Snake boots or leggings

[searcher]

The chaps are protective but hot. We used to chased hounds around swamps and wetlands at night and they offer great piece of mind but many nights I have drove home with pants that were soaked with sweat.

My jeans are soaked through when I pull the snake guards off - and this in hot, dry conditions. Those things just don't breathe much - if at all.

 

[CaptainMal]

Those cottonmouths DO attack. I pushed a stick out at something I saw was in my back pond. Darn if it wasn't a snake. The darn thing raised up its' head, showing me what it was and swam straight toward me. I backed off on the bank and it came right up, teeny rattail and all, straight toward me.

Always - ALWAYS carry snake shot in the first cylinder of my NA arms mini 22 magnum in my back pocket. One shot at the head up close and it turned back into the pond. Saw where it stopped and got a rake from the back garage. Waded in and fished it out to pull back out of the pond. Darn thing was still alive.

Took some serious beating with the side of that rake to end it. Set it out along a dirt road behind the pond and the fireants picked it clean by morning. Have not seen any more in the pond since.

 

[STORM2]

Snake boots (Georgia Boot) at the range always….almost. I stopped by the range to move just a few branches to the fall burn pile last week. Did not boot up. No snakes but the chiggers got me. (half way between hay cuts) I forgot how well the snake boots STOP the pests completely.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I have, Snake Guard Leggings and Rocky Low Country Boots and BOTH, ARE.,.freakin', Hot !
A NECESSARY Evil, tho ! Pick One and JUST, be sure to, Wear them !!!
I have killed, 35 of those, B'stards, in 4 States,.. so Far ! Love to, Eat those, Quail, Chuckar and Cottontails !
Had near Misses, a couple of Times on, a few,.. for me !
My Daughter, was Bitten on, the toe & foot ( struck TWICE) by, a Baby Pacific, Rattler in someone's backyard, near, the Colorado River and trust me, you DON'T want to have IT,.. "happen" to,.. YOU !!!
I carry CCI .38 Snake Loads in a 6" S & W. But,.. a 20 Gauge with an Ounce of, 7 1/2 or # 6's is even, BETTER !
Mohave Greens HAVE, the Worst Venom, and are, the most aggressive that, I've ever seen !
They are, in / around, the New York Mountain Range of, the Cali / Nevada, Border, BE extra Careful of, THEM !

 

[STORM2]

Speaking of rat-shot/snake-shot/shot shells by caliber, I have not found any in stock in over a year. I have plenty of several calipers but would feel better with more. Anyone have a source other than our normal vendors. Maybe we’ll have to roll our own.

 

[CaptainMal]

Bought some leggings on Amazon. Just delivered and tried them on. $40. A winner and even the wife tried them on and liked them.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Mom told me of her Father, my Grandfather, putting stove pipes on his lower legs when he went out in the fields. This was back in the 20s. (1920s) He could hear the rattle snakes hitting the stove pipes as he walked. Pretty tough breed of folks back then.

 

[leakeyjohn]

I worked the woods in Mississippi 6 days a week 10 hrs a day cruising timber. We wore boots and snake chaps that were aluminium on top of canvas to the knee and canvas to the belt. Biar proof, snake proof, noisy yes

 

[Konocti's Wigwam]

I wear Irish Setter snake boots. They are lighter than leather boots. I haven’t been hit wearing them but did buy them after walking a creek bed and hearing a large dragonfly buzzing around me. When I realized it was a rattlesnake I almost s#it myself. I was watching the hillside and not the ground. I watched the ground for maybe 2 minutes and then made a 50 yard dash out of the creek bed. Little to say I stopped hunting that day. I always wear them for a piece of mind since I hunt in A zone Northern California in 85-100 heat in snake heaven. That’s just my story about snake proof boots.
Jason

I will retire in A zone (Lake County). My property has rattlers on it, so I know they're in the hills. I'm at Clear Lake and a lot of them exist there. One of the islands is named Rattlesnake Island. It is said to have a bunch of praying pits the Pomo Native Americans used. I'm sure it must be loaded with rattlers.

The areas I'm hoping to hunt are North Cow Mountain, between Lakeport and Ukiah and Covelo area like out of Eel River Campground. I talked with BLM in Ukiah and was told that pigs do exist in North Cow Mountain, but that it's steep and the harvest is moderate to poor.

While I'm concerned with rattle snakes, I'm a bit more concerned with bears.

I plan to wear leather steel toed boots with wedge soles. Not as nice as Crispis, but what I have. I have another pair of Red Wings with Gortex and steel toes, but plan to let my son use those as they are just a tad tight for my feet. I've read that rattle snakes can only lunge about the distance of their body length. Do you find you get closer than that to them? Your post didn't give me the warm fuzzies...

Is it less concern during the cooler months, like Sept. to Feb.? I was thinking it would make sense to go out after Xmas as that is when Deer season ends. What is your take on that cooler climate? Bear season coincides with Deer season, so that would mean only until Xmas for both deer and bear. The past couple years A zone hasn't sold out deer tags. Bear tags are reasonable, I'd love to get a bear rug.

 

[searcher]

I was looking for my snake gaiters to see the brand - but not readily accessible. I wear them over my pants and boots and after several hours, sweat is running into my boot as my socks can't hold any more sweat. I bring this up as good to carry an extra pair of socks to change into after you finish hunting. Those things don't breath hardly at all - but beats getting bitten. I hunt alone a lot in very remote, brushy areas where there is no cell service. Prevention is key. In cold areas, sweat can be a very bad thing to deal with.

 

[MSS]

This is an old thread but if you think rattlers are bad…then you should meet the habu. An aggressive large territorial m’fer I encountered as a young Marine in Okinawa. Just plain nasty!

 

[leakeyjohn]

We wore canvas leggings that had alumium shin coverings zipped up the lower section from Forestry Suppliers. They offer many styles at prices ranging from less than $45 to $150. We used the cheap ones they worked other than noise.