I got me a pair of Irish Setters (by Redwing)...17" tall and both water-proof and snake-proof so now I won't shred my ankles kicking through palmetto's looking for arrows and will greatly reduce the risk of taking any $75,000 anti-venom helicopter rides! LOL!
S. North: I stuck those arrows in the target...15yds.
texbow2: I haven't test run them yet but I tend to believe you about the water=proof part being irrelevent as far as sweat goes but get this....
1. I hear high top UnderArmor wick-away socks work wonders and?...
2. Because they are water=proof?...I hear you can hose them down with permitherin without fear of dosing yourself and the combo works wonders at warding off ticks and chiggers.
(important stuff for a diabetic with neuropathy such as myself)
Steve turay: The Steve Turay?...wow!...thanks for weighing in! :)
White Falcon: right?...sure is nice to exchange fear and worry for safety and confidence.
and folks?...
This was the 3rd time I tried on snake boots at bass pro...the first two times I couldn't bring myself to part with the cash and put the boots back in the box and slide out the front door but this time?...I almost did the same until 3 different people at 3 different times within 20-30 minutes commented on the Irish Setter snake boots while I was trying them on and two of them purchased pairs as well so this time?...I figured God was trrying to tell me something and I listened! LOL! ;)
Babbling Bob: I could give a flip about Pythons and it's a rarity to see a diamondback but pygmy rattlers are rather abundant but the bad boys around my way are moccasins...they don't play...and they don't rattle...they just do what they do and it's rarely nice.
Here’s a moccasin I killed the other day that was under my garbage can. When you live in the country, you almost need snake boots on to move the can to the street. :-)
Ditto on the moccasins, they will chase you, they are aggressive around the water.
I'm a little further north than you Jinkster, we have pythons loose up here haven't seen any over ten feet, also the rattlers and coral snakes. I have a lot of rat, corn and indigo snakes which keep most away.
I have the same pair of boots...I have been wearing mine for the last three years and have been pleased with the waterproof feature and comfort of the boots...like wearing tennis shoes...the best part is peace of mind...I have not had to test them out as far as a snake but I will not hunt without them on...I live and hunt in Tennessee and we have alot of copperheads and our share of timber rattlers....Tim
I bought a pair from Cabelas for antelope hunting,,,, however they are great back here in the north, for early season, and in the bluff country of Wis...... lots of calf support great for turkey hunting
the last ones i bought are Irish Setters. before that i had the Cabelas brand that zipped up the front. i wore 2 pairs of those out. if they hadnt doubled the price of those i would have bought another pair. before that 1 pair of Rockys that i couldnt wear out fast enough, those were junk.
Joey Ward: Thank you for your kill as well!...the ones that get you are the ones you don't see...good looking out! ;)
tURKEYBUSTER: I couldn't agree more...they are like "Zero Break-In" comfy out of the box! :)
BIG BEAR: Being a Southern Man from S.E. Florida?...I don't know what would kill me first...the sub 60 temps or the fact that I can buy Wolverine Boots but NOT "Wolverine Proof" boots...I'll take the heat of living with snakes! LOL!
Turn your speakers off cause the music blows but this is worth watching....
ground hunter: One of the guys there buying snake boots the same time I was began looking at the Lacross snake-boots and while I think Lacross is a great company?...I pointed out how the Irish Setters had all that calve room designed in where the Lacross didn't and would make it difficult to tuck jeans into boots that had no calve room.
I also pointed out too him how the Irish Setters were designed so that the sole easily flexes where foot meets toes.
The 3 of us discussed about every aspect of snake boots including what a time consuming PITB lacing up the Irish Setters is as the older guy was leaning towards lace up boots that also had a side zipper so I told him that...
I bet that works out swell with the laces giving a great fit and the zipper allowing you to quickly get out of them but?...I bet you play he11 trying to tuck your jeans in and get that zipper back up again! LOL!
20 minutes later all 3 of us were grinning in the check out line with huge Redwing/Irish Setter boot boxes in our hands and was also pleased to hear Bass Pro gives a 60 day return policy on them. :)
eddie c: My last pair of Rocky brand boots were just high top hunting boots but I went all out and got their top line model...25 years ago before the internet...ordered via a phone call from a Cabela's catalog...Gortex...Thinsulate...The Works....
I wore them one hunting season...got back from our lease in Georgia...washed the red gumbo off the soles and bagged them until next hunting season when on opening morning?...I unzipped my boot bag and broke them out only to discover that the foame betwee the sole and boot was crumbling away like a graham cracker under my feet...they never made it out the cabin door...wound up wearing my nike airs on opening day in 17 degree weather and spending that afternoon at Wally world buying a new pair of boots for 1/3rd the price with all the features that lasted me 20 years.
It was the only time I ever requested a refund from Cabela's where they gave me a hard time because the boots were now over a year old but man was I hot and whoever was on the other end of the line must've known when I screamed...
"$200 FOR 10 DAYS WORTH OF WEAR AND A YEAR LATER THEY'RE READY FOR THE CHIT CAN AND YOU FOLKS ARE OKAY WITH CALLING THAT FAIR?!!!"
They refunded 80% of my money and I no grief promising them I would NEVER EVER purchase Rocky Brand anything from them Again!
It's a shame...that was a good boot company at one time. :(
I bought my Rocky's from Bass Pro. Had problem from day one. They wouldn't take them back, said I had to call Rocky. Rocky told me to call Bass Pro. Needless to say I didn't buy any more.
I never bothered with snake boots till this past bow season. My eyes aren’t as sharp as they used to be and I almost stepped on the timber rattler in the photo. I wear them now.
I bought cheap plastic wrap around snake gaiters. They are uncomfortable and I hate wearing them. Seems every spring while turkey hunting I have a snake encounter, it may be time to take a serious look at boots.
For $500-$700 a pair?....those Gokey's and Russell's better be some nice boots but unless I hit the lottery?...I'll just hafta be content with my lowly $200 Irish Setters and?...I am. :)
H Rhodes & Liquid Amber: My father and I hunted Lumpkin, GA and Eufala, AL for nearly 2 decades and had many encounters with Timber Rattlers and every freaking time we ran into one?...we literally almost stepped on them before we saw them and in most cases?...I think the only reason we saw them is because they started to move just before we stepped on them and the weird part as I type this is...I don't recall ever hearing a timber rattler "rattle" until after the encounter and they were good and pi$$ed from things like getting hit over the head with a stick.
The only time I ever shot one was when I freaked out cause one rapidly coiled into striking position just before I nearly stepped on it and that was a mistake because it was like 2' in front of me and I missed...(scoped lever action and I just rapidly eyeballed down the barrel)...but my .444 Marlin put the snake and a shovels worth of dirt and leaves in the air head high too me where for a second there?...the snake and I were looking eye-too-eye from about 12"s away (which is when I about pi$$ed myself) and he wasn't happy when he landed.
But I do know enough about snakes to know this...the one that gets you will be the one you don't see meanwhile the boots just give stalkers "peace of mind". (as someone above well said)
I once set my compound down to go drop a deuce and when I went to pick it back up?...a pygny was coiled and buzzing in the middle of it...that when I learned to never lay any bow or gun on the ground...and to lean it against a tree...we were all young once. ;)
Don't know how you guys can relax and hunt with so many snakes around. I have roamed and hunted the hills and mountains of Colorado for over 60 years and have never seen a poisonous snake.
Sailor: did you use the words "hunt" and "relax" in the same sentence? LOL!
You haven't lived until you crawl up your climbing sticks and get head high with your hang-on stand only to come face too face with a timber rattler sunning themself on your stands platform.
Peace of mind is worth a lot. :) I worked in south Georgia for six years in the 1970s. Eastern diamondbacks were encountered routinely on roads and in the woods. I never had one rattle before messing with it, and as some have noted, they normally attemptnto get out of your way.
This past November in South Carolina. I walked up on it wearing tennis shoes. :) My largest, measured timber rattler at four feet eight inches. My largest diamondback measured was five feet and four inches.
I have the redhead zip ups from bass pro. I really like them. These are my fourth pair. I wear snake boots from March to almost October when I’m in the woods down here. I’m not scared of snakes, but that doesn’t mean I won’t get bit. I do a lot of hog hunting at night- prime time to get thumped in the shin.
"...certified snake resistant...tested with live Diamondback Rattlesnakes and Cottonmouths by Jim Harrison from snakearmorlogo.jpg the Kentucky Reptile Zoo." From website.
I've only been hit once, and I was wearing the pair in my photo. The copperhead barely scratched the leather and never made it through to the "snake" protective barrier. They don't call them "snake boots" but they are as good a snake protection you can purchase.
If I didn't believe in them, I'd not have been standing this close to the cottonmouth taking the photo. Immediately after my buddy pushed a broadhead through its head.
Pardon thou Me gents but, do the BOOTS offer enough protection for snakes trying to bite? I mean....How high do those reptiles try to hit? BE SAFE out there! BATMAN
Some of y’all worry about snakes WAY too much. You’re far more likely to be injured in a car wreck on the way to the woods than to be bitten by a venomous snake. Also, attempting to kill or capture a venomous snake increases your chances of being bitten. Snakes are not out to get you and only bite as a very last resort. They much prefer to be left alone and that’s the best way to avoid a bite. Be aware of your surroundings and if you come across a snake in the woods, simply take a step back and walk around it. I’ve lived in Mississippi my entire life and I encounter plenty of snakes, including venomous ones. They don’t bother me at all and I’ve never felt the need for a pair of hot, heavy snake boots.
I had a copperhead bite the top of my boot while deer hunting in SW Ok. and a near miss from a rattlesnake in western OK during black powder season. I' ll keep my Danner snake boots for warm day hunts.
No way I will hunt without snake boots in south Alabama or anywhere in the south. You may never need snake boots but I'd rather err on the side of precaution. We got some rattlers big enough to break your leg if they bit you.
Yep...I look at snake boots the same way I look at my pistols...
I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
7K-8K people get bit by venomous snakes every year in the U.S. (which ain't much considering our population) but?....
How much of the general population exposes themselves too the woods as much as we here do?
and?..
That 7K-8K is just for (1) year...10 years is 70K-80K...50-60 years?...1/2 a million...so that number is quite warm and fuzzy as opposed too our personal realities where I bet most of us here at least "Know Of" if not "Know" someones who's been bit (or possibly been bit themself)...I know of several in my lifetime.
I don't know about other places but around here the cottonmouths are territorial during spring and early summer. I've had them to follow my boat, stand it's ground on beaver dams and logging roads.
Anytime I hear someone say "snake boots" or "snake chaps" I always ask the same question. Why?
I have spent my career working in the outdoors in wild places that have venomous snakes. I cannot even tell you how many copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes and coral snakes I've come across at work. This is not even during my own personal time hunting. And I've never worn snake boots or snake chaps. Not even once.
Do a little research on snake bites and you'll understand why.
If you choose not to wear snake boots that's your choice but I've seen first hand what a snke bite can do to the human body.
I hope and pray I never need my Walther 9MM for self defense, the chances that I will need it are slim but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not live to regret it.
I hunt in a lot of wet terrain. I bought the Lacrosee Mudlite snake boots about 3 years ago. They have held up good and are comfortable to wear for a rubber boot.
I've been a bridge inspector in the states of Miss., ALa, and Teen. for over 36 Years. For most of the year, encounters with snakes are almost a daily occurrence. When I first started, I was very concerned about encounters with venomous snakes. It turns out, my fears were unwarranted.
Part of my indoctrination for the job was a two day seminar with a specialist at Vanderbilt University Hospital. After that, I never worried about snakes.
When I first started many years ago, I asked some of the more experienced members of the team I was assigned to, if I should purchased some snake protection. They all kind of snickered, and said what for?
I'm more concerned with stinging insects, bees wasps, hornets, what have you. Over the years I've been stung so many times, that now if I get stung, the nearest joint immediately swells up to size of a softball. I have to carry a kit with me at all times, and administer it immediately.
I use to think that the more your stung, you built up a resistance to it. Not for me.
I don't even think about snakes anymore, but I'm constantly on the lookout for any stinging insects!
I couldn't imagine spending a 10 hour day in boots like that in the heat of a Mississippi summer.
Like I mentioned above, I never gave it much thought when I had the clear vision of a young man. Now it’s bifocals and the odd little glitches that go with them. I was five miles from a paved road and a helicopter ride away from a trauma center when I almost stepped on that well camouflaged five foot timber rattler. When my vision was better, I probably would have seen that snake sooner. Timber rattlers around here seem to be pretty laid back, but I doubt he would have let me step on him without putting those twin 1 1/2” hypodermic s into my flesh. I have been crawling around the swamps and piney woods for over 40 years and that was the closest I have come to getting bitten. Snake boots for me. On the job, there are guys that refuse to wear their body armour or buckle their seat belts. I don’t get them either.
Getting to the point a guy should wear them around the house here, we are up to 3 timber rattlers here near the house. wife saw one crossing the lane walking out to the mailbox about 2 weeks ago. Wife don't care for them, I don't mind them, but keeping an eye out for timber rattlers is something you get used to in the mts.
Here in PA our timber rattlers are rarely seen very far from the mts they prefer areas with not a lot of human activity....I can relate to that for sure.
Wear them if you need to it's a good idea.You are more likely to be killed by lightning or a domestic dog.They are really hot sometimes I do sometimes I dont-wouldnt want to have one break your leg.
Well I'm more likely to get struck by lightning but I don't want the inconvenience of a snakebite if I can prevent it. I also stay away from poison ivy. I'm funny that way.
I agree they are super hot to wear. I had mine walking around the hunting property last Saturday. I have the BPS brand. If I ever do get another pair, it will definately be the side zip model. Lacing those high boots are a real PITA for me. It can happen though when you are least expecting it. I had a cottonmount hit me wearing hip boots when I got into a duck blind before daylight once. Did not penetrate the boots though.
The wife and I were going somewhere,we went down the back steps to car port...she stepped off steps ,turned right to pass side of car.I went one step to drivers side...Bam..hit by a linebacker...reminded me of high school football.while I was in the air I heard the word Snake...I piled up about 10 feet alway...she passed me on a dead run....finally came to enough to get up and go see a 5 foot diamond back coiled up near her door.....yea I wear snake boots and a football helmet for those that don,t.If they don,t bite you they will make you run...and heaven help those in your way.
7-8,000 people a year are bitten by venomous snakes in the US every year, on average. It’s estimated that well over half these bite are the result of deliberate contact with the snake, that is, trying to kill or capture the snake. Of these bites, 3-5 of are fatal. Dogs, on the other hand, send about 15 times the number of people to the hospital every year and account for 30 or so deaths a year. Maybe we should all start wearing dog proof chaps as well
No need for dog chaps... I carry a sidearm and a sharp knife for things I can see coming at me that aren’t silently sitting there in the kudzu waiting on me to step on them. Whatever floats your boat dude. I usually side on the side of caution these days. I was 20 years old once and thought nothing of my own mortality, so I get it if you think snake chaps are silly. Move real slow and keep an eye out and you are probably good to go. Hey I don’t golf in an electrical storm or swim with sharks either. It is rare to be killed by either of those, but I have seen the bodies of people who died from both. Y’all take care. You only get one shot at life.
No need for dog chaps... I carry a sidearm and a sharp knife for things I can see coming at me that aren’t silently sitting there in the kudzu waiting on me to step on them. Whatever floats your boat dude. I usually side on the side of caution these days. I was 20 years old once and thought nothing of my own mortality, so I get it if you think snake chaps are silly. Move real slow and keep an eye out and you are probably good to go. Hey I don’t golf in an electrical storm or swim with sharks either. It is rare to be killed by either of those, but I have seen the bodies of people who died from both. Y’all take care. You only get one shot at life.
I hunt on Fort Sill in SW Oklahoma and surrounding areas . First morning on stand was my last without snake boots . Once that Sun came up , I was made very aware of how many rattling live wires i had walked by . Bought a pair at noon that day before sitting that evening.
I realize the likelihood of taking a fatal bite is minimal . But the chances of taking a bite and being very ill for a very long time are very real . All because I didn't invest in protective footwear ? Height of stupidity.
As traditional archers, we do everything we can to put the odds of success, whether just shooting or hunting, in our favor. That includes the equipment we shoot, the way we smell (or don't), the distance at which we will take shots, and our confidence in all the above. It's all about shrinking the odds. Why wouldn't you do the same by wearing snake boots, if it gives you that peace of mind and confidence to venture into the wilds?
I'd say not a bad idea, If you really don't get into snake country much, probably not needed. But they add a bit of reassurance while traversing rough mountainous terrain, and going through places where you can't see where or what your stepping on.
I almost stepped on a big yellow rattler last year scouting the Bald Eagle state forest, while plowing through thick mountain laurel.....He didn't like that I could tell. LOL
I was scouting on the side of Shade mt one Sept. crawled "under" a big log instead of going around or over, and came face to face with a rattler about 2' in front of my nose. He never rattled, but thankfully was in a good mood. He slithered down in the rocks to get away, and only then did he rattle.
rain day today, no work, so heading out scouting...i'll be wearing boots.
Years ago a buddy of mine almost stepped on a big timber rattler in Centre County PA. We spent a lot of time exploring remote areas back then for turkeys. After that encounter, we both ordered Russell boots. He got the Turkey Hunter model and I got a pair of 16" Mohican Stalkers. The Turkey Hunter has the cordura on the outside but mine are all leather. I don't know if a single layer of leather would stop a big rattler, and I am rethinking it now, but I do feel more comfortable being in "snake country" with them on. For two young guys, forking out big money for boots was hard but they have gone way up in price now. The quality is there with Russells for sure. I think we paid in the neighborhood of $300 in the early 90s and they were custom made to our feet. Still fit like a glove today.
I was at a shoot in Florida behind a guy with snake boots on up to his knees......his two young boys, 8 & 11, shooting also, had on sneakers and flip flops. Go figure.
