Moose Camp and Cabin

It was a great vacation time and as always to short. Started out spending 8 days in Moose camp with some warmer then wanted weather. Actually thought it might be decent hunting season, woke up on Monday the 1st to nice kool temps, too bad it only lasted one day then warmed up again.

We did see some bulls on Monday, but after it warmed up they took off for better country I guess. Scott did get to tag a nice little bull and almost got himself run over by the guy in the process, but at least we got some meat down.

After leaving camp I headed down to the cabin for two weeks and Dean came along for the first 6 days. Plan was to do a combo work on the cabin and hunt until he left on the 15th. Worked out pretty good actually, got the upper deck done (aka hunting platform), insulation in the walls and ceiling and finished up the foam board up on the exterior. We poured 6 five inch thick concrete pads with post blocks embedded in them. Four of these are for the generator shed and the other two are for the furnace room add-on which I hope to have done by next spring.

Well after spending 5 days working and not much hunting Dean and I sat on the second level deck which put us about 18 feet up from the ground and gave us a really great view of the fields south of the cabin. So we sat there and tried the moose call and such to no success, but heck as Dean said it was the first time he went out hunting in his house slippers, pretty comfy.

I still have about 6 weeks left to fill my Draw Moose tag and I’m hoping to get it done sooner rather than later, so with any luck I’ll have meat hanging in the next two weeks. And then I have to figure out when to go down towards the McLaren river area and fill my Caribou Draw tag. Hopefully before it gets to cold or after the snow falls, all depends on time and what all I need to do.

One thing that I did discover is the need to insulate the cabin floor. It sure makes a difference having the ceiling and walls insulated, but my feet will appreciate getting the floor insulated on those cold mornings when you climb out of bed.

Priorities are to finish the crib foundation we started to save the cabin from rolling over as noted in last month’s heart attack of the year. I need to build four more cribs and already have the ground dug out and ready to go, that’ll be the next thing I do. I’ll feel much better after all the cribs are completed, the beams are straight and secured and I can stop worrying about the wind blowing it over with me inside 

On Wednesday of the second week I did wake up to a nice winter wonderland. Yup, it snowed on Sept 18th but did melt by the end of the day just to show up again the next morning in the form of hail. I couldn’t figure out what all that racket was about, hail on a metal roof. At first I thought it was the wood pecker again, Oh I guess I forgot to mention that one.

Sunday morning and Dean is about all packed to go and all of a sudden I hear this scratching and knocking on the side of the cabin. So I grab my 44 thinking it was that dog gone bear again chewing on my foam board siding, ha I’ll get him this time. As I sneak open the door and turn to look down the cabin wall, what do I see but a Hairy Woodpecker tapping out on the eves of the cabin. Dang nabit, at least he didn’t stay to long or tear up the insulation, but he did give us a moment’s pause.

So another year’s vacation is come and gone and its back to the grind. Hope it snows soon so I can get back down to the cabin and finish up the cribs and maybe stuff the floor with some R38 insulation.