Depending on where you live, whitetail hunting season may still be months away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start preparing now. If you’re lucky enough to own your own land, consider building a hunting cabin for you, your friends, and anyone else you feel like renting the space to. Discover how to design the ultimate hunting cabin that is practical and comfortable.
Choose a Structure
You have many choices when it comes to how you build the main structure of your cabin, especially if you get creative. People have used all kinds of things, like shipping containers, prefab buildings, and pole barns, but our favorite is buying a metal building. You can customize it, designing the shape and size you want, and some companies will even ship and install it for free!
Temperature Regulation
Since deer hunting season is typically in the fall, you’ll need to consider regulating the temperature inside your cabin. In early fall, you may have different temperatures to contend with at night than during the day. The bottom line: insulate your cabin so that it stays at whatever temperature you need to feel comfortable.
If you’re keeping things rustic and staying off the power grid, there’s no better heater than a traditional cast iron stove. Just make sure to provide your cabin with good ventilation!
Maximize Space Efficiency
The bigger your cabin is, the more difficult it will be to heat at night or cool during the day. However, you also want plenty of space for you, and your guests to chat, eat, and sleep. For the most efficient space usage, choose furniture like bunk beds, day beds, and sleeper sofas that can serve more than one purpose.
Add a Kitchenette
You may find it tempting to skip building a kitchenette and use a dining table for food preparation, but this is a bad idea for several reasons. First of all, you need a place to prepare raw meat (think burgers, fish, and bratwurst) that is separate from the place where you eat for sanitation purposes. You’re also going to need somewhere to wash utensils, pots, and pans so that you don’t attract pests with dirty dishes.
Make Sure It Locks
The most important part of designing the ultimate hunting cabin is protecting your space! Make sure your cabin has a solid lock that will keep you safe when you’re inside sleeping and will keep any trespassers out while you’re away. This is even more important when you have guns on the property—you don’t want someone accessing those without your knowledge! Consider adding security cameras to monitor your property while you are away.
The off-season is a great time for projects that will add to the hunting experience. Use these months to build a hunting cabin so that you and your guests can have the best time possible.