Small Hunting Cabin Pics
General Topic
Contributors to this thread:
Anyone here retreat to a small hunting cabin? What is in there that you like? What is the necessities? What size did you build? What are your likes/dislikes about it? Got any pics? Thinking about building a small one roomer. Get the ideas perkulatin'
Mine doubles as a fishing cabin too. Killed this year's elk about 8 minutes away.. Started out as a very small cabin idea but figured out it didn't cost much more to put it on a walkout foundation and add a loft and an extra bedroom. The small sunroom and ATV garage beneath was added on later. My advice is to think ahead to what you might want in 10 years and plan accordingly.
Seems to not let me rotate the two interior pics...
Lou, I bet you have to pinch yourself plenty when you wake up in the morning and look out your window. Absolutely stunning.
Here is a cabin we rent during elk season. It is one big room and covered porch. It has a solar panel than runs a few lights and can charge our phones. Has a oven/stove that is hooked up to 20lb propane bottle out side. A 50 gallon barrel to catch rain water hook up to a sink/ faucet inside. 2 sets of bunk beds, a table with four chairs, a couch, recliner, and wood burning stove. Bath room is a outhouse. I don’t have a picture I can find of inside. It is pretty perfect for 3 or 4 guys to come back after hunting and fix a good dinner , get a good nights sleep, dry up wet clothes.
Bear Track, yes, it's like being inside a painting sometimes, especially when moose are in the front yard when we go out on the deck for morning coffee.
Adam, one other thing - design it to be as maintenance free as possible. I originally wanted log, then D log siding, instead settled on James Hardie composite in wood grain. Not only did I save a bunch in insurance (fireproof) but haven't had to treat it in 15 years. Used Prego laminate for the flooring, which is easy to install and maintenance free.
Also, plan for gear and equipment storage. My friends who have gone "small" always complain about that.
This is a panoramic of inside not sure how it will look on bowsite
Lou,
That's as close to heaven as I can imagine!
Simple cabin on my uncle's property that we built in early 90's. Had to jack it up and pour slab under it but still going strong. Has electric, wood burner for heat, and propane for stove. No bathroom but house is only 75 yards away that we can use. Has loft to sleep 4 to 6 comfortably.
Lou, That is a wonderful place! Makes me envious!
Happy Place
Happy Place
Beautiful cabins guys. Here's my little shabin on 10 acres. Still pecking away at the interior, working on it this weekend actually. About 40 minutes north of home so I'm there often. Woodstove for heat/cooking.
That's my buddy that did the shingling for me in the pic. He works for food and beer ; )
Just added the porch with a new steel roof. I had some storm damage this summer, so decided on the re-do.
Bought this in 2013. Completely remodeled . Electric ,plumbing ,windows, doors and 1x4 knotty pine on all interior walls and ceiling . Sitting on 45 acres in Northern Michigan . Took my biggest buck to date here . Beat out all my nice Ohio bucks . Got food plots and privacy.
Find a copy of this book -
https://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Cabin-Calvin-Rutstrum/dp/0020985002
Who Cares Camp. 22x24 in remote area. Little more rustic than Jaq's beautiful place. Use a Honda 1000. Powers lights and satellite tv.
So does my brother, a camp icon!!
And me with a little Smoki g Loon and football. A cozy shack. 4 sets of bunks, sink and cook stove. Wood heat and nothing but the truth told around that table. And that's no lie.
Camo Campers
Camo Campers
This has been our deer camp since 1984. Never got beyond the “camo” campers on cinder blocks.
Heading there to hunt in an hour:)
My hunting cabin. Plan on building a smaller version over on the farm.
Well, as with the last time, I am embarrassed. But I love it, and it is functional even without all of the comforts,
jstephens, that's rough man! Can't believe you survive hunting out of that thing! LOL! Nice place!
Yes but there’s stuff stored up there right now. There’s no electricity.... no water... just an outhouse.... My buddy wired it for a generator which we can plug into the outside of the cabin.... Or run an inverter through a boat battery to backfeed power to run the lights.
The cabin only cost about 6 grand delivered and built on site... They transported it across the bridge from the Cadillac area. There’s no foundation... just gravel and cinder blocks on the gravel.
Nothing fancy. Small Vogelzang wood stove. Cement board and loose bricks behind and under it. Roxul insulation in the walls covered by T-111 for inside walls. Sprayed insulation on the inside of the roof..... Deck painting on the inside plywood floor. The floor is insulated too.
On 80 acres bordering NF, 3 1/2 miles from paved road through a private ranch, winter access by ski or snowshoe only, 20’ x 12’ with a 12’ x 12’ loft for sleeping, 20’ x8’ covered porch, wood burning stove for heat and propane cook stove. No running water or electricity, lanterns for light. Have killed deer and elk on the property as well as in the NF. Built by my Dad and I 25 years ago. Absolutely nothing I would want different.
BB,
I know more and more folks that are going the "shabin" route. I can get one from a local amish shed builder, 14'x28', with a covered front porch for about $7,500. Finish off the inside as you want. Not considered a "permanent" structure, at least here in a lot of PA townships. The only issue I have or I should say my wife does, is the port-potty.
I have a porta potty like Kevin’s.... I find them easy to keep clean since it’s just a few people using it. The plastic is easy to wipe down with disinfectant wipes.........
Tom,
That's what we did. The Mennonites built ours. 14'X20' inside, with a 6' porch. I wired, insulated it and panelled it. Outside bathroom, and another shower room which uses a double burner Zodiac. Elevated 250 gallon water tank.
The shell was $5900 in 2010.
Not very attractive but it is decently comfortable, not so much for Robin.
Just make sure the "shabin" is legal where you live. Where I am they must meet a certain dimension requirement (pretty sure it's 600 sq ft.) or they are considered "temporary" and can only occupy the property for 6 months out of the year
This was 25-30 years ago, built a 20x20 with second floor. Insulated, propane heated, wired for electricity but ran off generator, no bathroom, no running water.
Cabinets taken from a friends remodel job.
Cabinets taken from a friends remodel job.
Framing
Framing
Wood guy, yours is like mine. It measures 24'×38' with a 8' overhang. Loft is 14'×38' with 8 ' ceiling. It's amazing how the trusses can cantilever this much. I framed it 3 years ago with some friends and have been slowly finishing it myself since. A lot to do yet. I got occupancy this past fall and now I can finish at my pace.
This is one of 2 pallet walls
This is one of 2 pallet walls
Stairs
Stairs
Here are a couple more pics of my cabin project
These are awesome guys! Thanks so much!!! My cabin will most likely be more like Jaquomo's outhouse
Holy cow Jacq,,,, And Jim Stephens...... Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
Nice cabins everyone !!!
My 20' x 30' cabin in the woods. Built from 4"x8" cypress timbers.
Closing Friday on my soon to be Ontario bear/pike fishing cabin.
here you can see the 2nd level in the roofline
here you can see the 2nd level in the roofline
Here's our family cabin (not exactly small; 4,700 sf). Stick frame for sure and build a 2nd level or loft into the roof, the space is practically free because you have the footprint anyway.
Who Cares Camp still perfectly level after 37 years.
Who Cares Camp still perfectly level after 37 years.
similar to KPC have to find creative ways in when the road is impassable, about 2 miles from last maintained road. And real rough and impassable during spring break-up. Someday I will get a side by side or something other than skiing and walking.
It is 24x28 ish, logs effect that, there is water pumped from the creek, and plumbed into the kitchen and bathroom, with a hot water tank. There is electricity, it was put in in the 40's when someone was hoping to develop and subdivide. The loft will be the bedding area but right now it is not inhabitable.
just put in doug fir flooring that we logged and milled right on the place. Kitchen counters are lodgepole that we logged and milled on the place. Just finished rock work behind the wood stove, and tile in the bathroom.
oz
oz
My buddy headed back in to the cabin with the essentials......
+1 on the loft. It's free floor space, doesn't add much to the overall cost, and essentially adds 50% to the cabin capacity. That was the first modification to our (originally) simple one-story floor plan as we looked for low-expense ways to expand it from the outset, knowing the costs of adding-on later would be exponentially higher. The up-front extras ended up delaying my retirement by a couple years, but well worth it now.
Also, we were lucky to have a hillside to build on, which made a walkout unfinished basement a no-brainer. Perfect for storage of gear, tools, ATVs, etc.. Obviously on flat terrain that wouldn't be a realistic option.
We also wanted a year-round hunting, fishing, enjoyment cabin, which may not be needed for many who simply want a seasonal hunting shack where you and the boys can drink and stink and play cards in peace for a few weeks every year. The most important thing is to think forward and plan ahead, because it's way less expensive to do it now, rather than later, as we learned (the hard way).
Kind of excited to show pictures of our cabin, The log shell was put up about 30 years ago, and left as a hollow shell, that we visited and stayed at. In just the last 5 years I have gotten my personal income to a place we can invest in it some and so we are starting to make changes.
sorry about the sideways pictures, this last picture is what is left of a hind quarter of the whitetail I killed up there this fall. I brought it back to the cabin and skinned it and butchered the backstraps. Then I proceeded to hang the quarters on the deck and wrap them in a bed sheet, with intention of butchering the rest while my son hunted the next weekend. But mr bear had a different plan this is all that was left when I returned. First time this has happened have hung whole deer there for a week at a time before, was totally surprised by it. GRRRRRR.
Badass Ozzie, love the stone work and countertops.
So enough pictures, to answer the o.p. question things to include or consider.
1. consider that you will not likely be able to visit frequently, so rodent proof, bat proof, rat proof, fly proof everything you can. Poison is not the best idea if you take pets along with you it becomes a pain to get it all picked up when pets are present.
2. Consider adding some amenities that make it more family friendly. that is easy with kids, zip lines, fire pits, hatchet throwing blocks, fishing holes, etc. The spouse can be a little more difficult. The cleanliness of the cabin makes a difference, if she has to clean for hours when she gets there, yeah, no go, if she has to use the outhouse, strike 2, if she isn't outdoorsy and just reads while she is there, strike 3. So do what you can to make it comfortable for the family, and enjoyable for the family. (I built a wood fired hot tub out of a stainless steel milk tank), wow big bonus she even asks to go to the cabin once in a while.
3) Don't rush, we have been working on ours for 30 years, and just now making it desirable
4) establish some traditions, we ski in every new years with all the family and friends we can talk into going with
5) I would do without beds, We use a futon, and cots.
6) I have promised my kids their own cabins on the acreage as wedding presents, they will be 16x20 with a window and a door. With the intention that they will use their cabin and send the grandkids (if I'm so luckY) to my cabin to hang with me and grandma. I need to build the first one already, girl is married, boy is taking his time so far.
7) we have not worried about improving the access yet, that takes too much $$ too quick. We will worry about that when we are not healthy enough to hike or ski in.
8) go there to enjoy don't always work on it.
9) invite family and friends to spend all the time there they want, it is better for the maintenance of the place.
10) depending on climate a heat source other than wood may be nice, if the cabin has been empty for a week and it is below zero outside, it is even colder inside. And the beautiful log work takes forever to get warm. Some days I schedule 12-24 hours to get the cabin up to enjoyable temps.
oz
I soak rags with ammonia and throw them under the cabin when I’m gone to keep the porkies out.
I built this guest cabin on my place out of 8ft fence post with the help of family and a good friend who also built the custom door for it. It is 27 x 18 ft including the front hang over.
Good stuff.
We went with a steel building and have had zero pests including mice. We were told that would be a huge advantage. Except for wasps, but I spray twice a year and that works good.
Instead of an outhouse we actually have a bathroom with sink in a separate building, right behind the cabin and next to the shower building. Robin uses the seats with the bags and is OK with that. Eventually I hope to get one of those incinerator toilets. I keep a small Mr. Buddy heater in there and it is comfortable.
We did go with adult steel frame bunk beds, full size with good mattresses. Only one set. Have two nice camo recliner chairs. In the lofts we can sleep 4 more but I seldom take more than one. We just have bunk bed mattresses up there-mostly for the in-laws;-)
I wired the cabin and have the 25' heavy duty 4 pole extension cords. Two of these will reach to our first barn behind the cabin. The generator is in it and we can barely hear it inside the cabin. Our largest generator is 7000 BTU and will run two A/Cs and a water pump. In the winter an 1800 BTU generator is enough for the lights and stuff.
Had a nice TV but it is gone. I use the cabin basically to sleep. I love to be outside, even when I am at home. Always chores to do when I am there with just my lab, with Robin we spend time looking for sheds or mushrooms etc. She does like to read and work on her iPad. I hardly watch TV at home so that wall space is dedicated to pictures of buddies with game they harvested on the place.
Do have a microwave, but most cooking is done on a charcoal park style, set in the ground grill. Also have propane cookers if needed. A meat pole is extremely handy. We also have a swing for two.
I had gutters installed on one barn and catch rain in a 130 gallon tank I fitted to a 3 point carry all. I use this for when I plant trees, and even to wash the equipment with a power washer. Our property is more open by the cabin, so one of the barns allows me to hide our vehicle when there. I try and not let the deer know we are there during hunting season.
Go bigger than you think. Robin would definitely come up more if it had more of the amenities she has at home. It is more fun when she is there, and our lab likes it better also because he is not in the cabin alone when I hunt. The recliners made a huge difference in terms of taking a power nap after working or between morning/evening hunts. You learn as you go I guess. If I had it to do all over again I might buy one of those mini-homes or a double -wide. It still is nice pulling up to the place though, you just know more memories are right around the corner.
Best wishes and keep us posted.
Built this one in northern Va. Nice job on your cabin...
Northern va cabin build also...with loft
Built this 30x32 in Md. I build cabins,houses,barns ,anything really,, i travel to build,mostly on site.ill cut rafters,joist, headers ,anything that can be precut, i do it at home to speed up the build..
As a wanna be cabin owner, a couple questions.
How many acres do you have? Did you buy a large spread, or is it just a couple acres with access to public land?
Living off the grid, have you had any problems like break in's, vandalism, etc? When you're not there but a couple of weeks per year, how do you protect the cabin? I've heard horror stories about locals (Maine) trashing or even burning cabins down that belong to out-of-staters. Don't know if they are just stories or true.
What Kevin said, other than the porcupines. Lock up your stuff in these, chained together. Nothing worth breaking in for.
Have good neighbor relations. Good luck.
I have an off the grid cabin but the interior is lined with OSB sheathing. That glue STINKS. Anybody have an idea how to cover the panels or stop the glue smell from emanating from the panels?
I would agree KPC, but if I do it, it won't be instate (CT). At the closest, would be at least six hours away (ME, NH, VT). Not a weekly jaunt.
Who Cares Camp is in remote area in northern MN. Haven't locked the door in 37 years since it is remote and the locks wouldn't stop a bad guy. Do get atv riders or occassionally snowmobilers that ride in. They often will go in and check it out and leave a note. Or take a shot of booze and say thanks, they had a touch of a cough coming on! Never lost anything. Shacks are a tradition up here and seems people sort of respect that. I go up a lot year around. Just fun hanging out there.
Me too K, it's not that I don't want a place close, it's that it's CT. Same crap Pat has mentioned (once or twice). Expensive, taxes, stupid hunting regs, stupid politics.
We've always been very careful about not keeping anything of value at the cabin. No guns, booze, or electronics left behind when we are not there. We leave all curtains open so that a would be thief can peek in and see that there isn't anything worth stealing. My uncle even joked about spreading the word around the local taverns that there's nothing worth stealing.
It's not a perfect system, but it's worked for the family cabin for 40yrs now.
I agree on the good neighbor relations and that can be taxing. My nearest neighbors are 1/2 mile and 2 miles away. And they seem to be the largest threat, Lots of stolen firewood over the years. Never a break in though. Lots of use of my land for fishing, hunting and firewood, by one neighbor. But it is what it is.
oz
A little slice of heaven deep in the Adirondacks. No electricity, no water and most importantly, no cell service. Nothing better than a couple of solo days there, except a couple of days with really good friends.
My little slice of heaven is a 16x24 cabin that is located 2 ½ miles off the Alaska Highway 30 miles out of Tok where I live. Access is by foot or 4 whl or snow machine, It is located on a creek and has solar power and an outhouse for comfort. Every thing had to be hauled in. I built it myself as well as a 12x16 shop that I just added. It has been a work in progress since 2004 after I chose the 20 acres from the state of Alaska. I’ve since added 21 acres more. I have moose, caribou, sheep, wolf in the area that I can hunt and I put steel/snares on a short 8 mile loop during trapping season for marten, lynx, wolf and fox
My little slice of heaven is a 16x24 cabin that is located 2 ½ miles off the Alaska Highway 30 miles out of Tok where I live. Access is by foot or 4 whl or snow machine, It is located on a creek and has solar power and an outhouse for comfort. Every thing had to be hauled in. I built it myself as well as a 12x16 shop that I just added. It has been a work in progress since 2004 after I chose the 20 acres from the state of Alaska. I’ve since added 21 acres more. I have moose, caribou, sheep, wolf in the area that I can hunt and I put steel/snares on a short 8 mile loop during trapping season for marten, lynx, wolf and fox
The shop
The shop
Winter
Winter
Mine had wheels. ( I guess they can go back on if I wanted to relocate it. 2 bath, 2 beds with a LR , Kitchen and laundry is priceless.
Floor of new Cabin
Floor of new Cabin
Drone pic from 3 years ago
Drone pic from 3 years ago
Here is our cabin in central Montana. We use it year around with the help of snowmobiles in the winter. We put this cabin in 5 years ago with the plans of using it as a guest cabin once we get our log cabin finished. We started on that last spring, the floor is done and the logs will be stacking in June. It is the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced!