Making your deer stand safer and quieter – Ratchet Straps
For just a few dollars you can improve the safety and stability of your portable deer stands and at the same time eliminate stand noise or creaking.
How to make your stand safer and quieter
There are two things I do when placing my stands, which help improve safety and eliminate noise; adding ratchet straps and securing the chain so it can not move (make sure the chain is over a limb or use a screw-in-step through the chain).
If you have two ratchet straps use one for the top of your stand, just under the seat, and one for the bottom, just above the platform. If you only have one then you will want to put it on the bottom, this will work great and will secure the stand. Then taking advantage of the remaining strap you will want to tie it around the tree and the top of your stand, this will help to secure it.
Here is a picture of one of my portable stands, however it’s only four feet off the ground, so I did no use the second ratchet strap or a screw in step to hold the chain. This stand has been up for five years and has not moved and has not needed to be adjusted.