I've worn Lacrosse rubber boots for years and years... but having said that, I'm painfully aware of their shortcomings, too.

Case in point: (Well, first to all the naysayers, let me add this: I NEVER wear my boots at any time until I reach my hunting grounds. I take them off before I get behind the wheel, and replace them with some ankle-high slip-on mocassins I use just for driving to and from my hunting area. They're constantly being sprayed down with Fresh Earth Scent and I step in every mud puddle I can find.)

I had just got up in my stand a couple years ago, when I saw the farmer's lab coming across the cut bean field I had just walked in... He had his nose to the ground, and he was tracing EVERY turn and sidestep I'd made. I was hung up about thirty yards inside the woodline, and had circled downwind of my stand as I approached it. The labtook the EXACT same route as I did, andwe eventually made eye contact as he stood under my tree.

Another time Ihad walked in through some very wet conditions; aboutevery other step was in a few inches of water. I was about 100 yards inside some pretty bigwoods this time, and spotted a forkie working his waypast in the distance. I don'tcall to deer any more these days which I don't intend to shoot for fear of educating future shooters, but this was a few years ago. I called him over, and he started circling around. I swear it looked like someone took a 2x4 and slammed him in face with it when he cut my entrance trail. He wasn't downwind of me; he had actually hit my entrance trail. I was literally amazed to see that he found it in those sloshy, wet conditions and me in rubber boots.

Now... having given those examples, I've hada LOT of deer walk over my entrance trail whenwearing rubber boots that showed no sign of knowing I was in the county. I think it's the most effective system I've found todate -- but those two examples clearly showed me it's not entirely foolproof.