Do you hunt in regular hiking type boots or snake boots? Need something lighter than the Dryshod viper stops I have. Walking 8-10 miles/day scouting. Have not seen many snakes in the national forest.

I own land in rattle snake country. I wear work boots and watch where my feet go. When I see a snake, I walk around it.

I hunted in south Texas for years wearing regular hunting boots and put Snake Leggings over them. I thought they were pretty comfortable.

I wear both.

When I’m at my ranch in Sept/oct hunting pronghorn, mule deer and walking miles, I wear all leather Hanwag Yukon or Ancash II with ForEverlast Snake Guard - Snake Gaiter‘s,

If Im at my whitetail lease I wear pull on Danner sharptail Snake boots.

I mainly wear snake boots no matter the season. I don’t look where my feet are going, at least not hard enough to spot snakes. I’ve been struck 2x with my snake boots on and have been very thankful to have had them.

Have two pair. Don’t need either much during most of deer season.

I also have several pair really only wear them in march and october but did run across a 6 footer during the season other hunters have killed 4 this year during the season, up untill this year I havent even seen a rattle snake for 4 or so years I also watch where I walk, stay on the sunny side of things

just thought about this couple weeks ago I was sighting in or checking my gun had just gotten there still had on tennis shoes, walked down to the 200 yd target to look and on the way back noticed a big snake drag in the sand over my prints so you just never know

I always have snake boot on, of course sometimes I’m the only one wearing them.

I wear snake boots until it gets cold enough to need thicker insulated boots. sometimes, if it is wet, warm and muddy enough, I will wear rubber boots. If the conditions fit my snake boots, I see no reason not to wear them.

Just thinking. Since the pigs moved in, I haven’t seen a snake of any kind in the last 5 years. No need for the boots.

They are there. They are just hiding better and not warming as much before a strike

Wade, there may be a few but we have gone from snake infested to rare. Not unusual but rare. I saw a snake of some kind in the yard about 4 years ago. I saw a rattler on the dirt road a few years back and stopped, got out, and looked at it.

About 10 years ago we had a multi year drought and lost a lot of wildlife of all kinds. The deer now no longer run in herds. Turkeys are rare instead of common. No lizards. No cottontails. No spiders. We are now in a 3 year long drought and it isn’t helping wildlife. I haven’t been able to plant wheat in 3 or 4 years. My 3 acre tank is now 8 ft low and down to a little less than an acre. 2 of my 3 smaller ponds are gone and the last one isn’t far behind. I’ve heard one shot during deer season. Opening day used to sound like a war. Haven’t seen or heard a coyote but figure some are still there. Thankfully, my water well hasn’t gone dry.

About 3 miles South of Bowie. The only thing that has increased are the taxes.

Closest I ever came to getting snake bit was 25 miles south of Freer, on the 13th of January. Any warm day in South Texas you better be looking.

I don't get out much, so I settled on a pair of gaiters. When there is a field day event at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation up in Rotan, they keep a big box of gaiters by the door for folks to borrow.

I stepped in one the last day of Season just south of Laredo one year. Little guy.

I got hit while stepping over a branch on a cattle trail a few years ago. Luckily, I was wearing snake boots.

I’m always wearing snake boots

I wear my snake boot for the cactus more so than snakes. I'd rather have the on and not need them than the opposite.

Better to have and not need, then need and not have.

Last March on my lease by Brackettville. I wear my snake boots year round at the lease.

I do a lot of surveying work in thick brush out near Pecos. Just walking miles through the brush not on trails or roads. I am usually staring at my surveying instrument and not watching wear I am walking. I wear snake boots everyday as do all my employees. I currently am using the Danners and really like them. They are not as comfortable as tennis shoes of course but we each walk around 5 miles a day and I have never heard any complaints about sore feet.

When hunting it really depends. Where you are going is it thick or open? If it is so thick or tall thick grass where you can't see the ground then I would wear them but if it is open and you can see your surroundings I probably wouldn't. When hunting I am pretty in tune with nature and always looking around so I am pretty sure I would notice a snake unless it was just super thick.

I’ve gassed and sold thousands, maybe tens of thousands of rattlesnakes. They can’t bite though a real leather boot of normal thickness and no nylon webbing. Snake boots are more useful for cactus really. My snake dens are all vacant now because of the hog population.

I'd rather have them on and not need them. I don't really watch my every step when walking in the field and I walked past one 4 times opening morning of dove season before I saw it.

Same here.

Mostly a inexpensive pair of Cat brand leather work boots -only brand that fits right. Mostly for scrub briars and vines. Coppers and Moccasins don't throw their fangs.

I wear an old pair of Justin's. These are US made, not the China made. I've worn them for 7 years and they're still going strong! Always when hunting. If not for snake protection, for protection from cactus!

I've never worn snake boots or chaps. Never felt I needed them. I've seen at least hundreds of snakes, and maybe 20-30% are venomous. Of all the venomous snakes I've come across, copperheads are the ones I've come closest to before seeing them.

I do find it interesting that the only people I hear about getting struck, are the ones wearing snake boots. Not sure what that means, likely they're in country that has more snakes? Hence the reason for wearing them.

To me, wear whatever makes you comfortable but even with snake boots I would still watch where I'm walking, even if just to keep from stepping in a hole and twisting an ankle.

In the minority I'm sure, but I dislike wearing boots all day, so I usually go with a pair of Under Armour tactical shoes since they have a boot sole on them. I do have a comfy pair of snake boots as a second option, but wearing boot socks with my hairy legs all day gets annoying.

I did a few TTHA shows and they put us right next to the snake pit (the guys name was Jerry if I remember correctly) and he would get these snakes to strike him. I never saw a snake hit above the ankle. some of them were 3-4' snakes. Seems to me that a regular boot would offer an acceptable level of protection.


I have spent 30 years in the brush country and somehow, I don't think I would use up all my fingers if I were to count the number of rattlesnakes I've encountered, matter of fact the last three I killed were all in the Hill Country. Water Moccasins, are a different story, I hate those bastards.

I wear snake boots for Brush, Thorns and Barb wire, not for snakes

I gave up on snake boots a while back and just wear comfortable leather work boots with some turtle skin snake gaiters, especially handy on hot days in shorts

I have encountered more rattlers mountain biking than hunting which is a way bigger pucker factor as you roll up on them with speed sometimes and the only option is going over them. Below is one of the more healthy ones in town at the local mtn bike trails. A rider took a pic of it last month out there. However, if I am hunting or at the lease in warm weather the Turtle Skin chaps get put on. If cold out, I skip the chaps and just watch where I step

I have same issue with copperheads on my bike trail. Down in flood plain

Only had one venomous snake within striking distance before I saw it. Was a 3ft long rattle snake that slithered between my legs as I was glassing an opposite ridge. An armadillo that was shuffling around about 15ft behind me must have pushed it out of the long grass and I saw the movement from the corner of my eye. Once I jumped back it coiled and started rattling before going on its way.

99% of my snake encounters are on hot afternoons in the middle of mild spring or fall weather, or cooler nights in the middle of hot summer weather. I wear snake boots when I'm going to be out and about in those conditions

I’d rather take a root canal than wear snake boots if I’m going to be doing a lot of walking. If you know how to get around in snake country, situational awareness when you are in the places snakes are apt to be will most likely keep you off them.

If I could find a manufacturer that made narrow snake boots, I would always wear them at my place. If it means anything, on a deer lease I was on for 4 years, a ways south of Sheffield, 40K acres total ranch acreage, the owner and his wife ALWAYS came outa the house with snake boots on. These were not posing, new ranch owners. It was a working ranch. He was born a square-head and she was from NE New Mexico...and cute. But I digress.

Yes sir creek. There is a lot of difference among folks reactions and comfort levels when they get around venomous snakes. Chaps and/or snake boots slow me down. Most days in the field, time is money for me. With that in mind, paying close enough attention to give them a wide berth works out for me. Whether someone decides on wearing PPE or raising their situational awareness, I’m not being critical of what is best for them.

Yeah, it's an individual thing and all about how one manages or mitigates risk. Looking at a pair of retirees, out in the middle of nowhere, 60 miles from the nearest hospital (life-flight insurance?), questionable health, it's almost certainly foolish to not wear the armor. Five miles outside of a decent-sized town with a couple of hospitals and urgent care clinics, the odds are ever in your favor.

My family typically bee-bops through their happy little life, so everyone gets a pair of snake boots. On a normal deer hunting day for me, I typically will wear a pair of warm Mucks for the morning hunt and then transition to the snakes for the evening hunt.

You guys must have a pig shortage.

Not sure. It feels like the times I had the most pigs, I also had the most snakes. 7 or 8 years ago, I killed 4 rattlers in 24 hours in November. Had tons of pigs then.

Since the Great Freeze, I haven't seen a dozen hogs on my place. Can't say that I've seen a snake since then either. But I've also put a full court press on mice around the place to keep them from destroying any vehicle wiring harness in the area.

I'm sure hogs eat snakes, but I'm not sure that's always the reason why there are no apparent snakes on a property.

I got a pair of Chippewa snake boots and they're so comfortable. I've hiked 5+ miles in them multiple days in a row hunting antelope. The snake protection offers great peace of mind, and seeing as they're so comfortable, it's a no-brainer.

I channeled my inner Wyman Meizner and bought lace ups. Waterproof does make them warm in summer. Used them almost exclusively on my August bear hunt. Quiet and super comfy.

My next pair will be Danners, I'm sure.

Those laces act like sand burr magnets, at least for me they did.

Will agree with this one. The burrs literally migrate to the laces and I spent 15+ minutes picking them out. Went with a pair of square toe no lace Danner's and they are fantastic. Took a day or two to break them in but they're very comfortable. Accidentally tested them on a rattlebug during dove season and they work lol. Glad I had them on because the sucker never rattled until I stepped on it and it hit me.

That's what I have. Great in cold weather and I can wear a thick sock to keep me from slopping around in them, but I sure wish they came in a narrow. The lifetime search for narrow shoes and boots gets harder and harder as the years go by...and Americans get heavier and heavier and their feet get wider and wider. I remember when "C" was medium. Now it's "D".

Where did the snake hit you at?

Hit me right in the middle of the shin surprisingly. Not sure if it was because of where I stepped on it, but right after I was surprised it didn't strike my ankle. It was funny because it was like the world stopped for a second. Caught the flash of it striking and saw the fangs get stuck in the boot. 15 seconds later it was a headless rattlebug

Wear mine all the time (snake boots). I spent two days turkey hunting this year and on both hunts ended up walking up on rattlesnakes. the first one I was carrying light single shot 12 chambered in 3 1/2" I forgot how bad that thing kicks

This "noisy stick" tapped my hiking boot as I stepped over it this morning as I was beginning to stalk up on a pig box trap. That'll wake you up right quick. 'Little guy, but still.

I have 3 pr. of snake boots and 2 pr. of work boots, temp above 50 and I have to be on the property I have the snake boots on.

best pr. I have found are twistedX slip on, very light, all leather and the top is a bit more open so they don't get as hot as my others.

have stepped on 3 of the 37 cottonmouths I have killed here over 10 yrs. 2 I was almost on their head and one I was on it's head (pushed that one in the mud and jumped). nothing like having to point a .40 cal. at your foot to kill a snek.

only heard of one timber rattler out here, I have not seen or heard any rattlesnappers.

copperheads are another story too, we have them and I am sure we have a lot of them but in 10 yrs. only one of our hunters saw/killed one, said it was about 3', I found a baby at the front door last fall and unfortunately he did not make it to "relocation" alive (snicker).

my front door find.