Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Boot Recommendations for Wyoming

Long time lurker, first time poster....Need some advice on some new boots for an antelope hunt this October in Wyoming. Not looking for anything insulated, just something comfortable and good for trekking a few miles at a time. I've already considered the Danner route, but I want to see if there are any other options out there that I'm not aware of. Also, shoe size is usually a restriction when it comes to purchases. Size 15 isn't that big, but apparently it's big enough that some manufacturers don't feel the need to make them. Let me know if you have any suggestions. I appreciate your input.

Thanks Everyone

Danner, break them in good before you go!!

Lowa Renegades would be good for that, not sure about the sizes.

the heck you say.....

I live here and I hunt them every year. I have for 25 years. And I have taken out many many many hunters in those 25 years too, so I know what you need.

Buy something that is not insulated and NOT cloth sided. Cactus spines go right through the cloth ones.

Have good aggressive tread and you will want a very good fit. No tight spots and no rubs. In many cases you will not walk a long distance hunting antelope, but you should be prepared to do it at times, so if you don't have a set of boots that will allow you to hike 2 miles or up to 8 miles without hurting your feet, you have the wrong boots.
(Or the wrong feet! If that's the case, start hiking now and get your feet in shape for it)

One tip that is worth it's weight in gold is to get hard knee pads and a good set of leather work gloves to carry in cargo pockets of your pants. If you need to make a low crawl to get to your shooting position ( and you will at times) you will bless the day you read and acted on this tip.

I wouldn't overthink it.

+1.

My current favorites for that situation are Crispi Wyoming or Dakota. They are a bit spendy.

+1+

Vasque Breeze GTX 2.0 or newer model, "III" or Lowa equivalents. Relatively lightweight and good ventilation. They offer size 15. Two pairs of thin socks. Porous surgical-type tape for any problem areas that (may) chafe or blister. REI, etc.

Szihn is right about cactus thorns going through the cloth or nylon uppers, but I like a lightweight boot for antelope hunting, so I'm just careful where I put my feet. The weather is usually quite warm, especially in the afternoon, so I prefer something that breathes well. I almost always use either an old pair of jungle boots or an old pair of desert boots. Mine were issued, but I have seen them at surplus stores and I think you can buy them in larger sizes as well. But really, anything that fits well and is comfortable will do for antelope. The conditions aren't terribly extreme, either in terms of terrain or weather (usually), but you might end up doing a lot of walking.

Good socks are important too. I used to be pretty partial to the Thorlo combat boot sock. They had a thick resilient pad underfoot and a thinner, more breathable layer over the instep. They worked pretty well. Now I wear a merino blend sock from either Cabelas or Costco. They are pretty good too. Not as well cushioned, but more breathable than the all synthetic Thorlo was.

Szihn is also right about pads. They are ESSENTIAL. I use pads on both my knees and my elbows. I use the cheap white elastic ones as they go on under my clothes, but the hard plastic ones are probably better.

Leukatape is really good at preventing blisters and sore spots. I wear some on backs of my heels and on my bunion every time I plan to do a lot of mileage or a lot of steep terrain.

I will second the recommendation on Lowa Renegades. Have worn them on early season mountain hunts to backpacking across the Grand Canyon, and all points inbetween. One caveat, be sure they are a good fit for your foot.

Never heard of Leukatape, thanks for the tip. My favorite product is hard to find lately.

I don't really have cactus thorn problems where I hunt, and it really doesn't matter much what I wear. I have Danner Elk Hunters and Danner Pronghorns, but don't wear them for antelope hunting. I wear my everday waterproof Merrill Moabs right now. My son wears tennis shoes in decent weather even though he has good boots. It may be a good idea to have something that works ok with snow and slippery ground. I totally agree on the hard knee pads and gloves. The hard pads are great when you have to drop "right now."

Buy something that is not insulated and NOT cloth sided. Cactus spines go right through the cloth ones.

I was "just about" to write that down when you posted that! When I went on my first Antelope/Mule Deer hunt out of laramie I used a pair of Cabelas Kangaroo Hide Upland Bird Hunting boots. One time I "did" wear a pair of Nike running shoes on a Prairie Dog Hunt near Gilletee...to my everlasting regret...pulled cactus out all day long!

Thank you all for the input! I have hunted this particular area in Wyoming a couple of times several years ago, so I know what you mean when you talk about getting stuck by cactus thorns. I didn't have any knee pads, but I brought a couple pairs of those "briar resistant" upland hunting pants with me. They were a life saver when I had to crawl up a hill to put a stalk on an antelope. My hands, however, were a different story

I checked on the Crispi boots and they only run up to 14. Vasque, Lowa and the Danner Pronghorns run up to 15 (Their largest available size). Has anyone here had personal experience with the Pronghorns? They're good looking boots, but I've heard they're not made as well as they used to be. Also, not sure that I need an 8" tall boot.

Hmmm I thought they went to 15. I've worn alot of Danners. I'm not a fan of the Pronghorn. Stick with the American made Danners and forego the imported crap. It it we me, I'd look at the Danner Grouse for an Antelope boot if you wanted to stick to Danners. .

I know one of Danner's big selling points is the Made in America line, but I wasn't sure if all their boots were or not. I'm not really leaning one way or another at this point. Just wanted to get some solid options, see if anyone nearby stocked them so I could try them on (not likely in my size though), and then try to get them a month or two in advance to break them in. The last time I went I wore my insulated Irish Setter hunting boots. They were more than capable of the task, but my feet and legs were pretty sore after a few days of trekking in them. I was right out of college then and didn't really have another option, so I danced with the girl I brought....so to say