunting in ND.Boy,you guys have it made as those are what I call deer hunting places.

[MNDeerhunter]

Quote:

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And you gotta love the log shack. Nothing beats warming up those logs and re-radiating the heat. I sense a lot of history in your place. That's what it's all about.

There's something special about being "off the grid". Makes a guy feel pretty special when it's all stormy and you're all comfy. I've dreamed about WW3, all the grid is down. We're heading to the shack 'cause that's where we can make a stand.... Not a nice dream, but not a bad backup plan either!

Craig

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There is quite a bit of history to our "shack". We have owned it for 10+ years, but the stuff on the walls goes back to the early 30's. It's funny because when there are new faces up there in the fall, they always gravitate towards the wall (picture #2 upper right hand side) and read the bill-of-sale from the mercantile exchange. They look at the cost of the stuff on there and laugh. There are racks from deer that were shot in the 40’s on the wall with the metal tags attached still. Like I said there is a lot of history inside and out of that building.

[love to hunt]

The rough and ready camp.

This this is in the north woods of the Baltrami State Forest and we are talking rustic.