Best Bow String Silencer That Works

Pick One Silencer Style And Commit To It

The best bow string silencer that works for most whitetail bowhunters is a set of Cat Whiskers (or similar rubber string leeches) tied into the string at about 1/4 and 3/4 of the string length.

They quiet a bow fast, they are cheap, and they still work after getting soaked in Missouri Ozarks drizzle or frozen solid in Buffalo County, Wisconsin snow.

I have been bowhunting for 23 years and shooting a compound for 25, and I have tried just about every “silent” thing a catalog can sell.

I wasted money on $400 ozone scent control that did nothing, and string silencers were the same lesson in a smaller way, because some of them are all hype.

The Decision That Matters: Rubber, Yarn, Or Beads

You need to pick a silencer type based on what you actually do to your bow all season.

If you baby your gear and never hunt rain, you can get away with more “delicate” stuff.

Rubber whiskers and leeches are my default because they keep working when they are wet, muddy, or stiff from 18-degree sits.

Yarn puffs can be quiet, but they soak up water and can ice up, and that changes how your bow shoots.

String “beads” and sliders can help, but they do not kill that sharp string twang as well as rubber in my experience.

Back in November 2019 on my 65-acre Pike County, Illinois lease, I shot my biggest buck, a 156-inch typical, on a calm 42-degree morning after a cold front.

That buck was inside 18 yards, and the only reason I even got that second step was my bow not barking at him.

What I Actually Run: Cat Whiskers On The String

Here is what I do on my hunting bows, including the one I drag through the Missouri Ozarks on public land.

I install Cat Whiskers on the string, and I do not overthink it.

I tie one set about 1/4 of the string length down from the top cam, and one set about 1/4 up from the bottom cam.

I start them a little long, shoot 10 arrows, then trim them evenly until they stop slapping my wrist and stop buzzing.

I learned the hard way that “close enough” placement can change your tune.

Back in 2007, I was messing with gear instead of shooting, and I had a doe hit back, then I pushed her too early and never found her, and I still think about it.

I do not blame silencers for a bad hit, but I blame myself for tinkering right before season and not being 100 percent confident.

If you change silencers, shoot enough that your brain stops thinking about your bow and starts thinking about the deer.

Tradeoff: Maximum Quiet Versus Speed And Brace Height Feel

Silencers can cost you a little speed, and that is the trade.

On most hunting setups, I do not care about losing 2 to 6 fps if the bow sounds dead.

If you are shooting 70 pounds and 28.5 inches of draw with a 450-grain arrow, you have plenty of juice for whitetails.

If you are under 50 pounds, or shooting a light 350-grain arrow, then every little change matters more.

My buddy swears by yarn puffs because he claims they are “quietest,” and on a dry target range he is probably right.

But I have found rubber is more consistent when you walk in during mist, then sit in wind, then the temperature drops 25 degrees by dark.

When I am thinking about how a deer reacts to sound and movement, I also think about how sharp their senses are, and that ties to what I wrote about are deer smart first.

A string “ping” is not always what busts you, but it adds to the pile of little mistakes.

Mistake To Avoid: Installing Silencers Without Rechecking Nock Fit And Tune

If you slap stuff on your string and walk away, you are asking for a weird flyer when it matters.

A silencer adds weight to the string, and it can change how your bow feels and times.

Here is what I do after installing any string silencer.

I paper tune if I can, and if I cannot, I bare shaft at 10 to 20 yards and watch what the arrow does.

I also check my peep rotation and my nock point, because moving the string can twist things just enough to annoy you.

If you are the kind of hunter that wants a deer to drop in sight, this connects to what I wrote about where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks.

A quieter bow does not fix a bad shot, but it can keep a deer from jumping the string as hard.

In shotgun and straight-wall zones like Ohio, guys talk like bow noise does not matter, but at 20 yards it still matters.

Best Specific Pick: Cat Whiskers String Silencers

I have used Cat Whiskers off and on for over a decade, and they just work.

They cost about $9 to $14, they install in 10 minutes, and they do not fall apart fast like some cheap rubber does.

The biggest “failure” I have had is them getting brittle after a full season of sun and heat in early season, especially when my bow sat in a hot truck in East Texas.

When they get stiff and start cracking, I replace them before the rut.

Second Pick If You Hate Rubber Slap: Limbsavers String Leech

If you cannot stand the look of whiskers, I get it, because they can look like a porcupine on your string.

The Limbsaver String Leech is a cleaner look, and it is still rubber so it handles rain and snow better than yarn.

I have run them on a backup bow and they did quiet it down, but they were pickier about staying put.

If you do not tie them right and snug them down, they creep on the string over time.

Here is what I do if I run leeches.

I mark the serving with a silver Sharpie line so I can see if they move after 50 shots.

If You Hunt Wet And Cold, Forget About Yarn And Focus On Consistency

If you are hunting the Upper Peninsula Michigan big woods or late season in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, yarn can turn into a frozen sponge.

That changes sound and it changes arrow impact, and that is the trade you are making for “max quiet.”

I have sat in snow so dry it squeaked under my boots, and I have sat in wet snow that glued itself to everything.

Rubber silencers are boring, and boring is good when you are 20 feet up and a buck is coming.

If you want to stack the deck further, this connects to what I wrote about do deer move in the wind because windy days can make you think your bow is quieter than it is.

On calm days, that same bow will sound “twangy” again, so test on calm days, not just windy ones.

My Quick Rule of Thumb

If your bow has a sharp “ping” after the shot, install Cat Whiskers and trim them after 10 practice arrows.

If you see a deer flinch hard at the release even on a pass-through, expect more string jumping on the next deer and move your aim lower on the chest.

If conditions change to wet snow or freezing rain, switch to rubber silencers and skip yarn puffs until it warms back above 34 degrees.

Where Most Guys Mess Up: They Quiet The String And Ignore Everything Else

A string silencer helps, but it cannot fix a loud setup.

If your arrow is rattling on the rest, or your quiver is buzzing, that is what the deer hears.

Here is what I do before I blame the string.

I tap my limbs, sight, rest, and quiver with a knuckle, and I fix the loudest thing first.

I learned the hard way that little noises stack.

Back in southern Missouri in 2002, I had a cheap quiver hood that squeaked every time I drew, and I watched a doe in thick Ozarks cover lock up and stare through cedar limbs for 40 seconds.

When you are planning a full quiet setup, it helps to know what deer do during weather shifts, and I check where do deer go when it rains because those are the days I hear my gear the most.

Rain makes the woods quiet, and your bow noise stands out more than you think.

Placement: The Simple Setup That Works Most Of The Time

You are going to hear a lot of exact measurements online, and half of them are guys repeating other guys.

I keep it simple, then I let the bow tell me what it likes.

Here is what I do for placement on a typical compound hunting bow.

I start at 1/4 and 3/4 of the string length, measured between cams, not including the loops.

I shoot three arrows, listen, and feel the vibration in the grip.

If the bow still has a high “ting,” I move the silencers 1/2 inch at a time toward the center until it dulls out.

If you are hunting thick cover like the Missouri Ozarks, you are often shooting fast windows at 12 to 22 yards.

That is also where I care most about deer reacting, and it ties to what I wrote about how fast can deer run because a whitetail can be gone in a blink if you give it a reason.

Don’t Overbuy: The Cheap Stuff That Actually Matters

I have burned money on gear that did not work before I learned what mattered.

String silencers are one of the rare places where cheap usually works fine.

The best cheap investment I ever made was $35 climbing sticks that I have used for 11 seasons, because I could get to the right tree quietly.

That matters more than shaving 3 decibels off a bow.

In Pike County, Illinois, leases are expensive and the bucks can make you do dumb things, like spend money instead of scout.

If you are on public like Mark Twain National Forest, I would rather you spend your time finding a fresh track and a hot scrape than shopping for “premium” string fluff.

If you are also trying to plan around deer movement, I check deer feeding times because the best silencer in the world does not help if you are sitting the wrong three hours.

I would rather have a slightly louder bow in the right spot than a dead-silent bow over empty woods.

FAQ

Do string silencers change my bow tune?

Yes, they can, because you are adding weight to the string and sometimes shifting how it tracks.

After install, I shoot broadheads at 30 yards and confirm impact before I hunt.

How many string silencers should I use on a compound bow?

I use two sets on the main string for most setups.

If the bow is still loud, I fix other rattles before I add more weight to the string.

Where should I put Cat Whiskers on my bow string?

I start at 1/4 and 3/4 of the string length between cams, then I adjust in 1/2 inch moves.

I stop moving them when the sound turns from a “ping” into a dull thump.

Will a quieter bow stop deer from jumping the string?

It helps, but it will not stop it on high-strung does at 15 yards on calm evenings.

If I see hard flinches, I aim lower in the chest and shoot a heavier arrow for more quiet.

What is the best bow string silencer for cold weather?

Rubber whiskers or rubber leeches are my pick because they do not soak and freeze like yarn.

In late season sits, I would rather have consistent than “quietest on paper.”

Should I put silencers on the cables too?

I usually do not unless I have a specific cable slap problem or a loud cable guard setup.

I fix cable contact and rest noise first, then I add stuff only if I can prove it helps.

Next Choice: Match Your Silencer To Your Hunting Style

If you are a tree stand guy on field edges in Southern Iowa, you can get away with a little more movement and a little more gear on the string.

If you are still-hunting or bouncing stands on pressured public like the Missouri Ozarks, I keep it simple and durable.

I take two kids hunting now, and beginners need boring gear that does not break and does not need constant tinkering.

That is another reason I stick with rubber, because I can set it and forget it, and focus on the shot.

Knowing the kind of deer you are after also changes how picky you get, and when I talk about buck behavior I point people to what is a male deer called because it helps new hunters talk clearly about what they saw.

And when I am setting expectations for my kids on does, I send them to what is a female deer called so they quit calling every deer a “mom deer.”

If you tell me your bow model, draw weight, arrow weight, and if you hunt mostly rain, snow, or dry early season, I will tell you exactly which silencer I would run and where I would start it on the string.

I am not a guide, just a guy who has hunted a long time and wants you to skip the dumb mistakes I made.

One Last Call: Quiet Is Good, Confidence Is Better

I am not trying to win a sound meter contest in my garage.

I am trying to get a clean shot at 14 yards when a doe is wound tight and looking for a reason to blow out.

Here is what I do before season every year, no matter if I am hunting Pike County, Illinois timber or hiking into the Missouri Ozarks on public.

I shoot my hunting bow on a dead calm evening, because calm air tells the truth about noise.

I learned the hard way that “it sounded fine at the range” is not the same as “it sounded fine in the woods.”

Back in 2016 on Mark Twain National Forest, I had a little buzz I could not hear in the wind, and on a still sit it was obvious, and I fixed it with one strip of moleskin on my quiver bracket.

If you take one thing from this, take this.

Pick a rubber silencer, place it clean, then stop tinkering and shoot until the bow feels like part of your arm.

My buddy still argues yarn is quieter.

But I have found rubber stays the same from 62 degrees and drizzle to 18 degrees and crusty snow, and that is what kills deer for me.

If you are hunting wet and cold, forget about chasing “quietest” and focus on “same impact every time.”

If you are hunting dry early season over beans in Southern Iowa, then yeah, you can mess with yarn puffs if you want, but I still do not bother.

And if you want the other half of the quiet-bow equation, this connects to what I wrote about where to shoot a deer to drop it in its tracks because a calm, confident shot matters more than any rubber on your string.

The best “silencer” I have ever owned is a bow I trust and a setup I do not change the week before opener.