Elk hunting with minimal foot ware

[halfseminole]

I wear a pair of mukluks for my winter hunting.  Crepe sole, I spend an awful lot of my time barefoot and my legs are very, very used to it.  I live in the Appalachians, not the Rockies but I spend my hunting time clambering over fallen trees every five feet it seems.  Socks are the thing that make the hunting experience, and my wife makes me awesome ones that can keep my feet warm through all but the worst of stalks.  I need to find a waterproof liner for rainy hunting, but worst comes to worst I head back to the house-I'm just hunting my land.

My feet are hardened against thorns, gravel, immune to poison ivy, and very used to being unshod or minimally shod.  I used my toes for climbing all the time before the stroke, and it's paying off in trying to regain my mobility.  We came equipped with marvelous attachments for getting around, give them a try.

[elkken]

Originally posted by Trumpkin the Dwarf:
Light shoes are great till you have 80 lbs of elk meat on your back. I'd strongly recommend finding a good fitting pair of heavier boots that you can at least leave in the truck to be used if packing an elk out.

Words of wisdom here .... unless you have ankles of steel

[Knotter]

lots of great advice here. Some things iv'e learned with this very experiment.   find a pair of boots that fit. match them with the right sock and insole + the right lacing configuration and you will last longer on your feet. The right fit starts with the width and length and then go from there.  A stout boot with good support will also protect your feet and those ligaments around your ankle.  ligaments are one way streets if you tear one. It wont really ever heal.  On missed step in a running shoe and you could suddenly find yourself in the middle of a nightmare.

They don't need to be hunting specific brands or super lightweight... or expensive.  Going too far the other way with boots has its downsides.  Pick up any trail running shoe in your hand and twist it.  if it moves with little effort it will put all the strain of an uneven surface on your foot muscles which will stop you dead in your tracks. trail runners are for trails and not for the uneven mess you will find in the elk woods.  They are not designed for the steep slopes especially on descent.  In fact, any shoe gets you up the mountain but only a good boot gets you down in good enough shape to do it again and again.  

another consideration is how you walk.  It sounds silly but it often gets overlooked.  When you try them on they shouldn't change your gait very much if at all.  lots of modern boots like lowa, zamberlain, crispi etc. have a built in flex point at the ball of your foot that make the break in a breeze and the gait more human.  if the boots make you walk like a giant flat footed robot look elsewhere.

lastly, break them in!  Live in them until you are 100% happy with thte fit. get used to them and make them conform to you any way you can.    

Best of luck.

[Overspined]

Ll bean when dry and Schnees with bob sole when too steep or wet is what I do. Super light, quiet, no gore tex or insulation. Dry quick if necessary and I just smear the sealer on em. Done this for several years now.  I've had trouble with the super duper danners and the like. They are loud, heavy, and not flexible enough in steep terrain so they rub or put pressure on tendons funny.

[Shinken]

I have used Bean boots since 1982 and they are what I am using currently, but I have also had great success with Schnee boots and the air-bob sole.

I prefer Pitch Blend for leather treatment, but I have also used OBENAUF'S with excellent results as well.

I have owned only one pair of Danner's and I gave them away after one season.

Strangely enough, one "size" doesn't fit all....

YMMV

Keep the wind in your face!

Shoot straight, Shinken

   

[Kanwin]

I have your answer. Thru the years I had really struggled with footwear on elk hunts. Last year bought some of the new Danner High Ground 8" lightweight boots. Unbelievable. As dumb as I am the weren't even broken in. Walked 8 miles a day for a week in the NM mountains and never got sore. My day pack used to have athletic tape, bandaids and moleskin. Won't need it this year.

[Kanwin]

Struggled for years with footwear elk hunting. Last year was the only year I have ever looked forward to pulling on the boots to chase elk. They are the new Danner High Grounds. Absolutely perfect. 8 miles a day out of the box and not a single blister or sore.