I've twice been bitten by a cottonmouth. Backs of the knees both times.. one of the left, one on the right. Similar situations. Thank God for insurance because the first one took 9 vials of anti-veninin and the non-insurance rate is something around $800/unit. My leg looked like it had been well done on the grill.... black and twice size... I couldn't put my britches on. Second time... hardly swelled up at all... little bit sore. Snake boots would have done me zero good. If you are tromping around a whole lot, or working around brush/swamps then chaps are a good idea... if you are just hunting casually then the odds are pretty slim to none. Most poisonous snake bites in the US are alcohol related... (FWIW... mine were not).