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Bedliner to silence platforms

Erniepower

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Oct 25, 2015
Messages
3,230
Location
Minneapolis MN
Have any of you guys ever tried to use bed liner (line-x etc) to help silence the metal parts of a tree stand so if you accidentally contact them with something metal they don't ring like a bell? I used stealth strips on the post but I am looking to silence the cast part....

I tried wrapping one in paracord last night and although it looks cool, it took forever and didn't protect all of the metal.

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Have any of you guys ever tried to use bed liner (line-x etc) to help silence the metal parts of a tree stand so if you accidentally contact them with something metal they don't ring like a bell? I used stealth strips on the post but I am looking to silence the cast part....

I tried wrapping one in paracord last night and although it looks cool, it took forever and didn't protect all of the metal.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

I did the paracord wrap and it’s a pita. It does do what I need though.

I think bedliner might be the ticket but you would want a low durometer type for sure and thick.
 
some camo duct tape always did ok on my sticks....not stealth strip quiet, but quiet enough

bedliner would probably be better than duct tape though. More permanent and less slip I guess, maybe some stink at first? never applied the stuff
 
I tryed it....no go even with three coats.
Still rings like a bell.
And smells like bedlinen fresh out of the can ,I sprayed it back in August.
 
I tryed it....no go even with three coats.
Still rings like a bell.
And smells like bedlinen fresh out of the can ,I sprayed it back in August.
Well that sucks..... I guess I will have to spend more time wrapping cord......

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What about spraying the metal with an adhesive and the wrapping it in a sound deadening fabric?
 
I paint my sticks and platform and then take my time. Metal/aluminum only makes sound if you clang it against something - far easier to adjust your gear/technique so the banging together never happens. Practice and slow down. I think far too many people never practice with their gear outside hunting season and thus they have not perfected their climbing routine. Since I use the same gear for setting trees up I get 100s of hours in my gear to practice before the season. I take my time and could care less how long it takes me to get set up - I am more interested in moving like a sloth and being quiet. I often have deer walk buy while I am hanging from my lineman's belt and standing on a stick or foot loop while I am setting up. Sorry it this comes across blunt - but tape, paint, paracrod, etc... is only a band aid for poor execution (doesn't hurt for a back up just in case) but I honestly believe the way to be stealthy is to practice and refine your system
 
My problem isn't making noise when setting up. It's the walk in when a branch or brush catches or slaps against the metal on my sticks. Or when packing back down the tree when it's dark and my hands are barely functioning from the cold.
 
Are you hunting the same stand day after? I sometimes do this but the odds go down each sit unless you have exceptional entry/exit trails and/or it is the rut and you are not pursuing a single buck (playing the odds on roaming bucks). I would recommend always setting up in a different location even if its only 40-50 yards away. Trust me, the deer know you were there once they walk around after you are gone. If I hunt the same funnel then what I often do is set up a little further into the funnel or down wind of the tree I hunted the night before - my reasoning is that the buck may very well alter his travel based upon his knowledge of where he smelled you the day before. I am anal like this but I am usually targeting a mature and specific buck - only get so many opportunities at them before they go completely nocturnal. I usually try to set up on a different buck and seldom hunt the same location more then once every 10-14 days as a minimum. But that's what works for me.


I hunt in TX and OK so I know brush. I either strap my sticks (I use modified helium sticks) to my pack or I carry them in my hand.... I don't make much noise but then again I spend a lot of spring and late summer hours ensuring I have good entry/exit which I mark on my gps. If it is still a problem make a fleece or wool carry bag that you can slide your sticks into - fat more effective them trying to tape or silicon individual sticks IMO.

As far as cold hands - I understand as I also hunt Ohio most years - I would use hand packs to get them warm (safer for climbing down anyways) once again I slow way down and take my time and I just don't have a noise problem with sticks and I do nothing but spray paint mine (but I also have a stacking system that keeps noise down).
 
I rarely hunt the same locations. Maybe during the rut if the weather worked with me.

But my approach, set up, and departure needs to be ghost like. I do not want to spook deer at anytime if I can avoid it. Not having something to reduce noise will eventually bite you. Just like Dan Inflant talks about fixing a squeaky stand. If I notice something that could bite me I'm going to do my best to know it won't happen ever again. That doesn't mean by putting something on my sticks it let's me carelessly run around the woods. It just means when I get hooked by six pricker bushes that my buckle smacking the stick isn't ringing like a church bell through the bedding area. I'm by far not the worlds greatest hunter, but I am always trying to step up my game.
 
My problem isn't making noise when setting up. It's the walk in when a branch or brush catches or slaps against the metal on my sticks. Or when packing back down the tree when it's dark and my hands are barely functioning from the cold.

This and scraping your your expensive recurve limbs on it.
 
I rarely hunt the same locations. Maybe during the rut if the weather worked with me.

But my approach, set up, and departure needs to be ghost like. I do not want to spook deer at anytime if I can avoid it. Not having something to reduce noise will eventually bite you. Just like Dan Inflant talks about fixing a squeaky stand. If I notice something that could bite me I'm going to do my best to know it won't happen ever again. That doesn't mean by putting something on my sticks it let's me carelessly run around the woods. It just means when I get hooked by six pricker bushes that my buckle smacking the stick isn't ringing like a church bell through the bedding area. I'm by far not the worlds greatest hunter, but I am always trying to step up my game.

Exactly why I use a rope mod. Good luck I hope you find what works best for you. Lots of folks rave about the stealth strip and they are quiet and have superior glue. I often use kids socks to cut glare and to quiet steps on a strap - perhaps they would work on buckles as well - cheap and readily available. I will say that 9 times out of 10 when and if I make any noise it is because I am going to fast. And I totally get the need for ghost like stealth on entry/exit - that's why I spend a lot of preseason time preparing my entry trails.

But getting back to your original question - you can make a simple fleece slip cover to keep your platform in while transporting and going up/down the tree. For me, my platform is INSIDE my fleece Kathy Kelly pack so it isn't a problem for me.
 
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I used bedliner on my Lone wolf two years ago. I can still smell it when I’m not congested.


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Camo form or the cheap medical wrap self cling stuff at tractor supply for horse legs. Easier than paracord and very quiet.
 
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