Deer Hunting Questions about bow as well as boots.

[MJBaldwin]

I have been rifle hunting for about 5 years now. I just bought my first rifle a few years ago but looking to get out in the woods more than just the 3 weekends that I get to now (typically only 2 with work now a days). I hunt in the floodwood area which is very wet which we also have a lot of trees around the property.

I am looking for a first bow and open to options I have heard Mathews is a great brand to go with as thats what a buddy as well as my brother in-law shoots. I just don’t want to drop a ton of money I am looking for a used one. I have found a few that were in my price range they are Mathews LX, Mathews Outback, Mission X-3 by Mathews, and Hoyt Katera. Let me know what you guys think.

Also wondering about a good rubber boot that is insulated and works for a guy with bigger calves. My buddy got me a cheaper pair when I first started hunting but there just not very comfortable since seems like they bunch up? Let me know if anyone of you guys can help on this topic as well!

Thanks in Advance!

[mnviking28]

Well...I will be the first to take a stab at this one for you. As far as the boots go-IMHO-Lacrosse is the best way to go. I have a pair of 1500 gram knee boots. Have worn them for 4 seasons now. Love them. Good fit, real positive clasp on the back to lock them up, cost is right around $130. Very good boot.

The bow on the other hand, that is a very loaded question. To me, even though Mathews is a very nice bow, you don't need a Mathews to shoot deer consistently. Too much is made of speed and a short overall length. I am still shooting a bow that I bought a number of years ago. There are many other companies that make a great bow for about 1/2 the price of the Mathews. PSE, Bear, and Diamond are just a few of the companies. My biggest recommendation is to go to a shop that you can actually shoot the bows and pick based on what feels best to you. If you go to a reputable shop, the salesperson shouldn't be all about just selling you the most expensive bow on the shelf. You don't need a bow that is 32" long that shoots at 350 fps to kill deer. One that is a little longer and slower will be a lot more forgiving, especially for someone that is just picking up the sport. The more positive your initial experience, the more likely you are to keep on. Good luck, soon you will be addicted like the rest of us!

[tazimna]

Having shot most every bow on the market in 45 yrs of bowhunting, my two cents is Martin still makes the best bows performance wise and value wise. mathews are nice bows(not best by far), but are very over priced and sell the majority not because their the best, but they spend more $$$advertising than any bow company out there. Hoyt is another top notch bow line. hopefully there is a bow shop near you that you can go to and try a few different brands/models. Don't get caught up with all the bells and whistles and a max of 60# will kill you any animal in North America. On boots, after 32 years of wearing same boots, hands down the black or white military mickey mouse/bunny boots are still the best in my opinion. Extremely warm and can stand in a river ALL day and not get wet unless you go higher than boot height. Good luck in your search.

[Jeff13]

Lacrosse rubbers are great boots!

[WIMN]

I need new boots myself--what do you guys think about rubber ones vs. leather? Some of my hunting is in a swamp and inevitably it goes over the 2" or 3" rubber sole of my current boot and soaks into my socks, and I get wet feet. Seems like a lot of leather boots are advertised as waterproof too, though, and I've read rubber boots can have a real bad issue drying out if you get sweaty feet.

What do you guys think?

[Itasca0217]

Go with the Muck Boots arctic pro, I bought a pair of the colder rated ones and they were AWESOME! water proof, can flip the down into smaller height boots for airing out or just more comfort, state of the art materials, no "RUBBER" dump that will not work anymore.