Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters How do You Keep Your Feet Warm

Minnesota big whitetail bucks with a few years of age get very smart so noise ,scent and even movement will send that old buck running, but in the cold weather after the rutt these old big bucks move better in the day-light hrs. to farm fields with some type of food. the best way in the cold /snow December days for bowhunting is stand hunting mostly from a tree but sometimes a warm ground blind can work too with the right wind. so warm boots are always needed i have now went to using winter one size too big Muck boots with those trow- away toe warmers ,they last about 5-6 hours . once i get to the stand i remove one muck boot at a time put clean dry light sock on,then another wool sock,then the stick-on toe warmer with my muck boot. i am good for 5-6 hrs. but i also put a big facemask type wool stocking hat on then my jacket hood over that.for my hands i use hand warmers on them too with light gloves inside a a big mitt. > i may hate hunting in the cold in some ways but i have shot some dandy old bucks in the cold-snow late December archery season on certain days and sometimes i never see anything too its a hit or mis,but the one thing i never see is humans anymore in the woods,unless my 30 year son goes too. cold frigid weather can be dangerous so always use caution and i do bring a shut off phone with,so be careful and let someone know where your kinda at too. Pete53

For all-day stand sits in really cold weather (below zero), I don't wear any boots.

The bulk of the below probably doesn't apply to the backcountry but I don't believe that was the intent by the OP.

I wear a light hiker (or non-insulated rubber boot) to/front stand and take them off @ stand/blind.
Remove socks I wore on the trek, then put on a light merino, followed by heavy merino sock, then slip feet into either original boot blankets or Western Mountaineering Down booties (the WM booties pack much easier). A handwarmer can get tossed in for additional comfort.

It's not without tradeoff though - if I need to bail in a hurry (say, a follow-up, trailing-type thing), I'm SOL. *grins*

If it's not cold enough to warrant the above shenanigans, the key is having dry feet when you reach your destination.
I won't get into boot choices because everyone has their favorites and I don't put as much stock in the boot itself as I do moisture management - a lot of insulated boots will work the key is having enough room so blood flow isn't restricted - and sometimes that means a larger size to accommodate an additional sock.

The Injinji liner socks are a bit goofy looking but holy hellz do they move moisture to the outside sock. If it's a long walk, I just change the layer next to the Injinji's (upon arrival) and I'm good to go - this even works well when wearing insulated rubber boots (which is normally what I'm wearing when archery hunting).

Often overlooked is the drying of boots each night. I dry mine via electric drier, propane drier or drier that utilizes the utility outlet in my truck.

For below zero hunts, I don't wear boots or socks because my ass is in the house.

Boy there is some great info here...and keeping feet warm in a stand is probably the hardest thing to do...
We dress for the stand then ride in the truck and walk to the stand sweating the whole way...
I think a guy needs to experiment and find out what work for him...I tried it all ...Mickey mouse boots back in the day were the best option but they had no tread and were hard to use. And if your feet sweat they still could get cold..
I really learned a lot from the guys in Alaska when I worked on the slope and for me the wool blend or silk sock liner was the trick...i actually never wore my schnees PAC boots that much .the whites leather insulated hunting boots were pretty good for most situations once I learned the sock thing...and keeping core and head warm was huge also..
I started wearing a filson wool vest as a layer and that was huge...as a welder I needed more freedom in arms and shoulder area...

Purchase some “boot blankets”. They work wonders! Slip them over your boots once you get to the stand. They can be cumbersome but they’re light and warm. Been using them for years and purchased some for my kids early on. Everyone has warm feet now.

I have a pair of Icebreaker Boot Blankets available for $25 plus shipping if anyone need a pair.

Funny, I always used "bama booties" inside waders and they work very well... had to stop using them when Riley started insisting on calling them Obama booties...