Before the start of this whitetail season, I made some modifications to my existing gear to make it quieter and more user-friendly to my needs. I’m writing this not necessarily to show you how to do something as much as to get your thoughts flowing in order to make a better ‘mouse trap’.
Everything we use in the field can always be improved upon. Often in the outdoor industry, gear is manufactured in order to be useful for the most people in the widest amount of situations a typical hunter might encounter. So given that, it is up to you to tailor this equipment to your specific needs given your most encountered hunting situations.
One example is my Summit Specialist SD climbing tree stand. I tend to use a “run-and-gun” method of whitetail hunting in North Carolina based on most recent information. Most of the trees in NC grow straight and tall, so climbing stands are the ticket. And after using it for a couple of seasons, I made some modifications to make it quieter and lighter weight to suit my needs. First, I got rid of the provided shoulder straps, and purchased the Game Plan Treestand Transport System. This allowed me to carry the stand more comfortably and quietly for longer distance if necessary. The stand stays tight to my body and doesn’t feel like it’s going to slip off my shoulders. It also keeps it high enough on my back so as not to clank against branches, etc. when I step over things in the woods.
I also ended up removing the seat altogether. This allows me to climb more quietly without my legs rubbing against the material of the seat. I prefer to stand when bow hunting (even for all-day ’sits’) in order to make as little body movement as possible to be in the correct shooting position. Standing also gives me better visibility instead of trying to crane my neck around to see behind me from the seated position.
Next, instead of using the provided tourniquet strap to keep the upper and lower parts of the stand tight while transporting, I attached two short bungee straps with attached Fas-Tec buckles to the frame to hold it more tightly together and so I could be sure to attach and disconnect the upper and lower pieces together more quickly. This also ensures that the two pieces of the stand will be held together correctly without having to adjust a strap after carrying the tree stand for a while.
I have also covered most of the stand in spray-on rubber tough seal. This helps dampen any clanking noise or spots that rub together. In high friction areas that rub together during transport or while packing up the stand, I have wrapped them in several layers of riggers tape.
Other improvements I have made are using a small swede stuff sack for my pull-up cord that attaches via a tiny caribiner to the lower part of the stand, and I use a Hunter Safety System rope-style tree strap for speed and quietness of use.
Don’t forget to use electrical tape on the metal ends of any part that might clang against other metal, such as wrapping caribiners, ends of tree straps, etc. And make sure this is ALL done well in advance of the start of the season. You don’t want to hit the woods smelling like fresh rubber spray, tape, spray paint, etc. And lastly, once these projects are complete, try to leave your stand outside somewhere where it is protected from the weather, but can air out to become scent free. I hang mine on the side of my barn which is protected from rain and direct sun by a roof.
This is just a taste of what can be done to modify your gear to better suit you for your hunting style and location, no matter the animal you hunt. Your wheels should constantly be turning to improve your equipment and you as a hunter. Be sure to take notes throughout the season so you can remember what needs to be modified for next year.
