I been bitten a few times but never by a snake I surprised in the wild but it was always a snake I was tring to catch or a snake that bit through a pillow case. I use to be an amature herptilogist in capturing reptiles for the state of florida back in the 70's and 80's and been nailed by 4 rattlesnakes and 1 cottonmouth and 1 gator in my reptile career. The cottonmouth bite was the worse as infection set in on my left index finger and just about had my left hand amputated but I do have a left index finger that is there but its like a dead finger with no feeling present. I use to use the durango snake proof boots that had a bronze mesh inside the lining, these boots worked as I would pin a many of mocassins and rattlers by stepping on them and pen them down until I could get a snake hook to pen there head down, I could actually feel the psi of the bite assicioated with a diamond back bite but not so bad with moccassins. As far as using rubber boots go, get yourself a hyperdermic needle and see if the rubber boot will stop the needle from penetrating, if it doesn't stop a hyperdermic needle it won't stop a snake bite. The moccasin/cottomouth, rattlesnake and copperhead are a hemotoxin venom and attacks the blood cells in your body and death is very rare any more but it is accompanied usually by amputation/and or severe tissue damage in the vacinity of the bite. Snake boots will give you added confidence to hunt areas or follow a blood trail when in snake country, especially when you can't see where you step, the only disadvantage is maybe the weight, but toughen up, you can overcome that, as opposed to a bite, it feels like a hot knife working its way to your heart, kinda like thousands of bee stings. Don't take a chance, get yourself the boots if in poisonous snake country. Bobby