As a whitetail bowhunter, you likely own a fair share of treestands. Without a doubt, treestands are a tool that have allowed hunters to get closer to their quarry and ultimately fill more of their tags each season.
What’s just as important as having a treestand is making sure that the setup you own is optimized to its fullest potential.
Whether it’s a hang-on, ladder stand, or saddle setup, customizing and making improvements to it will ensure that you can enjoy your hunts more comfortably, for longer, making each sit safer and more successful.
In this article, we will go over several treestand improvements (hacks) you can make that will result in you becoming a better bowhunter this fall.
Comfort Upgrades for Longer Sits
Patience is one of the most important aspects when it comes to being a successful hunter and when November rolls around and all day sits are at hand, it’s hard to be patient when you’ve got an aching back and a sore rear end. Thankfully there are several comfort upgrades you can make to your stand to help you stay put for longer.
Seat Cushions
As someone sporting a tiny rear end, often sitting directly on my hamstrings due to the lack of God given padding, upgrading my treestands with a seat cushion was a priority.
I vividly remember getting my first seat cushion on my old Muddy hang on stand. It was like the first time sitting on a padded toilet seat. It seemed entirely unnecessary, but quickly grew on me.
Now I can sit comfortably for longer and reduce the amount of wiggling around in the tree trying to bring life back into my buttocks.
Many treestand companies provide cushioning options. For those of you with a multitude of different treestands, simply attaching an aftermarket cushion to your pack with a carabiner allows you to take a comfortable seat anywhere you go.
Backrest Attachments
Here is an improvement that comes with age. The older you get the sorer you become, and suddenly a good posture is the difference between a comfortable sit and crippling back pain.
Backrest attachments can make an uncomfortable tree comfortable again and keep you sitting in an upright position for longer. No more slouching over. Besides, being upright allows you to see more deer coming, right?
Footrests
Treestand footrests are often an overlooked upgrade. Frequently seen as a tripping hazard, these little bars at the end of your platform can make a world of difference when the dogs are barking and your legs are tingling.
Take a load off those legs and let some circulation back through your system. I bet your entire body will be happy you did.
Enhanced Stability and Safety Features
Arguably the most important upgrades are enhanced stability and safety features. If you are ignoring your own safety, then you’re risking tragedy. If you aren’t doing it for yourself, then consider doing it for your loved ones.
Being able to get in, hunt and get out of your stand safely to return home each night should be your biggest priority. Here are 3 upgrades you can make to have a safer hunt.
Larger Platforms
Though cumbersome, a larger treestand platform can help you safely maneuver while up in the tree. A large platform not only can be an added benefit for comfort and safety but can also allow you to get a better shot where you may not have with a smaller stand platform.
Upgraded Safety Harnesses
Safety harnesses have come a long way from the original waist band belts or tangled messes found at the bottom of a treestand box. Today’s improved harnesses are streamlined, easy to put on and so comfortable that you hardly know you are wearing them.
Brands, such as Hunter Safety System, offer numerous harness options depending on your body size and personal preferences so that you can tailor fit your harness.
Lifeline Systems
The best upgrade I ever made to my treestands was the addition of Lifeline Systems. I sometimes question how I hunted treestands before them.
For those that don’t know what a Lifeline is, it’s simply a long rope that connects from the bottom of your treestand to the top. With the use of a simple prusik knot that slides along the rope and the carabiner on your safety harness, you can ensure that you are safely connected to an anti-fall rope from the forest floor to the top of your treestand.
No disconnecting and reconnecting at the top of the stand, simply clip in at the base of the tree, climb up to the top, hunt, and descend safely at the end of the day. It is by far the best upgrade you can make to each and every one of your treestands.
My personal favorite is the Reflective Lifeline made by Hunter Safety System. This lifeline not only keeps you safe during each hunt, but also has reflective material built into the lifeline to help you and your hunting buddies find your stands in the dark.
Noise Reduction Enhancements
Nothing is more demoralizing than tip-toeing your way into the heart of a bedding area, silently slipping in to the base of the tree, slowly shifting from your climbing sticks to your platform when the dreaded, hollow, BANG of metal to metal contact from your seat falling down pierces through the early morning air.
Taking the extra step of silencing your setup may be the difference between filling a tag or going home empty handed. Here are a couple noise reduction enhancements you can make on your setup.
Sound-dampening tape or pads for metal surfaces
Minimizing metal to metal contact is a must to prevent unwanted and unnatural clanks from happening in your treestand. Utilizing sound-dampening tape such as Stealth Strips or foam padding may be just what you need for those pesky metal on metal sounds.
The beauty of Stealth Strips is their durability and versatility. This sound-dampening tape can be used everywhere, on anything.
From treestand seats to all of your hunting gear, this tape can be put on to deaden the sound when gear is inevitably bumped, scrapped or dropped from the stand.
Rubber-coated hooks and hangers
Rubber coated hooks and hangers are extremely important. Not only do they serve as a way to protect the finish of your weapon while hanging in the tree but also reduce the sound of removing your bow from the hanger in the heat of the moment.
Bowhunting is close quarters warfare, so taking this added step could help you get your bow in hand and shot off without alerting the target.
Concealment and Visual Improvements
It comes as no surprise that deer have a keen sense of vision. Some trees, however, don’t provide the best cover to conceal your hide. Fortunately, there are several ways to combat a telephone pole of a tree and make it a huntable setup.
Treestand skirts or blind kits for movement concealment
Treestand skirts and blind kits are especially popular with ladder stands and tripods. These skirts do a great job of concealing any movement below the rails of the treestand and are especially nice for concealing the movements of a young hunter.
Natural brush integration for better camouflage
When necessary, taking natural vegetation from the surrounding area can make a world of difference in concealing you while up in the tree.
With a few zip ties and some brush, you can create front and back cover that didn’t exist up in the tree before.
This is a great strategy to break up a treestand that is notorious for getting silhouetted in.
Camo tape/Stealth Strips or paint to reduce metal glare
Reducing metal glare may not seem like a big deal. However, when hunting high pressured, educated deer, all bets are off the table.
Taking the extra step to modify your stand with a custom paint job or some Stealth Strips might keep that deer from looking up.
Climbing Efficiency Upgrades
Getting up and down the tree efficiently and quietly, especially as a mobile hunter, is crucial for success. Here are 3 upgrades to take your climb to the next level.
Lightweight, sturdy climbing sticks
As a mobile hunter, whether you prefer saddles or hang-on stands, getting up into the tree with the toughest and lightest sticks possible is a must. Loud, bulky, and heavy weight climbing sticks won’t cut it here.
With my saddle setup, I run the Tethrd One Sticks. Weighing in at a mere 16 ounces a piece, these sticks allow me to carry them further for those mobile hunts. Lightweight and durable, these sticks have gotten me up countless trees for several seasons without issue.
Silent strap systems to reduce noise
No matter how hard you try, Climbing straps always seem to find a way to make an unwanted clank when setting up your stand. Thankfully there are a few ways to combat this.
Stealth Strips on any buckles and hooks is a fast solution to the loud problem. Another option is to see if your sticks can be retrofitted with versa buttons and hookless straps.
These noiseless straps are manufactured in a way that hooks are not needed. This makes for less metal to generate noise during the climb.
Rope climbing aids for safer, faster, and quieter ascents
Getting up and down the tree safely is priority number one. If you can get up and down the tree quickly as well quietly, then you have the winning combination.
Utilize a climbing aid, like a lineman belt, to keep you safe while setting up and climbing into your hang-on stand or saddle.
Weather Protection Upgrades
Nasty weather is no stranger in the month of November. Making a few simple upgrades with weather in mind can help keep you on stand for longer during prime time.
Umbrella, roof or canopy attachments for rain and snow protection
Treestands normally offer little or no protection from the elements thrown at you in the fall. In inclement weather a simple treestand umbrella, roof or canopy can separate you from the rain and snow. There is nothing worse than being soaked to the bone while sitting 20 feet up in the wind.
Also, if you videotape your hunts like I do, having the peace of mind in knowing I won’t ruin my camera gear is always comforting.
Waterproof seat covers for improved comfort in wet weather
Sometimes sitting on a treestand cushion is like sitting on a soaking wet sponge. Upgrading your seat cover to a waterproof one can make a world of difference on a long sit in the rain.
Conclusion
The great thing about hunting gear, whether it’s comfort, noise reduction, stand concealment or safety, is that there are endless options for you to upgrade your system to fit your personal needs.
And at the end of the day, anything to help you sit relaxed for longer, quieter and safer is undoubtedly making you a better bowhunter in the end. Try some of these modifications this fall and see for yourself.
