# Let's see your pole barn & man cave



## Wild Thing

Posted this on another forum the other day and thought it would be a good thread for the MS forum as well. It is always nice to see other peoples' ideas when it comes to their pole barns and man caves - something near and dear to Michigan's Deer Hunters.

Here is my pole barn in Upper Michigan. You will note on one of the closeups the name "Lone Oak". This is what we named our property after finding only a single large Red Oak on the entire 160 acres, which was somehow missed by loggers before we purchased the property in 1994:

Built the log cabin in 2000 and then the pole barn in 2003: After building the cabin, we never wanted to go home. We lived only 20 miles away and we started using the cabin more than we did our home. Finally, in 2003 we decided to sell the home in town and move out to the property so this is where we now hang our hats.



By 2011 we knew we needed more room so we added the lean-to, insulated the entire barn and started on the man cave inside:



Here is what it looked like as we were finishing up. It has a loft over the man cave for cold storage. The barn itself houses the farm tractor, no-till drill, snowmobile trailer and sleds, my truck, my wife's car, the Gator and ATV, etc. The majority of the implements are still parked outside but we have room for some in the lean-to as well.





The "buck pole" had moved from a tree...to the wood shed over the years but we wanted something a little more convenient as we aged. One of our camp members purchased an electric hoist and we moved it into the lean-to in 2012:





It seems there is always a lot of high level discussion going on in the man cave so it was appropriately named the "Situation Room":



It is an "L" shaped room which is 768 square feet. The long section is 12X40 with a 10' ceiling and the other portion is 12X24 with an 8' ceiling. We installed a new kitchen in the cabin a few years ago so we were able to move the old cabinets and appliances to the Sit Room. We can cook here if we want and we also finish off and bottle our maple syrup here:



We covered the concrete floor with rolled rubber flooring which you see in most of the community work out gyms. It serves us very well and is fairly easy to keep clean. I also installed an overhead track for hanging deer and other critters for skinning and processing in cold weather, and we have a stainless steel table below it.



The primary heat source is a Vermont Castings wood stove - circa 1970's but it does a great job of keeping the room warm - even too warm at times. We also installed an electric "milk house" type heater on the ceiling near the door which is thermostatically controlled to maintain some heat until we fire up the wood stove:



What would a man cave be without a reloading bench:



And a gun cleaning/shooting equipment bench:


My wife even has her own workbench for wood carving and other things. We finally added the large screen TV so we could check on football scores over cocktails as soon as we got in from our hunts.



Of course the room is loaded with photos, mounts and other trivia. The largest shoulder mounts and deer horn plaques are in the cabin but there are enough in the Situation Room to make it feel like hunting camp. Overall, I couldn't be happier.

Forgot to mention ... the original barn was 54' X 72' with 15' high walls tapered down to 11' on the west side. We added the lean-to which is 16' X 72'. We owned a large boat for our charter fishing business at the time so we built the barn big enough to house the boat. As it turned out, we always stored the boat in indoor heated storage near the marina so the boat was never stored here. We did store a large 5th wheel trailer with an A/C unit on the roof for a friend for a couple of years but other than that, we could have got by with a lower ceiling.


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## stickbow shooter

WOW beautiful place there Wild. That is something I can only dream about.


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## Bowhunt

Wow.... Can we see your cabin? Beautiful place you have there.


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## sniper

Nothing like starting the bar high Wildthing!....My camp and goodies would probably fit in your back corner!....lol....Beautiful place...


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## Waif

Cripes! If I' m real good ...maybe I could visit such a place after I die.

I' ll not go take a picture of my tarp shed to share. Or wood storage shed out of square a quarter inch.
An ex wife owns a nice polebarn I partially designed though , with a woodburner I built. 

Aquiring property saw new polebarn/ garage savings go bye bye.
Each winter reminds of the value of a decent outbuilding though.

No man cave here.. Raising dogs consumed all available rooms except the basement.
Would need an elevator to use it for more than rare trips downstairs though.


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## stickbow shooter

I am tapping out right now. Thanks for making me feel good about my life. I think I will take a stroll out back by my Montgomery ward metal shed and put a bullet threw my brain pan. #mylifesucks


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## Steve

wildthing said:


> Posted this on another forum the other day and thought it would be a good thread for the MS forum as well. It is always nice to see other peoples' ideas when it comes to their pole barns and man caves - something near and dear to Michigan's Deer Hunters.
> 
> Here is my pole barn in Upper Michigan. You will note on one of the closeups the name "Lone Oak". This is what we named our property after finding only a single large Red Oak on the entire 160 acres, which was somehow missed by loggers before we purchased the property in 1994:
> 
> Built the log cabin in 2000 and then the pole barn in 2003: After building the cabin, we never wanted to go home. We lived only 20 miles away and we started using the cabin more than we did our home. Finally, in 2003 we decided to sell the home in town and move out to the property so this is where we now hang our hats.
> 
> 
> 
> By 2011 we knew we needed more room so we added the lean-to, insulated the entire barn and started on the man cave inside:
> 
> 
> 
> Here is what it looked like as we were finishing up. It has a loft over the man cave for cold storage. The barn itself houses the farm tractor, no-till drill, snowmobile trailer and sleds, my truck, my wife's car, the Gator and ATV, etc. The majority of the implements are still parked outside but we have room for some in the lean-to as well.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The "buck pole" had moved from a tree...to the wood shed over the years but we wanted something a little more convenient as we aged. One of our camp members purchased an electric hoist and we moved it into the lean-to in 2012:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It seems there is always a lot of high level discussion going on in the man cave so it was appropriately named the "Situation Room":
> 
> 
> 
> It is an "L" shaped room which is 768 square feet. The long section is 12X40 with a 10' ceiling and the other portion is 12X24 with an 8' ceiling. We installed a new kitchen in the cabin a few years ago so we were able to move the old cabinets and appliances to the Sit Room. We can cook here if we want and we also finish off and bottle our maple syrup here:
> 
> 
> 
> We covered the concrete floor with rolled rubber flooring which you see in most of the community work out gyms. It serves us very well and is fairly easy to keep clean. I also installed an overhead track for hanging deer and other critters for skinning and processing in cold weather, and we have a stainless steel table below it.
> 
> 
> 
> The primary heat source is a Vermont Castings wood stove - circa 1970's but it does a great job of keeping the room warm - even too warm at times. We also installed an electric "milk house" type heater on the ceiling near the door which is thermostatically controlled to maintain some heat until we fire up the wood stove:
> 
> 
> 
> What would a man cave be without a reloading bench:
> 
> 
> 
> And a gun cleaning/shooting equipment bench:
> 
> 
> My wife even has her own workbench for wood carving and other things. We finally added the large screen TV so we could check on football scores over cocktails as soon as we got in from our hunts.
> 
> 
> 
> Of course the room is loaded with photos, mounts and other trivia. The largest shoulder mounts and deer horn plaques are in the cabin but there are enough in the Situation Room to make it feel like hunting camp. Overall, I couldn't be happier.
> 
> Forgot to mention ... the original barn was 54' X 72' with 15' high walls tapered down to 11' on the west side. We added the lean-to which is 16' X 72'. We owned a large boat for our charter fishing business at the time so we built the barn big enough to house the boat. As it turned out, we always stored the boat in indoor heated storage near the marina so the boat was never stored here. We did store a large 5th wheel trailer with an A/C unit on the roof for a friend for a couple of years but other than that, we could have got by with a lower ceiling.


That is a very cool space.


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## Waif

stickbow shooter said:


> I am tapping out right now. Thanks for making me feel good about my life. I think I will take a stroll out back by my Montgomery ward metal shed and put a bullet threw my brain pan. #mylifesucks


Be careful not to put a hole in that valuable roof. ( Yours ,or the sheds.)


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## reelbusy2

That's one sweet set up you have there sir.


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## Wild Thing

Bowhunt said:


> Wow.... Can we see your cabin? Beautiful place you have there.


The cabin isn't big but it does have a loft bedroom and a fully finished walk-out basement.


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## stickbow shooter

Nice place you have there, "Friend"


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## Wild Thing

stickbow shooter said:


> I am tapping out right now. Thanks for making me feel good about my life. I think I will take a stroll out back by my Montgomery ward metal shed and put a bullet threw my brain pan. #mylifesucks


Ah C'Mon Stickbow ... it didn't just start out like this. I've been working on it for close to 20 years. This was the very first building:



It was a place to store the ATV and some tools. Eventually, my wife and I built the first tractor barn/wood shed:



It is now the sugar house/wood shed.

I am fully retired now so I've had the time to putz around on the other projects.

Rome wasn't built in a day either....


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## hunterrep

Very very nice Wildthing. 
Mine isn't quite as elaborate and is located across from my home. It does have a car lift that comes in handy and plenty of storage for all my toys. I took a 24' x 24' corner of the barn and turned it into a small man cave equipped with a pool table and cable tv for sports viewing. Many a good parties have been had in there. 
I can't fit the shoulder mounts in there but am lucky enough to have a wife that lets me hang them in the house so I thought I would include a picture of that too. (Although she has said I only have room for a couple more)


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## Firefighter

Unreal.


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## Wild Thing

That is awesome hunterrep. Fortunately for me, my wife has almost as many mounts as I do so she is agreeable to making room for them.

BTW - Those are some beautiful deer you are shooting down there!


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## hunterrep

I've posted this before but thought I would include one more picture of the man cave that might give you guys an idea for displaying euro mounts. It's just part of the top of an elm that fell in the lane that was cut to size.


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## jr28schalm

Sure is nice seeing how the 1 percent live..


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## Luv2hunteup

Very nice places Harry and Jeff.
My Lodge aka home.








I'll have to find pics of my camp and pole barn.
Inside camp.


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## Wild Thing

Beautiful Mike! I really like your little Sugar Haus from the Maple Syrup thread too.


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## Steve

Luv2hunteup said:


> Very nice places Harry and Jeff.
> My Lodge aka home.
> View attachment 246568
> 
> I'll have to find pics of my camp and pole barn.
> Inside camp.
> View attachment 246569


Beautiful place. It looks like that tree is growing through the roof.


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## smith34

wildthing said:


> I love it! That would be a great place to go to work smith34....here's hoping they close the local office for you


I guess we will see. Currently, there is no power out there, but I can run that from the barn, only about 200' of trench to dig, and I can put a small pig there for heat, but let's say there won't be any long bathroom breaks in the winter, because the outhouse that is 20 yards away won't have heat or water! But you are right, it would be peaceful and a nice place to work, 9 months of the year, the other 3would be tough, knowing there are tree stands 200 yards away, even if it isn't the main hunting grounds.


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## hunterrep

Luv2hunteup said:


> 6" red pine walls and ceiling throughout the lodge.
> 4" white pine door and window trim. White pine structural timbers.
> Swamp cedar exposed root statement pieces beside the fireplace.
> Hardwood floors through out.
> Closing day.
> View attachment 246757


Beautiful place Mike!!!


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## ckosal

That is what it looks like in dreams 12 pt. I turned a hybrid small garage/loft in to our living area and then built a pole barn. I don't have any good photos of the inside... but here is a photo of the inside of the new pole barn and then of the master suite bathroom at my place. As posted previously, it is called "The Ritz". As you can see the bathroom is very cozy and comfortable.


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## Wild Thing

Almost forgot the Weathervane. I rely on this thing a lot when trying to decide which stand to hunt....


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## BlackRhino

stickbow shooter said:


> I am tapping out right now. Thanks for making me feel good about my life. I think I will take a stroll out back by my Montgomery ward metal shed and put a bullet threw my brain pan. #mylifesucks


Save a bullet for me...


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## polish.polka.prince

wow, nice places wildthing, mike and others... mine will get better but I don't think to that level!


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## 12Point

Love the shuffleboard table. Sweet


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## sniper

Here's some pics from the lower rent district....I get by I guess...lol...Home sweet home in the fall..


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## Wild Thing

Looking good Sniper! Love seeing the flag too!


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## sniper

wildthing said:


> Looking good Sniper! Love seeing the flag too!


Every summer around the 4th of July we have a camping wknd blowout barn party with about 80-100 people with a live band, 4 wheelers, cookout and tons of mischief!!!...It's a controlled crazy....I have people hitting me up now for details...I plan the wknd around food plot plantings...Nobody knows....lol


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## brushbuster

Just sold my log home and garage in Dec. The new one is just getting started￼. Just picked up a loader/ backhoe and sawmill will be coming soon. Waiting on the snow to melt


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## Waif

brushbuster said:


> Just sold my log home and garage in Dec. The new one is just getting started￼. Just picked up a loader/ backhoe and sawmill will be coming soon. Waiting on the snow to melt


Red pine?
Brushed finish on a short log red pine cabin a sisters at the time' s husband built. Made for quite tolerable logs.


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## brushbuster

brushbuster said:


> Just sold my log home and garage in Dec. The new one is just getting started￼. Just picked up a loader/ backhoe and sawmill will be coming soon. Waiting on the snow to melt


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## brushbuster

Waif said:


> Red pine?
> Brushed finish on a short log red pine cabin a sisters at the time' s husband built. Made for quite tolerable logs.


Yup red pine. My last 2 log homes were all built with red pine. You just need to build so water doesn't penetrate logs. lots of covered porches.


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## Walt Donaldson

Nice job guys! Those are some awesome places!


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## brushbuster

I hope to get the poles in the ground this fall and maybe a roof on my pole barn to store my equipment and materials in for the winter. I like this style of barn


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## Luv2hunteup

brushbuster said:


> Yup red pine. My last 2 log homes were all built with red pine. You just need to build so water doesn't penetrate logs. lots of covered porches.


You are going to have to start a thread with your progress. I'll be watching for it.


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## stickbow shooter

That would be a great thread.


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## brushbuster

Yup


Luv2hunteup said:


> You are going to have to start a thread with your progress. I'll be watching for it.


I was thinking about doing that in the homestead forum


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## Bowhunt

Where are you building? Same location? What made you decide to sell your last log home?


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## QDMAMAN

U of M Fan said:


> I clicked on it and a post from Bonney in 2004 popped up??? Lol


Was there a parental warning attached?


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## ReeseHunter

U of M Fan said:


> I clicked on it and a post from Bonney in 2004 popped up??? Lol
> 
> Thanks for posting the pic RMH.


I know I can't be the only one wondering why all these guys are ruining their man caves by painting them green and white right?


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## Wild Thing

Maize and Blue would look a lot better to me


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## plugger

wildthing said:


> Maize and Blue would look a lot better to me


 You call it Maize, We call it corn!


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## ReeseHunter

plugger said:


> You call it Maize, We call it corn!


See we can have fun a still keep it clean . Sorry back to nice barns.


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## QDMAMAN

ReeseHunter said:


> I know I can't be the only one wondering why all these guys are ruining their man caves by painting them green and white right?


Strike 2!


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## ReeseHunter

What was #1? Lol


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## Luv2hunteup

Yesterday's pole barn pic. It will be awhile before I can move anything in or out.


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## Wild Thing

I'm happy to be in the "banana belt". My snow banks where I pushed it up away from the barn are only 2-3 feet right now and going fast. They are forecasting 45* today....I will be collecting sap from the sugar maples for sure tonight.


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## Luv2hunteup

wildthing said:


> I'm happy to be in the "banana belt". My snow banks where I pushed it up away from the barn are only 2-3 feet right now and going fast. They are forecasting 45* today....I will be collecting sap from the sugar maples for sure tonight.


I was at RMG Sugarbush in Rudyard picking up more spiles and meeting the insurance adjuster at camp. It was a sunny 22* but windy. The adjuster was from Alabama, needless to say he was not prepared for our early spring weather.


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## QDMAMAN

Luv2hunteup said:


> I was at RMG Sugarbush in Rudyard picking up more spiles



How's Mikey doin?


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## SPITFIRE

Have a few more trophies to hang in here, but I do enjoy the comforts and memories while enjoying this space.


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## bigbucks160

(


SPITFIRE said:


> Have a few more trophies to hang in here, but I do enjoy the comforts and memories while enjoying this space.


That's incredible!!!! Love the stone work!! And the bar(and I don't drink LOL)!!


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## Wild Thing

That is incredible!!! I love it all ... and I do drink . Very nice job Spitfire!


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## Muskegonbow

Nothing to fancy but I enjoy it.


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## Airoh

Awesome, every one of them. 
Great job.


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## retired dundo

Muskegonbow said:


> View attachment 248501
> View attachment 248502
> View attachment 248503
> View attachment 248504
> Nothing to fancy but I enjoy it.


That is really nice I like the way you have the European. Mounts. And the fish and duck.It really looks great


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## Muskegonbow

Thank you. I have to admit the duck is from hobby lobby. Everything else is mine though.


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## retired dundo

SPITFIRE said:


> Have a few more trophies to hang in here, but I do enjoy the comforts and memories while enjoying this space.
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## brushbuster

Huntmaster143 said:


> Mine isn't done yet, but it's getting really close! Can't wait to hang the TV and elk on this fireplace...


I like the style of rock Scott, is that cultured stone, if so, what's the brand and name of it?


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