Published on April 8th, 2017 | by Guest

Deer Hunting: Tech Trends for High Places

There was a time when climbing into a commercially built tree stand could be a dangerous proposition.

The earliest models didn’t have the robust design and innovative safety features you’ll find on modern stands, and few of those stands came standard with safety harnesses. In addition, those original stands were bulky and unwieldy, making it a chore to carry them in and out of the woods.

But as the demand for tree stands grew, so did the expectations on manufacturers, and today’s stands are far superior to many older models, offering new technology that makes them safer and more user-friendly than any of their predecessors.

Here’s a look at some of the innovations that make it safer and easier to take to the trees during deer season.

Advanced Treestand Technologies: Finite Element Analysis

With a name like Advanced Treestand Technologies, there’s a certain expectation regarding cutting-edge manufacturing and design, and ATT doesn’t disappoint. The company’s stands make use of a process called finite element analysis, or FEA, to determine the weak points in any stand before it goes to production. FEA lets engineers test stress levels on various points in the stand in real time, allowing ATT to pinpoint and eliminate weaknesses in the stands. Because a stand is only as good as its weakest link — and if that weakest link fails, the consequences can be grave — ATT’s new technology lets the company determine if any link in the design chain is susceptible to failure. That allows the company to make safer, more durable stands.

Finite element analysis is high-tech engineering analysis of CAD (computer-aided design) to determine the stress and displacement of assemblies due to the effects of external loads such as force, pressure or temperature. This analysis, coupled with our advanced CAD models, allows our engineering team to make real-time changes to the design based on the results of the FEA. So what does all this high tech talk mean for the serious whitetail hunter this fall? It proves that ATT is invested and committed to advancing the science of tree stands by developing cutting-edge industry first solutions that will ensure your safety in the woods.

Gecko 360 Leveling Technology

For years, hunters spent as much time scouting for a straight tree as they did for a big buck. Finding the right tree meant finding a tree that would accommodate your stand. However, new technology from Gecko 360 lets hunters fit their stand to the tree via a rotating bracket that adjusts to the camber of the tree, making the stand level no matter the orientation of the tree. That’s a major bonus that lets hunters select their stand site based solely on which tree provides the best opportunity to kill a big buck.

The right tree stand will let you sit comfortably for hours, increasing the odds that you’ll encounter that buck of a lifetime this season.

You never find a straight tree, so now, you can hang ’em where they hide. No tree is off limits.

The camber adjusts the angle of the stand as needed to the tree, and the platform locks securely in place to ensure a steady seat. The rigid parts of the stand are coated in Geckos Silent-Grip, which makes moving parts quieter. This eliminates squeaks and rattles and makes it easier to grip the stand during setup and take-down.

Summit’s Dead Metal Sound Deadening Technology

Nothing is more disheartening than getting a big buck under your stand only to blow the hunt in the final moments. One common reason is that deer are alerted by the unnatural metallic clinking of a stand shifting under the weight of a moving hunter. Summit Treestands has developed a unique noise-reducing system known as Dead Metal, which lets you move without the usual metal-on-metal sounds that alarm deer.

Summit’s Dead Metal Sound Deadening Technology keeps the noise down by filling in critical parts of your platform with custom-engineered expanding foam.

Big Game Treestands Flex-Tek Seat

Ask most successful hunters about the key to their success, and they’ll probably mention time spent on stand. Throughout the season, and particularly during the rut, bucks are prone to move at any time of day, and the more time you spend in productive areas will equate to more opportunities.

But long sits require comfortable seats, and very few companies have gone to the lengths of Big Game Treestands in terms of comfort. The company’s ergonomic seat is designed for a more natural fit, and the comfort level is outstanding. In addition, the seat Hips up and out of the way when you stand, increasing platform room, which is especially important for both bow-hunters and hunting with air rifle. The design of the Flex Tek seat also prevents squirrels and other rodents from chewing and destroying the seating surface.

With its advanced engineering, the Flex-Tek seat is the most innovative design in ultimate comfort and stability. Offering what can only be described as a luxurious element, this seat takes the all-day hunt to a whole other level with its zero-gravity seating technology.

River’s Edge Treestands: Never-Rust Coating

The elements are tough on hunting equipment, and if you expect your stand to last for several seasons exposed to precipitation and changes in temperature and humidity, it needs a protective finish.

The Rivers Edge Platinum 2200 stand is treated with epoxy to reduce any chance that the parts will become damaged. According to Rivers Edge, “Prior to final painting, the parts of the Platinum are epoxy-coated, making them impervious to the elements so they last you a lifetime. We feel so confident that the seat will hold up and the ladder will never rust that if you have any problems with your Platinum in the first five years, we will replace the parts free of charge.”

Not only are rusted and worn parts a nuisance, they are also a safety concern. By eliminating the chance of rust, Rivers Edge has also reduced the odds that exposure to the elements will compromise the structural integrity of the stand. Considering the Platinum reaches higher than 22 feet, it’s good to know the ladder won’t break down through time.

Millennium’s Quick Mount Receiver System

Millenniums stands are known for their ingenuity and robust design, but its Quick Mount Receiver System helps hunters move quickly and easily from one tree to the next. Previously, switching trees meant switching stands, but the new Quick Mount Receiver means that you can cover more ground with one stand. The receiver attaches to the tree, and a sturdy metal bracket ensures that the stand is securely locked in place. This is particularly valuable when hunting where other hunters are present. The mounting bracket is much less noticeable than a full-sized tree stand, and it reduces the chances that another hunter will find your secret location or, worse, steal your stand.

Additionally, if you find that deer aren’t hanging out where you thought they’d be, it’s easy to remove the stand, change locations and try again. The brackets design makes it sturdy enough to support the full weight rating for the stand, so there are no questions about rigidity.

Stands from yesteryear were bulky and unwieldy. Not so nowadays, thanks to rapidly advancing technology and the efforts of tree stand manufacturers.

Conclusion

Through the years, tree stands have developed from noisy, heavy and sometimes poorly engineered platforms to become more sturdy, quiet and light- Having the right equipment the odds that you’ll be in position to kill a deer this year, and selecting the right tree stand is vital to keep you comfortable and safe. The good news is that there are plenty of innovative stands to choose from. The hardest part is often selecting the stand that’s perfect for you.

Tags: deer, high, hunting, places, tech, tree stands, trends