Tips & Tactics

Better Bands for Hunters

Better Bands for Hunters

By David L. Pittman

If you are like me, you’ve found that rubber bands come in handy for hunters. I use them all the time — or should I say, I USED to.

The applications were too numerous to name, like duct tape, only less sticky.

Rubber bands were great for bundling rope, keeping hunting clothes rolled up, cinching sleeves that might get slapped by a bow string, and keeping odds and ends from rattling around in my backpack.

And, if the waist in your hunting pants gets too tight, you can pull one through the buttonhole, back through the loop and hook around the button. Instant comfort-waist pants.

But rubber bands are not made like they used to be. Because of environmental issues and eco-conscious manufacturers, today, rubber bands are mostly made to be biodegradable.

You’ve probably noticed they don’t last long since the materials have changed.

It’s no fun pulling gummed up rubbery substance off a bundle of arrows, or having the new band break that binds your broadhead packages.

I’ve found a cheap substitute that won’t break, won’t turn into goo, is washable and will last for years: a women’s ponytail holder.

Since I work in an office with about 500 people — mostly women — I began collecting ponytail holders I’d find lying around the parking lot, floors and sidewalks.

I keep my collection in a Ziploc bag, but first, I wash them in scent-free detergent and air-dry them.

Color doesn’t matter to me. In fact, I’ve found the pink ones are easier to find in the dark when dropped from a treestand.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced is convincing my wife I didn’t raid her stash!

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Copyright 2024 by Buckmasters, Ltd.

Copyright 2020 by Buckmasters, Ltd