Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Boots for a fat flatlander going elk hunting...

Ok, I'm a 6'5" 295lb guy. I live in Iowa and I spend alot of time hiking here, but I'm under no delusions that hiking in the mountains will be anything close (I have been in the mountains before, just not on a hard hunt). SO, I'm gonna need a good pair of boots. I'd rather not spend $400 to save 2 oz since I'll never notice it, and I'd prefer a mid length ankle as high ones generally hit my calves. Anyone in my situation? What works for you? Thx!

To begin with, good boots for the mountains will be very close to more than your ceiling. I like mountaineering style boots, though have used a few pairs of USA made Danners that worked out.

My favorites are Lathrop and Sons Mountain Hunter and Hanwag Alaskan GTX:

https://lathropandsons.com/lathrop-and-sons-mountain-hunter.html/

https://hanwagboot.com/products/alaska-gtx

Key attributes of these boots are terrific support for steep country, and support while carrying a pack. Mine are non-insulated, as I use good wool blend socks for warmth and have always found these adequate. I have hunting friends who also like Kennetrek and similar brands.

Everyone's feet are different but these are the boots that I grab for anything but the steepest terrain or very cold weather.

https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/quest-4d-3-gtxr.html#color=9861

Pbgunrnr: I am not far behind your stats there.
I have Hunted Elk for over half a century and the priorities for my Elk Hunting boots are in this order:
#1 = Comfort
#2 = Warmth
#3 = Ankle support
#4 = Warmth
#5 = Traction (bob soles or vibram like cleat soles)
#6 = Warmth
#7 = Water-proof
#8 = Warmth
#9 = Cost
#10 = Warmth
I mostly Hunt at higher elevations and this means COLD if NOT all day then for sure in the morning and in the evenings.
Your feet MUST stay warm or your "Hunting" will suffer.
I use Danner Elk Hunters.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I went through the process a few months back. With crappy retail options around me, I had to order in a bunch of contenders, and return those that didn’t make the cut. Here’s how it shook it out for me.

Let us know what you end up with.

FC

I like Crispis. Just picked another pair of Thors. Size 12 wide feet. Pretty light boot and decent support.

I really like my scarpa triolets but they are heavy

Don't forget to buy a good pair of gaiters. I like kuiu and inserts like superfeet


https://www.campsaver.com/crispi-th...otV5XB768AltLCCFosRHy8CKm-RoC0IYQAvD_BwE

Under $200

FC, great postings!
Varmint guy- your experience puts a high value on warmth, my feet sweat alot, would that change how you look at boots? Are the danners you have the newer style or the old ones everyone seems to like?
I wear merril shoes most of the time so I I appreciate synthetics and gore tex, but I want to make sure that I'm not assuming waterproofing is of utmost importance!
Ribka- why gaiters? Educate me please?

Where are you elk hunting (generally, not GPS coordinates)? When will you be there? Predicted elevation of your hunt? Hunting on foot, horses, ATV, from a blind, or ??????

Comfort/Warmth are very subjective so the below may, or may not apply to you.

I hunt primarily afoot and typically get by with some good moisture managing socks and no insulation down to about 20 degrees. Meindl/Cabelas Denali are my favorite, the Meindl USA equivalent is the Vakuum Hunter.

A typical hunt would be 45-90min walk/stalk into position before 1sr/last light, then sit for 90-120min and hope to catch a critter moving. If it's wet, particularly windy, or much colder than 20F then I go to pac boots. I too have large drumsticks. 13" Schnees Hunter II's have plenty of room and long enough laces to make use of that room, 10" models should stay below your calves, I have both. I typically wear the 13's much more often than the 10's.

While I'm moving I try to wear the bare minimum amount of clothing that keeps me comfortable (not necessarily "toasty"), full-body moisture management is THE KEY to full-body comfort for me. If my plan is to hike in then sit down for an extended period, I'll pack in a dry shirt (typically fleece that's light and warm), a puffy jacket and pants, a GOOD windproof hat, and good windproof glommets/gloves. When I get close/into position, I'll take all my top layers off down to bare skin and dry off as I'm digging dry and warmer clothing out of my pack. Puffy pants 1st, then a dry shirt, puffy jacket, then maybe/maybe not a wind stopping layer.

Apologies if this is sort of "Captain Obvious" type stuff, but for me, I can't just say "X boot works for me" without explaining why/how.

Dont apologize, I sincerely appreciate the info! And as of yet I'm not sure where I'm going! I'm thinking maybe new Mexico or one of the more southern states only because i did a mule deer hunt in Montana a few years ago. But I'd be open to suggestions about that too! Lol. My trip is in its infancy, building my gun mow so I can practice all summer, Then building my kit....

Schnee's has a nice sale on right now, just ordered some Beartooth's to try out. Still searching for the holy grail.

Boots and gloves are probably the 2 most subjective pieces of clothing one needs to sort out. I have a couple friends that need WAY more boot/glove insulation than I do to stay comfortable. Tough guys who spend countless days out in COLD weather. They just need more.

The other balance one needs to find is support vs. dead air space. A snug fitting boot that locks your feet into place feels great on rough terrain, but, dead-air space insulates well. There's a balance there somewhere, it's different for everyone.

Elk live in a lot of places and are hunted from late August to late January. Hunting them in the prairies is easier then going high and steep, and September hunts are going to be easier then December hunts.

So get boots that give you good support and have REAL good soles for traction,


but the rest of the features will depend on where and WHEN you are going to hunt. It's common for me to wear surplus military combat boots on elk hunts up to the snow flys.

After that, the "rules" for boots change a lot.
Where and when are you going?

I’ve tried lots of brands. So far Chrispi have been the best. I’m a Bowhunter so I in generally fairly warm weather.

There have been many similar threads. Check out Sierra Trading Post when they re-open. Lowa Tibet, Kenner, Asolo, and Danner USA all make good boots. My favorite is Galibier and Lowa but many others are good. The Alilco from Sierra trading post are very well made old school hiking boots. Get them one size larger and put a good in-sole in them and wear a liner sock and wool outer and you will be set. The Summit is a good compromise model.

Red Wing boots are still very good and worth a look. Early season you can get by with hikers like the Merrill Moab 2 or the Keen Targhee II, these are very light and the ankle high ones are sufficient. Only if you are packing out do you need heavier foot wear. Later in the season about 200 grams of Thinsulate and a water barrier liner are nice. More extreme conditions Schnees or Whites boots are great but beyond your budget.

Irish setters and danners are ok/good for the money around 100/140$ Sales pending
You might hit warm weather or cold weather while elk hunting.
I have a set of non insulated danners and 800 Irish. I Probably could have got 400 as 800 can be warm when it warms up mid day, But that depended I’d you sit or walk.
I like the idea of having two boots when 1000 miles away from home or 3 or 4 hours from nearest big box store

everybody above have covered the subject well. all I can add is get whatever you are going to use well in advance and WEAR them. new boots on opening day can kill a hunt.

I prefer boots in the 6 to 7" range. I seldom need to cross streams where these aren't high enough. It's dry here in the fall.
My preferred brand is Keen. As I've got older, the balls of my feet have spread and most brands aren't wide enough. Keens are wider in the ball area and fit me great. I can't compare them to others for quality but for my fit, they're the best I've found.

The key is to find boots that fit your particular feet. Go to a good outdoor store,find someone knowledgeable on fitting boots, and try on a few different brands/styles.

I settled on Lowa Renegades, very comfortable and around $250.

One thing i will say after being in the exact same position that u are not too awful long ago is dont mistake comfortable boots for mountain boots. I wore my old work boots wolverines i think on my first trip and needed a skin graft when the week was done. Then i tried some underarmour infil gtx and they were super comfy until the toes and the creases blew out three miles in to the weminuche wilderness. Finally got some kenetrek mt extremes and no blisters less fatigue and no leaks. Amazing the difference the stiff boots make when climbing and sidehilling. I since purchases some salewa ravens that are simply the most amazing boots ive ever worn for mountain terrain and the synthetic material shed the water much better than the leather kenetreks as well. 150$ cheaper also. No boot will be perfect but the right boots combined with a good pair of gaiters will keep the skin grafts from happening.
SWAMPOKIE

yep. I don't like stiff boots for flat areas, rolling hills but for really steep and rocky terrain they are much better than street boots.

Id pick up hiking poles too, can't live with out them

I watched my elk hunting partner’s Beartooth’s come apart one year ago. Very frustrating. I’ve used Lowa GTX Renegades for the last ten to twelve years. I’m wearing my first pair as I write this...they are my boots worn while working, cutting firewood, etc. They are my first pair and lasted eight or so years as my go-to hunting boots. My newest pair are my dedicated hunting boots currently. Both are 100% waterproof still and I love em. Virtually zero break in, comfortable as any boot I’ve ever worn. About $225

Godogs57, I recently saw some sales on the Lowa GTX Renegades @ campsaver.com.

Hanwags are really nice boots. I have a pair in 13 wide uninsulated. When it gets cold I just wear thicker Darn Tough socks.
I have hunted with these boots in Montana,Wyoming and Colorado. Elevation up to 12 k.

I just grabbed a pair of the Lowas on sale, I guess I should nail down exactly where I'm going to see if an insulated pair would be a good idea as well. Thanks for all of the good advice!

I've tried most all of the boot brands out there and as of right now the Lowa Hunter GTX is the only one that I can endorse for what you're wanting.

I was not impressed with Meindl, Schees, Kennetreks, Crispis nor many others that get touted a lot on these boards. Maybe it is my foot profile, or how I walk, but nothing else has lasted as long as the Lowa GTX. Some of them are as comfortable as the Lowas, but they blow out at the seams much easier IME. Lowas do have a harder inner sole though than others, so I use an insole in them.

My Kennetreks have 6 elk seasons on them with no problem before that it was Danners. Danners or other quality boot work fine as long as its a Vibram sole. Gaiters that are quite are a must to keep your lower legs dry and adds warmth to both legs and feet (kennetreks or the old soft cabelas). I hunt with wool socks and uninsulted boots to -15F as long as I'm walking. If sitting then I remove my boots and put on Sorel type felt or quilted liners that I carry in my pack. I overthink and over buy on most everything and know its not always necessary. Wear whats comfortable with good soles. Hunted with a guy once who wore Walmart boots and his feet felt and looked fine at the end of a hard day. All on the fit.

I am a cheap azz, I like Irish setters, and hi techs. All I can say is have more than one pair, getting them to slowly dry out is paramount to performance and longevity. Peet boot driers if you have electricity. I delaminates a pair of boots leaving them too close to the fire 🔥 box.

REI has a really good sale going on right now.

I do like the Peet’s boot dryer, but be forewarned, they will ruin a Goretex liner. Not a big deal for me, as I don’t get boots with them in them these days. And always more than one pair of boots on a hunting trip.

Been wearing my Danner knee high snake boots for 20+ years.

I am 5’8”, 240 lbs, flat feet, 4E. They feel like moccasins, so comfy.

pbgunrunner,

I know you said you did not want to spend $400.00 to save a few ounces but let me say that good boots are one of the most important gear items you will need on an elk hunt. Now I wore a pair of Danner Trophy boots for many years and they were great for hiking, and I used them both out west and here in Virginia. They did not have heels and were therefore not good for horseback hunts, I highly recommend a heel on boots used on horseback. I also had a pair of Low Tibbet GTX for milder weather.

Elk hunting means good boots and good optics to me.

I've only hunted Colorado twice, but the N GA mountains where I hunt every year are every bit as steep and rugged. The altitude makes a huge difference though. But I've settled on a hiking type boot for my hunting. I haven't owned insulated boots in 20+ years and haven't missed them. That is what I wore in November of 2018 in a foot of snow and morning temps of 10-12 degrees when I last hunted Colorado and they did fine.

Lots of options and it is very personal. Sierra Trading post can be a good source, but they are closed for now and their website isn't even up. But if you can find what you like in your size can save a ton of money. You can often find boots at 1/2 the normal price there.

REI is also a good choice, especially if you're a member. They aren't any more expensive than the same items anywhere else and the 10% dividend each year along with the 20% off coupons they issue members several times a year makes the prices pretty attractive.


For the money I like these. Probably the lightest boot with the most support I've ever worn

https://www.rei.com/product/127770/salomon-quest-4d-3-gtx-hiking-boots-mens

If you want all leather I like these.


https://www.rei.com/product/896262/asolo-tps-520-gv-evo-hiking-boots-mens

That's how I'm set up now too, Danner Pronghorns for early season and a pair of insulated Irish Setters for when it gets colder. Both sets always go with me, just having one set wouldn't really work, I may be hunting Sept to Dec, 75 deg to -15 deg. This past year was my first on the Pronghorns, and I like them, I've run some Asolos in the past, but both pairs wound up giving me blisters eventually. I will say, my older insulated Irish Setters look really frumpy and shapeless, but my feet have never gotten really cold in them and they've never given me blisters walking countless miles.

Boots with a waterproof membrane like Gortex are a must for me. In the early season, there's always streams or wet areas I need to cross to get where I want to go. Later season, even when it's cold, the snow on my boots will eventually get thawed by the sun and melt to an extent during the day.

I'm looking at northern NM mountains in early December. Cold mornings, a bit steep, and maybe some snow. Any other thoughts?

405wcf

Boots are like jeans, everybody's preference is different. For rifle seasons, I like waterproof and comfortable. Like soft, broken in, comfortable. Throw in light weight - you will notice a difference. I've been using Danner's of some sort for decades now, latest are the Pronghorns. I get maybe three seasons out of them, but they are comfortable the instant I put them on and don't need break in. They don't give blisters going up or down the hills either. For bow season I've worn trail running shoes before.

This is a tough question to answer in my opinion because aside from quality construction, fit and comfort are highly individual perceptions.

I say that because my feet have liked the relatively cheap, Cabela’s, non-insulated’s Mountain Hikers. They have or did have leather, and synthetic versions and I’m on my fourth pair.

They are lightweight, waterproof and I use them for pheasants in IA and SD and did for twenty years in the mountains for elk.

I like the looks of those. Look tough and light with good grip.