Staining yet and lifting to base on posts( the fun part). Clearing shooting lanes and food plots in July. Pretty tight blind so have to see how well it holds heat. December will be the test. I'll probably wind up insulating it tho. Just won't know till late fall.
Very nice. By all means, insulate it. Worth every penny.
That's been my thought from the beginning. It's amazing how many guys saying I won't need it with a heater. It doubles as sound deadener also. Plus in warmer temps will keep it cooler since it's in shaded tree cover.
Not a bad idea. I'm gonna have 2 - 12 volt batteries in parallel inside for 12v power. Planning on running an inverter. Can charge batteries, run a radio or fan. Simple set up but panels are definitely a good idea. I run them on my game cams and they keep the batteries charged.put solar panels on top and get some power,don't listen to me,,I tend to go to the extreme,,
you listened to me,big mistake,go get the recliner and the fridge,everything I've ever built has expanded over original plans.
I've hunted in northern states my whole life in treestands while snowing, freezing rain etc. When I reached my mid 50s, I realized that when the bow seasons end and hunting from treestands isn't necessary, I'm hunting in comfort. Muzzleloader and late firearm season when putting meat in the freezer is all I care about, it's all about comfort.You guys are killin' me with all this hunting luxury! Having lived out here my entire life, I had no idea you guys did this stuff. I thought it was all tree stands and such......nooooooo.
Out here we leave camp at o-dark thirty with a rifle and pack. We don't come back to camp until we either have killed sumthin', or it's dark, period. Maybe because I was raised in a hunting lodge in B.C., and my dad and all my uncles were wranglers and outfitters. It was real hunting, and that tradition was passed on to me.
You guys live in an entirely different 'hunting world' than I ever imagined. To say you all are creative would be an understatement, and now being well into geezerhood, I can sure see the appeal of your efforts. I could easily spend a day in one of your "hides", warm and toasty, sipping something friendly and warm.
Thanks for this post, it's been fun and eye opening. Continue on gentlemen!
,You guys are killin' me with all this hunting luxury! Having lived out here my entire life, I had no idea you guys did this stuff. I thought it was all tree stands and such......nooooooo.
Out here we leave camp at o-dark thirty with a rifle and pack. We don't come back to camp until we either have killed sumthin', or it's dark, period. Maybe because I was raised in a hunting lodge in B.C., and my dad and all my uncles were wranglers and outfitters. It was real hunting, and that tradition was passed on to me.
You guys live in an entirely different 'hunting world' than I ever imagined. To say you all are creative would be an understatement, and now being well into geezerhood, I can sure see the appeal of your efforts. I could easily spend a day in one of your "hides", warm and toasty, sipping something friendly and warm.
Thanks for this post, it's been fun and eye opening. Continue on gentlemen!
Every year a hunting buddy and myself hunt Michigan's UP for about 10-14 days bowhunting/ gun hunting back to back (end of bow season to start of gun). Weather is harsh usually 20s snow, freezing rain, wind and all combined many times. Sit in a tree stand during bow season 4 hours in AM and 4 hours in evening. Once gun season starts we head out at 6am and leave our gun stand at 6pm, never leaving the ground blind. You better believe it's real hunting no doubt. Again, we've done it since the early 80s staying in canvas tents with wood stoves digging out of several feet of snow many years. It's a great time and traditional deer camp as we know it. When I return to home is where I'll climb in this cozy shack up on posts with a heater and recliner office chair. If I take a nap, fine. If I don't kill a deer, fine. If I don't take ammo because I forgot, oh well. It's time in the woods BUT nice, comfy, warm and no worries missing a big buck slip by due to not being out all day. Couple hours just in comfort with a great chance at putting a doe or two in my freezer while in my sweatshirt makes it all worth having that shack in the woods. A recent new owner of a crossbow makes the December archery season another great reason to sit in that comfort shack. Makes all those long sits in bad weather worth it if I don't hang a tag on a buck during the regular seasons. I'm definitely hanging a tag on a couple does for venison.You guys are killin' me with all this hunting luxury! Having lived out here my entire life, I had no idea you guys did this stuff. I thought it was all tree stands and such......nooooooo.
Out here we leave camp at o-dark thirty with a rifle and pack. We don't come back to camp until we either have killed sumthin', or it's dark, period. Maybe because I was raised in a hunting lodge in B.C., and my dad and all my uncles were wranglers and outfitters. It was real hunting, and that tradition was passed on to me.
You guys live in an entirely different 'hunting world' than I ever imagined. To say you all are creative would be an understatement, and now being well into geezerhood, I can sure see the appeal of your efforts. I could easily spend a day in one of your "hides", warm and toasty, sipping something friendly and warm.
Thanks for this post, it's been fun and eye opening. Continue on gentlemen!
All valid points.
Another good reason to make sure that it's big enough to sit 2-3 people if you have a couple kids. I have grand kids that enjoy hunting and at 9 & 15 have both killed several deer already with their dad out of his shack. With the competition of todays electronics and social media, getting kids into the outdoors is tougher than ever. It really hooks kids into hunting when they are comfortable and can move around a little without spooking deer. Put a kid on the ground outside in 20° temps and tell them to not make a move for 2 hours and maybe they'll see a deer. Good luck. Put them in a warm box blind with tinted windows where they can move a little and dress down from heavy cloths and use binos to view game. Thats a recipe for hooking a youngster into future hunts.
I missed your earlier comment NCVarhtr. Also have one more bench facing 180 deg in the opposite direction.
It was anchored with rebar about 2 feet, angled into the ground. 20 + inches of rain over the last month defeated that for sure.
