Boots for November POW Deer Hunt

[Justin Crossley]

Regular boots and gaiters or rubber boots? Which do you guys prefer for Prince of Wales deer hunting in November?

 

[skipper907]

I haven't hunting pow but spent a lot of time all over kodiak. I really like crispy guide with gators and haven't had wet feet.
I would think this would be a good system if you are hunting off the roads on pow
When I have hunted pws I prefer breathable waders because Everything is very wet and marshy
I know the alot of times the go to for locals in southeast is extra tuff (all some people wear all the time ) and many people just wear long johns with rain gear and extra tuffs

 

[blackveltbowhunter]

Lots of hiking and moving all day or still hunting? Rubber boots cant be beat if your not moving fast enough to build sweat or your feet are spending alot of time in standing water. Other wise any high quality hunting boot with a good gaiter will keep your feet dry enough and be more comfortable if putting miles on. I am split probably 70/30 leather over rubber for my preferred style and terrain.

 

[roosiebull]

Regular boots and gaiters or rubber boots? Which do you guys prefer for Prince of Wales deer hunting in November?

Xtratuffs with felt insoles are not a bad option, I have a lot of boot options but when it’s really wet, I wear xtra tuffs a lot, and am not afraid to put on a lot of miles with them, or pack a lot of weight in them.

I killed my buck and elk in xtratuffs this past season, and obviously packed them out in them too.

My only caveat is, I have worked in and worn them a lot since I was a wee lad, and they have zero ankle support, so if you aren’t used to zero ankle support, they could be problematic, but I have hunted in them, walked tons of miles in them, and packed a bunch of heavy loads in them. You need to make sure they fit well, it’s very important in rubber boots, so your feet aren’t moving around in them. Xtratuffs have the best traction of any boots I’ve worn in varying terrain, especially like slick rocks, buckskin wood, no other rubber boots compare there (the felt insoles mold to your foot to minimize foot movement inside the boot)

If you have weak ankles/used to lots of ankle support, I would go a different route. My favorite bad weather normal boots are crispi lapponia, they have stayed waterproof longer than any boots I’ve had, they still have a shelf life, but both pairs have stayed dry at least 1.5yrs, which is as good as it gets on the coast, but when it’s really wet out, even with gaiters, you will get some moisture wicking and they will get damp and take longer to dry, so the days that it’s going to be dumping all day, I just wear Xtratuf, and at the end of the day pull out the insoles to air dry and they dry pretty quickly