We’ve all been there. Leaves rustle in a walking pattern that makes your heart pound with anticipation. Of course, whatever it is approaches from behind your stand and you tense with the excitement and anticipation of a shot. Suddenly, the leaf shuffle stops and you wonder if it’s a deer, wild turkey, or coyote. You know to be patient and allow the animal to proceed, but you need just a peak and rotate ever so slowly in your stand, causing the base to CREAK. Leaves explode, a deer snorts, and opportunity vanishes. Regardless of the type of tree stand you use, squeaks, creaks, and other noises can ruin hours of patience at the time where silence is most critical. As soon as you enter a tree stand and properly secure your safety harness, its a good idea to give the stand a “sound test.” Go through the motions of sitting, standing, rotating, and other movements you are likely to make in a shooting situation. Whether you are bowhunting or gun hunting, be sure that you can raise and lower your gear without clanking against the sides or rails of the stand. If you anticipate a long sit, hang your bow or gun on a sturdy tree step that’s been wrapped with moleskin or other soft fabric so that it can be removed and replaced silently. When stand hunting I like to carry a backpack in which I have a number of items clearly stored so that my grunt tube, rattling bag, binoculars, thermos bottle and snacks are within easy reach. I unbuckle one of the straps to the pack so that it hangs from the stand and cannot fall, yet has potentially noisy objects stored within easy reach. My rangefinder and cell phone are stored in my vest pockets where they can be reached with very little movement. If you’ve been a victim of a squeakie tree stand, this post will explain how to quiet thing down so that your shots are a complete surprise to the wiliest of bucks.
These tips to make your treestand quieter can be just what you need to make your next hunt a success.
The difference between a loud and quiet tree stand can be the difference in a successful hunt and being busted. Even the most expensive and well-built stands still make some noise and have room for improvement. Luckily, some improvements can be quickly and easily done at home and will make a big difference in making your treestand quieter today.
