I had a rather heated discussion with another board member about an incident that happened to me last Winter, while hunting a scrape that I’d managed to get my stand set @ 9 yds from. I had a buck go on full alert after he heard my arrow dragging across my rest in my attempt to come to full draw. In reading this month’s ‘Peterson’s Bowhunting’ articles….I came across a rather interesting article by professional hunter and author Steve Bartylla. I’ll quote from the portion of his article that deals with equipment noise.

Based on the magazine photos and the fact that he’s a contributing author….I take it he knows what he’s talking about.

I know what happened in the woods that day, last year. The type of rest I WAS using isn’t even important, any more.

Jeff

I agree deer will hear ya walking if your clothes are hitting branches or getting caught on prickers if ya listen to your self walking you can hear it .... abnormal sounds carry along way....

What kind of rest WERE you using?[8D]

Jeff,

I've heard of guys coatingarrow shafts with light oil. Don't know what kind of oil.

Tom

Wonder how many "professionalhunter/writers" would recommend setting up your stand that close to the trail/scrape that your hunting![&:]Of course it would be hard to blame yourself, even a little!

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/resources/basics/sound-refraction.htm

Howler....Jeramy.....thanks. Yeah....9 yds was too close. I know that, NOW....but I'd only been deer hunting a short time when this incident occurred. I thought.....closer is better. I STILL shouldn't have had to worry about equipment noise. I don't, now.

The discussion arose due to the fact that I said "my" buck went on full alert after hearing my radial x-weave being drug across my arrow rest. Another board member just basically told me that I didn't know what I was talking about....and that the amount of "noise" from an arrow rest was a non-issue. I was told that something else.....I or another piece of my equipment had put my buck on alert. It coudn't have been the rest. How silly.

I was just posting this to show that I'm not the only one this has happened to. Of course.....who's this Bartylla guy to say that the "whisper" of an arrow over an arrow rest put his deer on alert? What's he know?

Rumor has it he's a kook and someone from NY swears they heard him fart in his draw cycle.

Jeff

I always take that shrink tubing crap off my arrow rest and replace it with moleskin. Any 'unnatural' sound will put the big guys on alert.

And I do agree with the writer you quoted, ice cold air amplifies sound for some reason. Maybe because the woods are quieter when the temps are well below freezing and any sound will sound louder.

I agree, Kenman. I did the same thing you speak of when I switched arrow rests the day this happened. The SAME piece has been on there since that day.......through 3D's and months of practice. If it makes it through the season.....I'll put a fresh piece on. I'm not messing with it right now, though. It's too good!

Jeff

Sound definitely travels through cold air than warm air. When the air is colder the molecules move slower and absorb less sound waves fast moving particles on hot days. Think about sound moving through ice and water... it's the same type of situation.

Now that you have it figured out Jeff, go get that deer from last year. It'll be more rewarding now that you know he's smarter.

The shop that i've been going to install's moleskin on every rest they set up. My TT and my dropzone both have moleskin on the arm and they are silent.