Hunting Boots.. good, bad, ugly.. Lets hear it.

[The Yeti]

Looking to buy a new pair of hunting boots. I currently have Rocky Bear Claws that are on their final days. Looking for something in the 800 Grams of Thinsulate range. Gore Tex. Something to hunt and ice fish in. I was thinking Rocky's again, or possibly Irish Setters. Any thoughts? Danners are pretty spendy.

[gspman]

Danner. I've been using them for years and think they are great. Just my opinion, your mileage may vary though. Some of the Irish Setter boots look like they'd work very nicely too. Schnee is another I'd like to try. Never been a fan of Rocky Boots but I haven't worn them either so take it for what it's worth. Rocky seems obsessed with putting insulation in their boots. They need to offer uninsulated models before I'll start looking at them. Maybe they do and I just haven't noticed.

[northerndave]

rocky's used to be my automatic go to brand.

but a newer more recent pait that I replaced an old pair with don't impress me a whole bunch.

I got a pair of stitch down lace to toe old school danners in a boot called the "elk hunter" I think they are 600 grams thin & gortex lined.

I love those boots, enough to were I recently bought a pair of uninsulated danners in a boot called pronghorn which also comes in insulated versions. nice light boots, no break in time. so, I got the gortex heavy danners for cold & the light ones for spring/summer fall.

[jigging-matt]

I have a pair of the Rocky Lynx, 800 gram. Great Boots. Have held up very good and are comfortable for walking, and ice fishing.

[Harmonica Bear]

My love affair with Rocky's ended many moons ago and I never looked back. I have two pair of Red Wings. 1 pair 20 years old (they are like putting on a pair of slippers) and they still don't leak, There is no sole left anymore, but I still wear them around camp. My new pair of Red wings (I think they are elk huinters or somethinglike that) I like a lot, but I don't think they match the quality of the older boot. I have a pair of 10 year old lightweight Danners as well (I guy can't have enough boots IMHO) they are a good comfortable boot as well. I don't think you can go wrong with either brand just as long as you don't buy their bargain basement boot. You're going to use and abuse these boots for 10+ years so I would spend a little extra and get a good boot.

[Weed Shark]

I've had my Danner boots for 12 years and just ordered another pair (only because my feet flattened out or something and I'm wearing one size up). I ordered my first pair because a conversation I heard in South Dakota. One hunter was telling another that his recommendation on buying Danner boots was great advice.

Not sure what model my old pair is, they are all leather with a smaller amount Thinsulate. They have always kept my feet dry.

I didn't care for the zipper on the new Pronghorns. It didn't make it any easier to get the boot over the arch on my ankle. I thought the Grand Slams felt stiff on my shins. I feel Danner boots run narrow; so don't be afraid to order a size wider. I'm getting the Hood Winter Light boot. It is all leather with 200 grams of Thinsulate, made in Portland. Seems the American made models are more expensive. I choke on the price, but couldn't have been more satisfied with my last pair. I also like their boot dressing. It restores the color and keeps the boots respectable looking through the years

[TrophyEyes]

I had rocky's for years, but just got Danners last year and I was in heaven. The Danners are worth the money and I have heard they last forever.

[xedge2002]

I used to be a rocky diehard until I bought two pairs, one lightweight for early season and one heavy insulation for late season, they both were junk! Both boots fell apart and were leaking after the first season of use. I called and emailed rocky and never heard a thing from them! I now have a pair of Wolverine with no insulation and they are awesome! They are really light and I can wear them all day long in the field. I also have a pair of heavier insulation cabelas boots and they are great as well. I have a pair of Danner's for my job and they are really comfortable boots too.

[chucker34]

Just a sidenote, there are some guys like me whose feet get cold no matter what boots they're wearing in late season hunting. If you're going to be doing a lot of late season still/stand hunting as well as ice fishing, I highly recommend spending $40-50 bucks on a pair of boot blankets or insulators that slip over the quality hunting boots you do buy. Your feet will be toasty all day.

[northerndave]

Quote:

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I've had my Danner boots for 12 years and just ordered another pair (only because my feet flattened out or something and I'm wearing one size up). I ordered my first pair because a conversation I heard in South Dakota. One hunter was telling another that his recommendation on buying Danner boots was great advice.

Not sure what model my old pair is, they are all leather with a smaller amount Thinsulate. They have always kept my feet dry.

I didn't care for the zipper on the new Pronghorns. It didn't make it any easier to get the boot over the arch on my ankle. I thought the Grand Slams felt stiff on my shins. I feel Danner boots run narrow; so don't be afraid to order a size wider. I'm getting the Hood Winter Light boot. It is all leather with 200 grams of Thinsulate, made in Portland. Seems the American made models are more expensive. I choke on the price, but couldn't have been more satisfied with my last pair. I also like their boot dressing. It restores the color and keeps the boots respectable looking through the years

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you got pronghorns with a zipper on the side?

never seen those? are they brand new? I bought in July, (pronghorns) & they are regular lace ups.. uninsulated, I love em, they are like tall tenny shoes.

But I too preffer the US made boot & I am a diehard fan of the old stitch down construction, strong, very strong boots. these pronghorns are just nice for me for work & during the summer, much lighter. But that US made boot with it's bigger price tag, well it's worth it to me. I just feel better about wearing them.

[Cooter]

Cabela's puts out good boots for the price.

I'll join Rocky bad mouth parade - had a pair of Silent Stalkers or something like that...any bit of moisture on the soles and they squeaked horribly with each step. Never been so mad in my life, wrote to Rocky and got squat back from them.

I'm looking for a new pair with about 400g thins. and am looking at a pair by Cabelas and one by LaCrosse. I need something light as I get older

[Weed Shark]

Quote:

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you got pronghorns with a zipper on the side?

never seen those? are they brand new? I bought in July, (pronghorns) & they are regular lace ups.. uninsulated, I love em, they are like tall tenny shoes.

But I too preffer the US made boot & I am a diehard fan of the old stitch down construction, strong, very strong boots. these pronghorns are just nice for me for work & during the summer, much lighter. But that US made boot with it's bigger price tag, well it's worth it to me. I just feel better about wearing them.

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I did not buy the Pronghorns with the zipper, just tried a pair on, they were no easier to get on. The zipper is just something else to break and an extra piece of folded leather in my view. I guess some Pronghorns have the zipper and some do not. Maybe the leather Pronghorns do and the Cordura Pronghorns do not?

I like the lace-ups, too. Never tried a Cordura boot, suspect they'd be fine, but I like the all leather. I like the stitched-on soles. I wonder if some of the new scuff protection toe pieces will seperate like some tennis shoes?

[lawdog]

I've been wearing Irish Setters ever since '94 when I moved to Red Wing. They are GREAT, that first pair finally gave out after about a million hunts but the second pair I got in about 2000 (I think anyway, sometime before I moved away from there in '01 anyhow), and they are still in prime shape. My one pair of low insulation Rockies are no comparison to my Irish Setters. After the first few pheasant hunts of the year when its still hot out, they don't get worn again...

[1runhotshot]

Woody Max, Muck boots!!!

[UMDSportsman]

I would not recomend Wolverine boots. I got a pair for christmas 2 years ago, 400g thinsulate, kind of a light boot. I do like that they are light, and i like to use them ice fishing when it is not too cold, and hunting when they are not too cold. But what i don't like about them is that the camo on the toe is painted on to leather, and it just looks like a 2 year old in china painted it on. It wore off on the toes the first time i spent a couple hours walking in the tall grass, i got them at cabelas. i would have went back and talked to them, but my brother in law had the same thing happen to a similar pair of boots and they didn't do anything about it.

[fivebucks]

I used to be a diehard Red Wing Irish Setter boot man. My first pair about 100 years ago were great. The next pair was not so good but OK and the 3rd pair I returned within 2 weeks and have not even walked into a Red Wing store for 10 years. I think their quality has dropped big time over the past 20 years. My last couple of boots have been Cabelas brand. If I get 5 years out of them I am happy. When I did have a pair leak after 1 full hunting season they took them back with no questions asked.

[Powerstroke]

Beware of big name boots in stores like Cabelas, Gander, Dick's and others. They have a totally different boot with the same name on it. They are made cheaper to reach a different price point. Not all Irish Setters are the same.

I've always bought the boot I could afford easily and figured if it lasted a year or two (I would wear them for work, hunting and ice fishing) then I was happy. Then I bought a new pair of Red Wings. I paid almost $200. I was floored at the price. I've had them for 2 years now with one re-sole. It cost me $80 to put a new sole on a 2yr old boot that feels better now than when I bought it. Its waterproof and full leather. Also has the CoolMax liner for wicking.

I bought another pair of Red Wings so I can switch out and save the soles and have a shorter lighter boot for different kinds of work and love those too.

If you've never looked you should. I didn't believe it until I bought some.

[Nightcrawler]

Was an old rocky man until I got a pair of Danners,no break-in good arch,been 4yrs now.

last year for colder weather I got a pair of Columbia Titanium 1000gr ,light wt.,thick sole . used all season thru Dec.2-3 hrs on stand ,worked great.

[northerndave]

Quote:

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I like the stitched-on soles. I wonder if some of the new scuff protection toe pieces will seperate like some tennis shoes?

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weed shark, that's my fear with these non stitch down boots.... I guess I'll find out cause the pronghorns I am wearing right now are kind of that way, they are kind of an inbetween, look to be part stitch down & some parts like by the arches & the toe are more ... well, tennis shoe like.

guess I'll find out....

sad part about my pronghorns.... made in china.

[BLACKJACK]

I'm still on the Rocky bandwagon, good waterproof, comfortable boots for the price. My current goto boots are a pair of the 600 gram Rangers, very comfortable. I also have a couple pair of non-insulated Rockys for early season hunting. And I also have two pair of 1000 gram boots for colder weather hunting, one is a pair of Rockys and one Cabelas, both very comfortable. For the price, the Cabelas boots aren't bad either, I have one pair that I just wear around the place. The way I look at it, I can spend $80-100 on a pair of Rockys, wear them for 2-3 years, then when they're marginal for hunting, I can get another years use around the place. What more do you want from a pair of boots? I also watch the sales, I probably have 2-3 new pairs in boxes patiently waiting for the onther ones to wear out.

For really cold weather ice fishing/bowhunting I have the LaCrosse Ice Kings, love them, I always used to get cold feet until I got them.

I also have a pair of those boot blankets. Very warm and light to carry, but very slippery if theres any frost or snow on the ground! I won't use them in a treestand. They usually end up in the car as part of my winter survival clothes.

[DonBo]

It's my understanding that the Irish Setter line of Red Wing are the only ones still made in Red Wing. All others are now made in China.

For my money, it's a toss up between my Irish Setters and Danner.

[HootTooten]

Danner Danner Danner....need I go on?

[Scott M]

I've got a pair of Red Wings. They have taken a beating. I think I'm going to get a pair of Rockys next.

Good thread!

[Rost]

I am on my 3rd year with these boots and they have been outstanding for me. They are called the Trophy Series by Cabelas.

[CodyDawg]

Danner, Danner, Danner for me as well. i have a pair of the $200 Irish Setters that didnt last half as long as a pair of Danners, nor did it give me ankle support like the Danners. I have a pair of Cabelas that have been good through 2 seasons of only moderate use. My goto is definitely Danners though.