Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Birth of a deer camp

Why does a cabin always look better in the snow? Looks like a pretty fun weekend if you ask me. The snow coach is pretty cool I don't think I have ever seen one before.

The camp log will fill up soon enough, espically if you invite people to share with you. Some of coolest and most entertaining entries on the ones I've read were by guests of the cabin. I keep a log from my turkey hunting trips with my buddies because it is usually pretty funny. I have only been doing it for about 4 years but is pretty fun to look back see what was written.

I like cedar stands too. They almost look parklike underneith them. Are you going to use some of those for the sauna next year?

Tom

Out at our cabin in CO, that my grandpa built in the late 40's, there was a huge box in the garage. This box was full of OLD calendars. The trend of writing on the calendars didn't really start until early 60's or so, but it is still going on today.

Any way a few years ago I brought the box home and put all the writing on the computer. Basically it is a daily diary of the things done, places went, # of fish caught, that kind of stuff while there. Makes for some really neat reading, as there has now been 5 generations of my family that have used the cabin.

wow that's pretty cool, I like the calender idea.

Hey Tom, yeah we thought about trying to use some of the cedar on the property for the sauna. A friend of mine has a portable bandsaw type sawmill & he has a lap siding/shingle jig for it. We thought about cutting lap sining boards & lining the inside of the sauna that way. we'll have to see I guess.

I got a coyote yesterday to go on the cabin wall next to the fox that hangs out there.

Dave

You could go old school and document the year with cave art on the walls. Hang a piece of butcher paper, so that you can take it down when the wall fills up.

My buddy has a place on the Caribou Trial near Lutsen. The men cut and hauled the cedars to camp and the ladies took the bark off of them. This was 15 years ago so I don't remember the total process but the front and the porch of the sauna are built of the logs. The other three sides are are just T-style siding.

Tom.

cool idea, someone just needs to find me some ladies that will peal cedar bark

Lutsen is a nice area. the wife & I have stayed up there a few times on quick 2-3 day get aways.

'tis beautiful up there. Espically in the fall. They are on a little lake on the Caribou Trail. It is where I developed my passion for the walleye fishing I guess. Spent pretty much 3 summers up there. Jesse got his liscense first I was still 15 but we were up there all summer fishing, riding wheelers and learning how to drink. I have not been up there in quite a few years but this June we are headed back. Probably to do much of the same as we did when we were 16.

that sounds like a real nice place & a real good time.

Dave, this bottom postcard made me think of your shack. Maybe with a real nice thumbtack as mounting hardware.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Hunting...127QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

hey swish, wassup?

it's miller time for me!!

I dont know if I told you but My cousin lurks around the 24, posts now and then. I didnt know that until I showed up at deer camp opening weekend last fall only to be called "swish" buy him and my uncle.

excellent.

Being trying to keep up with this thread occassionly and noticed the snowy cabin photo.
I spent this weekend in S. TX for the opening of spring turkey season and working on insulating our hunting camp. Worked hard Fri and Sat. It was 98 degrees Friday and about 90+ Sat.
If you are wondering what the insulation is for, it is to keep the window unit's cool air in!

stumpy

You found temps in the 90's over the weekend somewhere on this planet?

Hard to believe. I thought we were having a heat wave with temps aproaching the 40's!!



I hear you though, it will be very interesting to see how it is out at the cabin this summer when it gets hot. We see 90's & ocasional 100 degrees or beter up here, hard to believe.

With no electricity other than the generator... we'll do our best with shades & opening windows at night, closing during the day etc.

We have some good shade trees surrounding the cabin though, I'm pretty optimistic about it.

Yessir, 98 degrees according to the rancher (not my truck thermometer that is always a little high). Felt hotter with a SW wind blowing off the Mexico desert.
We have a small Suzuki generator about 20 years old that runs like a top and is much more fuel efficient than the big Honda we sometimes run. We set the generator about 75' behind a large live oak to muffle the sound and let the window unit run all night. Unfortunately, the nearby highway noises are loud. But with the new insulation, the A/C hum is all hear now.
Next years camp is going to be in the middle of a big ranch. Can't wait to get away from the highway and bright lights of any nearby towns.
Really enjoyed your thread. We built a cabin (of sorts) on my place a couple years ago and really enjoyed the challenge of the planning and hard work.

stumpy

my old generator is an onan 2 cylinder 6.5 kw & she's a gas pig. I only run it when i need to run power tools or battery chargers. It's kind of an emergerncy power source right now. We have talked about doing some 12v lights in the cabin & having a couple of 120v outlets & wiring things so that the generator does some charging of the 12 volt batery bank in the cabin when it is running & we would also hook up a solor panel to tend the batery bank.

I guess I haven't done any of that work yet because we have just gotten used to the pump up gas lanterns in the evenings & at night I leave a flat wick type oil lamp lit at a very low flame/light on the kitchen table to serve as a night light so if somewone has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night they can find there way to the door & I have a couple of flashlights hanging on a nail pounded in the wall right by the door so you can grab a flashlight on your way out the door. Night light comes in handy in the middle of the night too on cold nights when I have to wake up & toss a couple of logs in the stove.

I have plans of installing about 3 hard mounted gas light fixtures this summer & I have a gas refrigerator/freezer that I want to get hooked up out there too. That will be really nice this summer when we stay out there.

We keep one gas latern hooked to a big bottle with a flexible hose at the hunting camp. Not sure how long it will last, but much better than pumping or small bottles.
A small, quiet generator is sure nice for instant lighting, radio or TV for the kids at night.

stumpy

Dave,

Will you leave the frige "on" while you are gone, or just use it while you are there?

My buddy has a turkey/deer hunting shack about an hour East of here with hardwired gas lights in it. The lights work great, but the shack is pretty rustic. It serves it purpose though.

Tom

I dunno tom, I was thinking about that. I guess I would hesitate leaving it on while I was gone for fear of fire? I don't think it takes too long for it to get cold when you fire it up.

I don't really know I guess. I'll have to get it hooked up & see how it works I guess.

Hey Dave,
You want a coyote skull for the cabin wall?

Stan