Help me with a Deer Condo

[trook]

I know this may not be the best place to post this, but I also know that many of us who are interested in tractors are also interested in hunting. Therefore, here goes.....

I am considering building an elevated deer "condo" for me and the kids and I need your help. This will actually double as a deer stand/cabin/camp house at the farm, and it needs to be big enough to keep the kids (9 & 11) comfortable. We will probably spend the night some inside this as well.

I am thinking about a 4-10ft elevated "cabin" approximately 8x12 inside with a 12x8 porch. I anticipate stairs will connect where the front door and porch meet. I also anticipate installing several small double hung windows. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up insulating this thing....

I plan on the following:
6x6 posts 3 feet deep in concrete
2x8 or 2x10 joists
treated 3/4 plywood for the floor
OSB or similar exterior walls
5/4x6 treated decking boards
a traditional door 24-32"
double hung windows

I am considering an elevated cabin primarily to keep snakes (we have lots) and other critters from hiding underneath and to help me see the property better while hunting. Is there a preferred height as a rule of thumb for something this size? Pros and cons for 4-10 elevation?

Is there a better material than OSB for the outside walls that will not cost substantially more? I may consider vinyl siding over "blue board".

How about the overall size? Should I go larger?

Please post pics of any other camp houses/condo's, etc that you have so that I may get some ideas.

Thanks, guys...

 

[bcp]

You can get one with most of the work already done:

 

[EddieWalker]

Mine is 8x8 and it's big enough for me and three others easily. The biggest problem is that you can only see out of in two directions. If I had made it smaller, I could see more area, but I couldn't have friends in there and store all my stuff.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/130843-creating-my-over-top-deer.html

Good luck and post lots of pics,

Eddie

 

[trook]

Eddie,

So far, I'm about half way through your 19 page thread!! What you built seems incredible. You have some serious carpentry skills!! I do have some questions:

1. Are your posts 4x4 or 6x6?
2. What size boards did you use for your joists? 2x8?
3. What size boards did you use for the 8ft long pieces that create the frame
between your posts? (sorry, I don't know what they are called)
4. Would you enjoy a 8x4 (give or take) covered porch?
5. Are you satisfied with the size; 8x8?
6. What would you do different if you were to do it all over again?

Thanks for all your help!! :thumbsup:

 

[Digdug5240]

A couple of years back we built a 8x8. As mentioned earlier, it takes 2 people to man the stand so that nothing will get by you. We used 6"x6"x18' for the legs. I'll try to find my pictures and post them.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Mine is 8x8 as well. I used 4x6 for the corner posts, 2x6 for the floor joists and 2x4 for the walls, ceiling joists and the rafters. I used 3/4" plywood for the floor and 1/2" OSB for the walls (inside and outside), ceiling, roof decking and the underside of the floor joists. My tower is 7.5' tall to the floor with a 3' steel entrance door and plenty of windows. All six sides of the cube are insulated, windows are trimmed and wrapped with metal, soffits are enclosed with vinyl and the facia is wrapped with metal as well. I used a 40 year shingle on the room as well. I built a 3' wide stair case up the the door using 3 stringers set on a concrete foundation with handrails on both sides. Bottom is braced with 2x4's crossed. I haven't sided it yet but I plan to with vinyl as soon as I get time to do it.

I have a simple propane heater in there and I just hook up a 20 pound propane tank before hunting season and it keeps it plenty warm in there. I set the one side tight to the woods that I won't shoot into so that I only have three sides to worry about and one of those sides is just a path so I sit on a leather office chair in the one corner watching the two main sides and just glance over to the third side to check the path. All my windows are set at a 3' sill height and it has worked well for me. I have a recliner in there as well for my daughter.

If your main goal is hunting then a 6x6 tower would be good but if you go larger then 8x8 try to design it so your shooting area is where it needs to be for you to see the best and so you don't have to move around too much inside.

Also, I caulked all the joints inside and outside of the tower to help control insects and I foamed all the windows and the door before trimming them off and caulking them tight. The main thing I want to do before I side it is to set a couple 4x4's a couple feet out and enclose the bottom and have a small parking area under the tower for an atv/utv. Something I can put a door on and keep things hidden so I don't have to walk as far when I bring my daughter out. It gets tiresome carrying my shotgun, snacks, coloring books, crayons, markers, stuffed animals and the rest of my hunting gear any major distance:laughing:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/154791-started-my-tower-stand-today.html

 

[LeadPoison]

All great advice so far. The only thing I would add is that there is no need for concrete in the post holes. It will accelerate rot. Those posts aren't going anywhere after they are three feet down.

 

[trook]

WOW!! That is NICE, Robert!! :drool:

 

[Brake Weight]

How about a hideaway ladder like for an attic? Change the rope out with some light chain or a cable.

My uncle has one sitting about 15-20' up. He has his own ATV repair shop and did some work for one of the guys at the power company. Scored two old lightpoles, cut them half and had the guy set them with their truck. Simple shack though. Marine plywood, tin roof, lean to ladder. It would be 8'x8' had he not used the floor to put the walls on. No doors or glass windows. Tin flip up flaps for shutters. Nothing special, but you can see for miles down the high wire out front and the length of the property on the fire lane to the left and right.

Location, location, location.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

WOW!! That is NICE, Robert!! :drool:

Thank you