Snake boots or leggings

[Ray123]

While hunting, I Stepped on a Pacific Rattlesnake and it bit my ankle right through my leather hunting boot. The snake never rattled or gave me any warning. I Survived the bite, but it "rotted out" or destroyed a chunk of flesh in my right leg, from the bite site, fang holes upward as the veins carry the blood back to the heart the flesh turned a purple black for about a foot an 1.5" wide and fairly deep. So I bought a pair of knee high, very thick horse hide boots..there are more products available today...some guys used stove pipe and duct tape in the old days.

 

[284winner]

A big rattler or cottonmouth can easily bite thru a thick leather boot. Smaller snakes cannot. Bite power of a snake is fairly low but the long 1-2" thin wire fangs can easily penetrate thick leather. Snake chaps are what you'd want to assure the snake cannot bite thru into flesh. Less hot than snake boots and more bite resistant, this Is what I'd use. My son had a rattler encounter at around 14 while laying on the ground shooting prairie dogs in SD. The snake was in a prairie dog hole and came out while my son was shooting. I heard the rattling and instantly knew what it was. It wasn't close enough to strike my son but too close for my comfort. A .40 cal shotshell from my Glock pistol dispatched the snake quickly. Only maybe 20-24" long and thin, it still could wreck a shooting trip.

 

[Dgd6mm]

My wife and I both have a set of snake chaps. Used only twice each. We don't hunt anymore in bad rattlesnake area. I thought they were comfortable enough.

 

[Rsadams]

I have stepped on a few copper heads in my life hunting for sure... When you feel that squishy stick it doesn't take long to figure out what it is.... I would definitely say since most people are bit fron the lower calf down snake boots would be my preference for legs but alot like leggings.... Just remember there's plenty of bites on hands , arms heck everywhere..... Following a few tips like never step over a log step on top and see what's on the other side before putting you foot down... Don't reach under stuff etc will go along ways.... Remember snakes ambush things so their extremely hard to see , you must go slow and look... They can be anywhere.... I was going to pick up a coiled up air hose in my dad's shop that was in town btw (Corpus Christi Texas ) and there was a damn snake laying in side the coils sleeping.... They get in shops , houses , deer blinds , heck everywhere.... So don't let a pair of leggings or boots give you false sense of security..... Also do some research..... Most of the time you have time to get to a hospital I know it's scary but try and stay calm most people do more damage trying old wife tales or cutting off circulation for to long....

 

[redrockranger]

My wife and I both have a set of snake chaps. Used only twice each. We don't hunt anymore in bad rattlesnake area. I thought they were comfortable enough.

I have the Rattler Brand of chaps. Double thickness of Cordura ? Never had to test them.

 

[284winner]

Things like snake chaps and boots are like helmets and seat belts, we hope we never need them.

 

[centershot]

I saw the old fashion snake bite kits in Sportsman's Warehouse. The kind they told you to have in Boy Scouts. Can not believe they still sell those.

 

[lb-ft]

My first hand experience on all counts:

Copperheads are cowards
Rattlesnakes are aggressive
Cottonmouths are psychotic

Any of the three can & have killed people. Here in Oklahoma, we get large specimens of them all.

I hate them, though I acknowledge they’re a part of our ecosystem

 

[Tommie]

Copperheads are cowards
Rattlesnakes are aggressive
Cottonmouths are psychotic

Total truth

 

[carbon]

Don't know anything about snake boots, but I use these Snake Guardz from Crackshot: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064REC8O/

More varieties here: https://www.snakeguardz.com/snakeguardz.htm (not sure if this is a retailer or manufacturer…I would guess a retailer? I ordered one pair from Amazon years ago, and the other pair through this site). Made in USA.

Snake Guardz are constructed of 1000 denier nylon that encases polycarbonate inserts. They are hot when it's 90ºF out (what wouldn't be?), but the way they are made seems like they might be a little cooler than tight gaiters or tall thick leather boots.

We had a different brand that went, "pfvvvip, pfvvvip, pfvvvip" each time your legs brushed against each other. Quickly returned. They were just slightly thick rubber and they sucked.

Hmmm…looks like the manufacturer sell all sorts of leg protection, even sting ray gaiters: https://crackshotcorp.com/

 

[Steve Blair]

Snake boots and leggings? Hell, I didn't know they had feet.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

My first hand experience on all counts:

Copperheads are cowards
Rattlesnakes are aggressive
Cottonmouths are psychotic

Any of the three can & have killed people. Here in Oklahoma, we get large specimens of them all.

I hate them, though I acknowledge they’re a part of our ecosystem

My wife while on one of her walks saw a cottonmouth sleeping on a bank next to a creek. She decided to throw a big rock on it and that thing came up mad and chased her to the point that she barely out ran it.

 

[JoeMcNeill]

Just read a story of a $330,000.00 bill for a snake bite Hospital billing. Not sure about insurance coverage but that's a hell of an out of pocket expense!! Our range manager was bitten by a copper head the day before a match last year and spent the night in the hospital under observation. They didn't give him anti venom, not sure they had any, but it is super expensive and not available at most hospital/clinics.
Hunting in Africa the first time I was surprised to see a propane power refrigerator in our camp. I thought it was keeping the beer cold but soon found out it had anti venom for nerve toxin and blood toxin that needed to be kept cool!! SOOBERING to say the least.

JDM

 

[chop house]

I’ve worn leggings more than boots but have both. On reasonably flat ground, boots should be just fine(check out the link). Also, some have made the case that good leather hiking boots and baggy pants might be enough for most encounters.
But on the really steep stuff, you might find yourself at eye level so neither one would offer much consolation.

amen. i like the gaiters for convenience but never feel completely protected in uneven terrain. even with chippewa boots, a guy in the club was bitten behind the knee a couple years back. weeks on antibiotics despite no envenomation.

on the flip side another guy had jeans over 10" leather wellingtons and got a rattler hung up in his pants leg with no bite, just a mild heart attack!

yet another had saw pants on, and got hit limbing out a tree. took it all in stride.

one of my fears is (despite not really being able to hear anyway) is wearing muffs. i hope that hearing loss with aging is not one of nature's ways of culling the herd.

 

[chop house]

laying on the ground shooting prairie dogs in SD.

crap. NOT ME! even at a bench i watch me immediate perimeter constantly. the higher the better, maybe even a truck bed.

 

[Txhillbilly]

Don't know anything about snake boots, but I use these Snake Guardz from Crackshot: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064REC8O/

More varieties here: https://www.snakeguardz.com/snakeguardz.htm (not sure if this is a retailer or manufacturer…I would guess a retailer? I ordered one pair from Amazon years ago, and the other pair through this site). Made in USA.

Snake Guardz are constructed of 1000 denier nylon that encases polycarbonate inserts. They are hot when it's 90ºF out (what wouldn't be?), but the way they are made seems like they might be a little cooler than tight gaiters or tall thick leather boots.

We had a different brand that went, "pfvvvip, pfvvvip, pfvvvip" each time your legs brushed against each other. Quickly returned. They were just slightly thick rubber and they sucked.

Hmmm…looks like the manufacturer sell all sorts of leg protection, even sting ray gaiters: https://crackshotcorp.com/

I've worn these for years, and they work. Been struck a couple times while hunting pigs at night.

 

[CaptainMal]

Gonna get some version of a Snake Guardz. for both me and the wife. Never heard of them.

Thanks.

 

[carbon]

I've worn these for years, and they work. Been struck a couple times while hunting pigs at night.

This is good to know. Glad they work…always assumed they would as they seem pretty darn robust. They’re almost like tall 360° soccer shinguards but less hot, probably because they are spaced away from your body.

I’ve never been struck while out in the far western ND badlands. Seen one rattler there on the road, of which was then promptly killed by a local.

Also, don’t lay down when shooting prairie dogs. Christ, there is so much PD and cattle poop around those fields anyway plus PDs carry the bubonic plague. Fleas transmit the plague and fleas hang out on animals like PDs. Don’t handle the dead PDs either.

 

[KMart]

My wife while on one of her walks saw a cottonmouth sleeping on a bank next to a creek. She decided to throw a big rock on it and that thing came up mad and chased her to the point that she barely out ran it.

Ole Mr Stumptail. I had a battle with one one day. All I had was a 2x2. I finally got the upper hand when he tried to go through a chain link fence and got stuck. He took a good beating after that. They are one powerful snake.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Ole Mr Stumptail. I had a battle with one one day. All I had was a 2x2. I finally got the upper hand when he tried to go through a chain link fence and got stuck. He took a good beating after that. They are one powerful snake.

I asked her about that again last night and she said it was a dirt clod that she threw at it to see if it was dead. She said the snake raised it self up on its tail and chased her.