String Silencers

[Deeter]

What would be the best string silencers to use while hunting in the rain?  I currently use the yarn puff balls which work great till they get wet then get a shower when I release the string.  I am not a fan of the rubber cat whiskers, I am trying to keep the trad look.  Thanks and God Bless.

[old_goat2]

I just twang the string a couple of times like a guitar string before I shoot if the puffs are wet, cause your going to have the same basic problem with beaver balls or wool and that just leaves rubber. Mike at Dryad has some kind of synthetic rope that he cuts a piece off of and frays it out and puts in the string and I bet it doesn't hold water like that, but don't what kind of rope it was. Seen this subject the other day and somebody said something about dynema rope I think which may be what Mike uses. I bet if you emailed him, he would answer. I think he's on the road though right now so might take a couple of days to get an answer.

[Over&Under]

Two tracks wools scallops...

Next best in the rain are cat whiskers.

[mobertok]

I am certainly no expert, but while reading this, I was wondering if some sort of spray would work? like what the spray on dry fly's for fly fishing.

[old_goat2]

Originally posted by mobertok:
I am certainly no expert, but while reading this, I was wondering if some sort of spray would work? like what the spray on dry fly's for fly fishing.

Certainly might help some, but due to the size of the puffs and their construction, the water would still be there, just not soaked in I THINK and would still splatter, just a guess though.

[nineworlds9]

Beaver or muskrat fur is a popular alternative and still looks 'trad'

[JamesKerr]

I use a fly tying wool that I waterproof myself, or a yarn string silencer

[Deeter]

Thanks guys!

[olddogrib]

mobertok,
I assume you're referring to waterproofing for the silencers and that maybe have promise. They used to make a product for waterproofing feather fletching and I tried it back in my "wheelie days". I was stunned to find my arrow's impact dropped over a foot at 20 yds. It certainly was not due to added weight and I have no idea whether it stiffened the feathers or what, but it certainly changed my trajectory. Moral if the story: if you put anything on your feathers, shoot them before you hunt!

[Bladepeek]

If you want to give cat whiskers another try, double them when you put them on (fold the length in half, so you have double the strands) and then trim them short to form a round ball. It's still rubber, but looks a bit nice than something that belongs on a bass rig.

[damascusdave]

In that situation I would look no further than cat whiskers...they will do the job quite nicely...when was the last time you looked at your silencers while killing a Pope and Young animal...I use other things on my "show" bows...when I hunt I use what works

DDave

[ssoden]

Check out the one's Centaur sells .. they are water proof and work great.

[Birdbow]

I used 2 pair of rubber string leaches on a very wet week of moose hunting in Maine. Worked great then and I've used them since. Overall, I like a heavy arrow to silence my bows/ strings. Good luck! Todd