Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Snake boots

I don't know about nowadays but several years back I looked into snake boot testing and found out that pretty much no manufacturers actually tested the boots with live snakes. Mostly the boots were just super thick to limit fang penetration.

Not to take away from the OP, but it could help... any snake boot success stories? Born and raised in NE IL, don't have venomous snake experience. Have hunted in places where they are, but have never had an "encounter" until a couple years ago out in AZ on a desert mule deer bowhunt. Coming down off a hill at the end of the day from glassing, getting dark, had a rattle from about 5 feet away. Put my bow between myself and the rattle and backed up, made a wide circle around the area and went and had dinner.

From what I've seen, Cottonmouths, Copperheads and Timber Rattlesnakes don't typically bite above the ankle. If they bite at all, it's usually from being handled, or getting provoked, or stepped on. Eastern and Western Diamondbacks are different and will strike higher. Unless I was in Diamondback country, I wouldn't bother with snakeboots. In places without Diamondbacks ( and their close cousins like Prairies), the real benefit of snake boots is protecting your legs from blackberries and Devils Walking Sticks.

I posted one in this thread but I will elaborate. Opening day mid morning I was in a creek bottom walking, bent down to pic up a deer shed, took another step and I was hit. I knew what it was as soon as it happened. Had lacrosse snake boots on and he hit me just behind the toes. I was very fortunate he didn't pop me on the hand when I went to pick up the shed. I was about half mile from the truck, hunting by myself, and 45 minutes from the nearest hospital.

Ton of timbers where I hunt. I kneeled down to put a decoy in the ground once and set it right next to one before I saw it. Don't know how that one didn't get me.

Funny, the next morning I was so fixating an watching the ground for snakes that I literally walked up on a tom in full strut, the back of his fan was to me and he never saw me, 20 yards at most. If I'd had been looking ahead on the road I'd have seen him in time. But he bumped and that was that.

IL DNR sys there's Timber Rattlers in Southern IL and along the Mississippi River. Some other kind of rattlers along other river systems. I grew up along the North Branch of the Chicago River and if there were any there, I never saw, or heard, any. Every once in a while, you'd see a smaller alligator that someone threw in the river when it got too big for them to take care of and was no longer "cute". And used condoms, never a shortage of used condoms! Lol!

I'd like to go to TX for a Nilgai hunt, they recommend snake boots, but don't require them.

Funny, another great place to find used rubbers is our little league dugouts. Friggin everywhere around our ballfield. atleast they are being SAFE!

Batter up!!! Lol!

We have a lot of Cottonmouths in Florida. It has been my experience that Cottonmouths can be aggressive. Many years ago I was hunting next to a swamp. I knew they were in that area. I have seen them there before. I was walking slowly looking out in front of me. A friend of mine told me he had seem hogs there recently. I felt something hit my pant leg.

I was not wearing snake boots at the time. I didn't see the snake but they are very camouflaged in there environment. He struck me just above my ankle. I was wearing blue jeans. The good news is that he didn't get me. The bad news is his fangs were stuck in my blue jeans. When I jumped back the snake came with me. This happened in a split second. The snake wasn't happy and neither was I to say the least.

Any way, I shook my leg and the snake didn't come off. I was carrying a Remington 1100 12ga at the time. It was a fairly large Cottonmouth. I quickly shot him. at that close range it blew him in half. That will get your attention real quick.

I'm glad it wasn't Archery season.

There are ZERO toothy snakes on the home ranch. Yet I still wear my snake boots for the great ankle support.

I have hunted LOTS of places that venomous snakes are. Saw a few WDB's in Texas and a BIIIIIIG freakin' prairie rattler in Nebraska. But it ain't the ones I see that bother me. It's just THAT ONE that I didn't see that has me wearing the boots.

I wore snake boots for 35 years. Yes they work and they are hot. Wore out several pairs of Chippewas and now have a pair of Russells that I have not worn in 10 years. What I do wear 200 plus days a year here in South Carolina, are the Lacrosse Alpha Burley uninsulated. They will turn any USA snake bite and are light and waterproof while being very comfortable. I have been hit by timber rattlers and cottonmouths with NO PENETRATION.