boots??

[joe ashton]

I'm wondering do you all always wear rubber boots in whitetail country? Seems to me deer will smell any boot and my hiking boots are a lot warmer....
Joe

[rappstar]

The guys I hunt around swear by all rubber boots for deer b/c they believe they cut down on scent..

I started going for the warmth factor about 2 years ago vs. scent free from a boot standpoint.  The boots that keep my feet warm are a pac style boot...so that is what I use.  I just spray them before heading out.

I don't think it matters all that much...never witnessed a deer stopping and spooking off the trail that I came in on.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

with the right cover scent you can wear your work boots.

1 time I hit the woods after work and had on work boots and a sweaty shirt on.. Had deer all around me for 2 hours.. To bad it wasn't deer season at the time.. I was scouting.

[Roy Steele]

I've used lacrosse rubber boots for as long as I can remember.I wash in hot water and use mostly fox urine and freash dirt,cow patty's and others.And have lots of deer cross my trails or use the same trails.I even had foxs follow me to my tree.Same with yotos a couple of times.
  You can't do that with leather boots or sneakers.

[kctreeman]

Have had many deer stop and scent check my trail.Watching them from my stad it looked like they hit a wall. no doubt about what alerted themsometimes they would scent track me to my tree and stand there looking up at me. Had to kill a lot of them to keep them from spreading their new found education to other deer.Been wearing god rubber boots for years but finally have switched to hiking style boots because of weight and warmth. I hope those new cabelas boots are good just orered some last night.

[jhg]

I've always worn leather boots. One young buck walked right up to me and sniffed one once. He couldn't figure out what I was and when I had to blink he hearly jumped out of his skin. Scent control has little to do with what boots you wear. Its a lot more comprehensive than that.

Joshua

[straitera]

Wore nothing but rubber boots this past weekend hunt. Rained entire through Monday. At least my feet were dry. IMO, your boots aren't to blame.

[KentuckyTJ]

I love my knee high rubber boots. I do believe it cuts down on your odor on your way into a stand. Just last night I had a mature doe with her two fawns walk right down my entrance trail and never acted spooky. Of course I keep my clothes clean and spray down before going in. I also bath with unscented soaps and use unscented deodorant all season as well. My name is Tom and I have a problem.

T.J.

[J. Cook]

I agree with most, I wear boots that mirror the conditions I'm hunting in.  You HAVE to be comfortable and you need to take care of those feet to put in many hours out there.  If really wet and I'm not walking a ton, I wear the rubber Lacrosse boots, but if doing alot of rugged walking -- have to have good boots.  I don't think they really help or hinder in terms of scent.  If you align yourself upwind, you are going to be smelled, period.

[toddster]

I have a pair of Mucks I have used last four years and love them, then a pair of LL bean maine hunting boot.  Ll bean great for stalking and on stand down to 30 degrees.  the Muck woodsman, I have never had cold or wet feet and have been on stand for four hours when temp was  
-10 degrees, then have neoprene uppers, that since I have big calf I roll down, like a fireman boot, if I come to a creek or need it bend down and pull it up and go on.  Love this boot.

[Whip]

I definately believe they can make a difference and use rubber boots as much as possible for whitetails.  Conditions can play a big part, and sometimes you can get away with other types of boots without a problem.  But I have seen it often enough that I am convinced that rubber does help.  I often have deer cross the path I walked in on without reacting.  While that has happended with other types of boots as well, I really think it happens more frequently if I have worn rubber boots.

Rubber bottom pac stlye boots are better IMO than leather soled.  But my favorite are the knee highs, and with some of them offered with 1,000-2,000 grams of Thinsulite, they can be used during all but the coldest temperatures.  

One additional thing that I do to really cut down on my ground scent is to clear good entry trails to my stands.  It doesn't do any good to wear rubber boots if you're brushing up against brush and weeds with your clothing.

[M]

I keep my boots in a boot bag until I hunt. I never wear them unless I am hunting. If you step on the ground at a gas station those boots are ruined forever as far as hunting is concerned. I also do this with my hunting clothes. I cant tell you the number of times I will stop to get a cup of coffee and see hunters in their camo scentloc suit pumping gas and they wonder why deer smell them.

[pitbull]

Another vote for Muck boots, I never have hot or cold feet in them they wear well and never have deer sniff where I walk.

[Stone Knife]

I wear boots with Goretex Supprescent I hose those down with scent killer,  then I pick my routes to the stand that differ from the ones the deer use. I like warm feet and rubber boots don't keep my feet warm when I'm standing still.

[joevan125]

Rubber boots!!!

[Hot Hap]

My son started hunting in neoprene waders last year and has killed 5 deer since. I wear leather. Hap