Let's see your...HUNTING SHACK

[irvingdog]

I can almost smell the soggy plaster, wet carpeting and mildew. Still; it looks like fun!

A little Doe urine under your nostrils, and you won't smell a thing.

[northerndave]

here ya go Drift, meat pole by request:

and a shot of my hunting truck in front of the shack.

[big drift]

Dave, I am thinking by the lack of critters the youth weekend did not go as planned? Although with a pole like that it should support the critters once ya get done.

Nothing located in my weekend wanderings but I'll keep my eye out.

bd

[northerndave]

you are correct, youth hunt was a bust.

dang.

regular season is right around the corner though, we'll decorate that pole yet

[Muskieguy]

Purchased for $1 from a guy at work who just wanted it off his land. 1975 Prowler 24footer. Pretty much everything works. Added 12V lighting and had the cushions re-done in Advantage Camo. Sleeps 5, each has own bed.

[BoxMN]

Very cool seeing pics of these places, lots of fun is had in them, huh?

Mine is a bit different, as it is an old store in a town. We got it and pretty much have it mostly cleared out now, added shower and sinks, but still needs some touches. Here are some early pics when it still had some store stuff in it. It is right across the street from local bar and kitty corner from restaurant, hehe.

Images of future duck and deer camp- made from a 1900 store

It is different from a normal "up north" place, but it works good. I hope to have deer camp type place someday in MN. I do sort of have a camp, but it is our cabin now, a 20x20 place with outhouse, that may be a guest house someday We use it for a duck camp once a year. It is the pic in my avator.

[jbell1981]

BoxMN - Care to share what town that is in? It looks very familar to me for one reason or another. Maybe just because all the old small town stores look the same though.

[big drift]

Kinda looks like Leonard, MN...but as jbell said there are a lot of towns that have those store fronts.

[BoxMN]

Small town in North Dakota, Adams. We have to take the sign down yet, as we still get some folks who think it is still open. I always offer a beer and some leftovers But they usually want cigs, hehe, I can't help them there.

[The Donk]

I too thought it was in Leonard, thats pretty close to our cabin Big Drift, do you get that way often?

[Johnny_Namakan]

This shack was built about 7 years ago by my extended family and friends. We have no road into it, and during construction the closest we could get the vehicles was about 10 miles away. We had to haul in everything you see by ATV and a Polaris Ranger and trailer. We got permission to use a snowmobile trail to get us almost all the way there then finish the last 2 miles via a small ATV trail. A couple years ago a logging road was built which allows us to get our vehicles to about 1.5 miles from the shack.

This first pic is the original shack. We had a wall just this side of the table and we had 6 bunks right where I took the photo from.

This second pic is looking through the hole we cut in the wall of the old bedroom to add on a larger addition a couple years ago. We put 2 bedrooms that sleep four individually and a third bedroom that sleeps 6. We also put a good size sauna and changing room in.

Another view into new addtion.

Outside picture of new addition. Window on far left is part of original shack. Lower right side is the wood burning sauna stove. It was a lot of work to build with no power or running water, but it sure is nice being in the middle of nowhere with little hunting pressure around us.

[Craig_S]

OMG.

Old farmhouse, very nice. History.

And a new used trailer? Gotta be exciting. Can put it anywhere.

Or a store in the Dakotas? Innovative. And right down-town!

Then there's the REALLY remote shack. Much effort and much gain. No noise. The best northern lights ever.

Awesome. Keep 'em coming.

Warm fires.

Craig

[Harmonica Bear]

Need a favor gang, can someone post some pics for me? Computer at home is down and here at work I am unable to upload anything (firewall). I can send pics via email however. I'd appreciate it.

HB

[Black_Bay]

LOL I could just imagine hauling building material in and the guy infront of me hauling the MGD beer babe! LOL

Nice place!!

[northerndave]

right here bear.

[email protected]

[Johnny_Namakan]

Yeah the MGD babe has kind of a funny story to it. My parents had just bought their Polaris Ranger in the Spring. My parents neighbor liked the machine and decided to buy one himself, but it was a couple months later. Well by that time the new model had come out. So my parents neighbor comes over to show his to my Dad, and my Dad was bumming big time because the new model had a glove box and an E-break light which isn't much, but you know boys and their toys we have to one-up each other all the time. So that afternoon my Dad had stopped by the liquor store to buy some beer for the weekend and sees that MGD sign there. He thought he would out do his neighbor by buying the sign and putting it shotgun in the Ranger. So the liquor store agreed to sell it to him and when he got home he sat that sign shotgun in the Ranger and drove over to his neighbors. When his neighbor came out he was laughing his butt off and my Dad said something to the effect of, I bet your machine doesn't come with a beer babe! That year we put the addition on the shack and decided to bring up to beer babe. I'm bumming because I can't remember what we named her. I'm sure next weekend if I ask, someone will remember. Good Times!

[Harmonica Bear]

Thanks - you got mail.

[northerndave]

ok, I have a meeting right now, I'll git r done right after that though.

Dave

[northerndave]

ok, here we go,

Harmonica Bear's pics.

very cool.

Bear, can we get some naration to go with these pics?

[Harmonica Bear]

Thanks Northerndave.

Hmmm details.

The cabin a few miles south of Williams on 80 acres. It was built in 78-79 at the extreme end of a Minumum maintainence road. It is 14x20 and built like a brick $hit-house. Garth Jensen (RIP) who built it made sure this was going to last for future generations. Had tons of gravel etc hauled in so the cabin woudn't settle in that kind of soil. It is stil today just as square and level as the day it was built. Get this, we've never even had a mouse or any other critter get into it. Amazing. (we've had a skunk with a mayo jar stuck on it's head aka "Jarhead" take up residence underneath it once, but that's another story)

I began hunting there in 86 and shot my first buck in 87. Hanging on my wall of fame.

It has four bunks and we can make room for a cot or two if needed. We have also added a stripped out travel trailer (serious eye-sore), for additional bunk space or banishment for loud snoring etc.

We had as many 8 hunting there, but are now down to 4 which is the perfect number for that place.

It has no running water, but we do have a free flowing well. No electricity. We heat with wood. We added the Fisher wood stove (Baby-bear) 8 years ago. Before that we had an old hand built woodstove (big risk!). For years we were the Coleman camp; cooked and lighted the place on Coleman products, but we have since added propane lights and a oven/stove (Garth probably rolling over in his grave at our handy work, but it's a lot nicer and easier living).

Godfrey and Gertie Laveque lived at the head of the road and used to keep a keen eye on the traffic heading our way, but once they moved...It has been broken into countless times.

It was once pronounced "Cabin Burglars should be nailed to the barn and hung like yotes!"

We kept Coleman in business in the 90's, but other than lost items, a couple doors, and a window the damage for the most part was minimal (THANK GOD). We now have neighbors (another camp) across the road and they are up quite a bit which I beleive has reduced the incidents. Godfrey's daughter still lives up there and checks on the place, too. We also don't leave anyting of value in there anymore.

We leave the place in immacualte shape (keyholder rule) and try to leave it better for the next visit. The place holds boat-loads of memories for us. There is no better sound than hearing the Liberty bell ring on the deer hanger. YAHOOOO!!!!

I think that's about it, or as much as I type and get away with here at work.... I'm ready to go!

BTW The sign's interpretation:

coureur des bois "Runner of the Woods"

Those who overwintered and ate "off the land" were called "hommes du nord" (northern men)

[northerndave]

great write, really colors a vivid picture of your camp.

thanks.

I get through that way every now & then, almost bought a 40 real close to williams just west & south a bit.

didn't pan out though.

for the best anyways cause we're happy were we ended up.

dave

[northerndave]

check it out, got the outside stained, now i just need to trim the ext & get some soffit & facsia on.

it's ready for deer opener though!! I't's ready!! I beat the deadline!!

Woooo!!

[snapcrackpop]

Nice shack!

Looks like the walls are ready for knotty pine.

[northerndave]

oh they are, they certainly are!!!

but my wallet, she says "NO!"

Someday, and if I can fin some reasonably.

[snapcrackpop]

How much into her now?