Too Much Noise??

[labengal]

Hey Guys,
Thanks for all the info. from the board!  As a fairly new hunter, it is great to have a resource I can come to for learning!
Anyway, I usually hunt from a box stand and am constantly worried about my noise level!  I will adjust my legs and hit the wall of the stand, or lean to one side and the chair will pop...... How much of this noise can you make while in a box stand without ruining your hunt? 
I find myself getting discouraged when I make one little noise because I feel that all the deer in the area have been alerted to my presence and that's it. Just not sure how perfectly quiet you must be in a box stand to still have a successful hunt!  Thanks for any feedback/suggestions....
LABengal

[bunk229]

I'm always conscientious about noise too. When I make a box blind I always carpet the floor and walls. You can always find some old carpet lying out by the curb every spring when folks are redoing the interiors of their homes. It's a great noise suppressor and it also helps keep the "cold" out in the winter. Give it a try.

[shaman]

I've said this in a couple of other posts. It all depends, and it especially seems to be  how many deer you have in the area, and how many hunters.

In a place where there are few deer and lots of food, a deer hears a wedding ring against the shooting rail and that's it.

In a place where there are lots of deer and a lot of food, a deer hears you coughing up a lung while talking on a cell phone and . . . so what?  Deer may run away, but there are plenty of deer to fill the void.

Few deer/ sparse food?  If your oak tree is the only one dropping acorns that deer may be looking up when she comes in, but she will probably come in.

Lots of other hunters?  Once deer key on to fact that there are noisy humans in trees they get very wary. That article on hunting pressure in one of the latest D&DH's  was right on.

I grew up in deer hunting at a time when the herds were not what they are now.   Forage was ubiquitous, and deer were scarce. One bust, and that might be it for the season.  Now I hunt in a time and place where the deer herd exceeds the human population in the county by a substantial margin. I can get away with a lot

If the deer are not aware that death lurks above them, it also is a lot easier.  I have dropped a book out of a stand as I was getting ready to take a shot.  I've dropped gloves, hats, and even a set of binos in front a deer without so much as a second glance.  Then again, I've brushed my hand on my pants with a wary doe present had sent her running like she had been scalded.  The weirdest ones are the deer that witness rifle shots and even muzzleloaders discharging and go back to feeding.  Those I still can't fathom.

[labengal]

Thanks for the suggestion using carpet Bunk......and for killing two in an hour Shaman, what an awesome hunt that must've been!!  Thanks for the advice!!

[DeerCamp]

I think youll be susprized at how much noise you can make in them.. I built one a few years ago and while hunting in with a buddy, we had a heater in there we werent seeing deer so we thought the heater might be to loud.. Once the hunt was over we kept the heater running and shut the door. we walked no moer that 3 feet away and couldnt hear the heater. My buddy got in the blind and I told him to make some noise. The noise didnt go very far either. My advice to you is to put some carpet in it and also go with a buddy have him make some noise while you are in it, this way you know how much noise you can make and how far it will travel.

[Goose]

All good advice but you are right to worry about noise and should continue to do so. Metallic noise is my least favorite and it will travel a long ways.
Don't know how your blind is set up but I recommend putting carpet or something similar on your gun rest i.e. bottom of your shooting hole. The barrel on wood will make a shrieking noise.
Good Luck!

[danesdad]

Just be as quiet as you can and if you do make a noise, dont sweat it.  Deer hear a lot of noises throughout their day.  If they were scared by every one, they would spend all their lives in mortal terror.  I agree that the carpet idea is a good one, but you will never be completely silent.  It's no reason to get stressed.  Everyone makes noises now and then.  Dont stress if you do, just relax and enjoy the hunt.

[Xplorer]

Only problem I've seen with carpet is that it holds moisture & will rot out a wooden blind. Seen it happen in the blinds I hunt from in Virginia. Suggest removing them out of season.

[TwistedX]

Ive always heard a day in the woods is better than a day at work. That being said if you spook a deer and dont see another at least your not at work.

[Ohio farms]

WHEN you make the noise is important too. Getting ready to make your shot is when you move a little and that would not be a good time to make a noise. I try to make all my movements in a stand slow and methodical so as not to bump something. Sometimes I still do, but I try to be quiet.