Neoprene Boots (Muck and Others)

[Kyle Lancaster]

Are Neoprene boots as scent resistant as rubber boots? A loaded question, I know! I have a pair of the old Lacrosse and was thinking of getting the lighter, more comfortable? Neoprene boots by Muck or Lacrosse, but was wondering if the odor can penetrate the neoprene easier than rubber??

Thanks,
Kyle

[mater]

I have some from rockey that has a rubber coating, Id think they would.
   Mark

[Blackhawk]

Neoprene is water proof and scent proof just like rubber, AND has lots of advantages over rubber in my opinion.  Both those boot makers you mentioned are excellent!

[reddogge]

That's pretty hard to determine since no human can measure that.

[recurvecody]

than how can we determine if we are scent free?

[JEFF B]

diving boots are also good and they are cheap. try em you will love em. i do  

[kbetts]

No, neoprene is not scent free.  For proof you can smell one of my wetsuits.  When neoprene gets wet, it absorbs moisture.  When it dries, residual solids are left behind (no matter how small) and that causes odor.  Any duck hunters want to comment about the smell of their neoprene waders?  Also, neoprene does not like briars or sharp objects.  Again, refer to a die hard duck hunter.
If I can smell it, I bet a deer can too.

[Blackhawk]

reddogge, I think I can measure it.

My feet don't stink until I take my rubber boots off.  :eek:  

Actually, good point you made, but most of us assume if something is air tight/water tight, then it must be scent proof???    

I mainly like the Mucks because they are warm and they keep my feet dry.

[bornagainbowhunter]

I have to agree with Kbetts.  I duck hunted for many years.  I don't use muck boots due to the tearing issue.  I never noticed a scent from my waders, but if I hunted the thickets, I would soon notice the water.  Neoprene does tear and anything with a hole will leak.

If you don't hunt around briars and stobs they would work great.  Where I hunt in AR they would not be worth much, but the places that I hunt in MO they would be fine.

Guess you just need to look at what kind of terrain you are hunting.  As far as scent goes, the rubber sole on Muck boots does the same job as the rubber sole on my Lacrosse boots.  The human odor comes from the top and both boots have a leg hole, therefore, both boots will emit the odor you body produces. JMO

[Ray Hammond]

You can do what I do and soak your boots in a bucket of baking soda water and scrub them with a little baking soda/water paste....rinse off then set them outside to dry IN THE SUN..just don't leave them out there any longer than necessary as the sun does nasty things to them if you leave them out unnecessarily.

[KSdan]

I have always been skeptical about the durability of neoprene.  I would think it would be ridiculous in the woods where I step on sticks and logs all day.  I suppose if I road in a Bad Boy Buggy to the the edge of a crop field where my stand was 50 yds away- they may work.

[ber643]

I've had a pair of Muck boots (neoprene) - originals - for 6 or 8 years now and wear them on all of my hunts untill the weather gets too cold (Usually only in late Dec. here in NC). Also used them in SC, some. I was concerned at first but had had good luck with noprene wadders for fishing so decided to try them. They still have shown no tear or leak (thank you, Lord), and I have got snagged by brambles and the Terrible Cat Briars here. I love the comfort, support, and light weight. I will admit I'm careful of them , I don't jerk when snagged, and haven't got caught on barbed wire - BUT - for what it's worth.

[reddogge]

I'd like to train a lab to sniff products people are wearing and give a signal if they smell human odor.  I'd take it around to all of the manufactures and watch them all fail the "sniff" test.  

I don't believe you can eliminate human odor and have no faith whatsoever in claims that a product can so I just hunt the wind.

[ber643]

I agree about the scent - in N or S carolina for sure , as early as the season starts here there is no way we aren't going to stink, to a critter especially. Hunt the wind, when you can, hunt in the air when you can - but mostly just hunt when you can, and do the best you can.

[Hopewell Tom]

I wore a pair of rubber boots with no special scent treatment in our woods up back to do some work on a tree stand. While in the tree, here comes our beagle, nose glued to the ground, on my trail. Just past the tree, he stops, looks around, nose to the ground again, right up to the tree and looks up at me.
I'm not sure we're fooling any noses out there.

[kbetts]

More important than the neoprene is the make up of the sole.  My last pair of Lacrosse neoprenes (I still wear them) has a sole that is not 100% rubber.  I know this because it doesn't dry like a true rubber boot when you wipe it off.  It still even looks moist.  Has to be holding something.

[NoCams]

Heh Tom,
Same thing happened to us last year with our chocolate lab. She normally stays at home when we hunt behind the house but for some reason decided to come find us after about an hour ? We had both the new Lacrosse Alpha lights with neoprene as well as a old pair of rubber Lacrosse Burlys on. Took "Fudge" two tries and about 20 minutes to figure out the trail and find us but she did !!! She is 13 years old too. When she hit our cross trail she went the wrong way the first time and went away from the tree instead of too it. She circled around and came right to the tree the second time around.

We use scent killer religiously and always wet our boots down good before heading in. Can you totally eliminate your scent and scent trail to a deer..... I think not. Can you knock it way down and keep them from totally blowing out on you.... yes you can. When we do a great job on scent control on cool late season days we have deer dead down wind that either don't react at all or if they do you can tell they think we were there a few days ago or something.... ? No blowing, snorting, and running off wide open like years past. JMHO