Boots for elk hunting ?'s

[mnbearbaiter]

There has already been alot of threads on this, but my angle is a little different! I bought a pair of Wolverine Crowley 6" 200 gram boots this spring, i tried to wear them in as much as possible before i took them to the Black Hills in SD for a turkey hunt, and i wasnt disappointed! Opener in the 'Hills was 29deg with an inch of snow on the ground, wearing the 200 gram boot wouldnt have been my first choice, but its all i brought due to the anticipated weather forecast! The boots may be a half size larger than needed, but when i wear it with the All Season Under Armor wool socks its just right, waterproof, and my feet dont sweat!!! After 3 days of chasing birds and makin many a makeshift blind i managed to break the back of a 2 yr old Merriams! My feet werent any worse for wear after the 3 days of bird chasin, but i decided to break 'em in even more! Since May, i have been walkin twice/wk with my packframe loaded with 70lbs of weights wrapped in towels, on a horse trail thats got some steep inclines, and just rough for the country we have here! The boots are as broke in as they can be after puttin 15-20mi/wk on 'em for some time now, just wondering if they are the right choice for early Sept elk hunting? Can i expect temps colder than the 29deg i wore them in back in April? Im a big Cameron Hanes guy(wish that he was a traditionalist though), and hes even wore trail running shoes before! they seemed to have enough support in the steep ridges of the 'Hills, and the horse trails ive been walking around here, just makin sure before i go!

[Hud]

I have a pair of Danner's for mid to late season hunting in rocky terrain. They are fine, but would be too warm with temperatures much above 40 degrees, and not enough below 10 deg. or in more than a light snow.

If the weather is warm, wear light weight ploypropelene socks to wick moisture to a medium wt. wool. Carry extra socks. If you slide inside boot more than one finger behind heel going down hill, blisters are a possibility.
Stuff newspaper in the boots after using to pull out moisture.

[4Blade]

No boot is perfect for all the conditions you can encounter elk hunting.  I always take two or more pairs so you can switch out if necessary.  I like 8" or 9" height because of keeping mud/grit out in muddy condtions and seeds/burrs out when walking thru meadows.  Right now my favorite is Danner Pronghorns noninsulated and a pair of muck boots in case of more than a few inches of snow.  Temps under 30 are normally after nightfall, 55 to 75 during the day and you will be moving most of the time while hunting.  Take care of your feet it's where the rubber meets the Rockies.

[mnbearbaiter]

We will be bivy hunting so bringing extra boots isnt an option as im shaving weight! Ive worn these boots for countless miles(has to be over 100), and ive never had a problem with blisters of any kind! I can attribute that to the socks i wear, Under Armor and Cabelas Ultimax are my choices for these boots, the Ultimax keep my feet a little cooler on my summer jaunts where temps have been near 100deg, but i am leaning towards the Under Armor for CO due to the possibility of the cooler temps!

[arky714]

Sounds like you will be good to go..I wear my snake boots they are water proof got some insulation in them,keeps my lower legs from getting beat up by blowdowns...I can cross shallow streams I also got a pair of rockies with tread that is very deep for slippery terrain also pair of low quarter new balance extreme walking shoes and another pair of high top snake boots....been snake bit also ...bring pleanty of socks 2 pair a day...if needed...I an't packing in this year..