How important are rubber boots
 

I have been wearing the same boots for the past three years and I think that I am giving off a foul odor. They are rubber around the botttom up to the ankle and brown like swade leather. I have been thinking about making a change to mid calf rubber boots, what are the benefits? I know that they may be cold when the weather changes but how are they with scent control? Any recommendations for a working man, style or maker would be great!

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Rubber boots are all I use during deer season because they do not give off odor. I have a pair of Browning knee high boots in mossy oak breakup with 2000 grams of thinsulate. They are warm waterproof and scentfree, I got mine at sportsmanguide.com for about $50

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I have Winchester knee boots with 1800 grams of thinsulate.

They are warm if they are dry. If your feet sweat then I would get a good boot dryer as high rubber boot are tough to dry out otherwise. I picked up a Peet brand new on Ebay for around $25.00 shipped.

It works well and has a 25 year waranty!

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Don't sweat the boots. All have rubber soles. Most screw up by stopping to get gas along the way to their hunting stand. They may also stop to get coffee or munchies while wearing their boots. This is the biggest no no. Who knows what your stepping in? Gas, oil, gum, mustard and so on. That's where the mistake is made. Don't you do it.

I want warmth over rubber everytime. Think about the big one in front of you with cold feet. If your feet are cold, your body is cold and you will be twitching. All recipies for disappointment.

Now before you go to the stand, grind your feet in the deer poop along the way. This helps to remove the above screw up. Before you climb, make sure your cleats are clean. Last thing you want is sh*t falling from your boots while in the stand.

Good luck.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I agree that rubber sole boots shouldn't cause a big problem for the ground you are walking on. But i prefer the rubber boots because often you are brushing up against grass, twigs etc higher up the boot. If you are worried about cold feet grab yourself a good pair of insolated boots such as baffins. I use rubber boots right till the end of November in the harsh cold here and my feet seem to stay toasty.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I WEAR SNEAKERS STORED IN THE HORSE MANURE

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Think about this for a minute :

What does rubber smell like ?

Ask the last buck that busted you .

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Rubber may help with keeping the stink from your feet from getting out, if you cinch the tops real tight (not recommended). However, rubber itself has a very strong smell. My beagles can follow my tracks made with rubber boots, hours after I've made them. Not only that, they can follow that old boot track faster than a fresh rabbit track. Since deer supposedly have an even better nose, rubber must be very obvious to them. Whether they react to it, will depend on how pressured by humans they have received.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I've got 900gr insulated Cabelas rubber boots, I think I bought them for about $30-40. They are great - sure different then the rubber boots of my boyhood. These are comfortable. I got an extra size bigger and wear wool socks. I can make it into November and then my feet get cold. I'd like to get another pair with more insulation. As far as sent free - you can scrub them down etc...but most important they contain your sent like a cup contains water. Also, Fieldmouse is right on. I store my boots in a plastic bin and only put them on outside of my truck! Newspaper crumpled up inside helps to dry them out - That's how they do it in England.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I just bought a pair of the LaCrosse boots. If I keep them in a tub of pine straw, will they still be scent free?

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Zak,
they will smell like pine. It'll be fine as long as you are hunting in a pine forest.

I use rubber boots, but they aren't a cure all save all, you still need to be meticulous about getting scent on them. I've had deer and foxes cross my trail and not even blink over my scent. I've also had deer or foxes hit my trail and turn on a dime. I know then that I did something wrong.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Personally I don't wear rubber boots anymore. I used to wear them thoughout bow season, however, I do not like the sweat buildup that occurs in them. One of the hunter rules that I believe in is to stay dry, rubber boots seem to defeat this rule for me anyway. I would rather trade off the comfort that my Danners give to me. I can wear them all day long and not have a bit of sweat coming off my feet. As far as deer sightings or getting winded, I have not seen a difference at all.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

It really depends where you hunt as to what you want your tracks to smell like.

I hunt mainly in horse / cow pasture. Before I go out in the horse pasture, I walk through the horse barn and get a little manure on my feet. Before I go through the cow pasture, I get that smell on my boots. It's okay to leave a trail, just try to leave a natural one.

Sweat is the worst for getting cold feet though. Look at some Muck brand boots. They are supposed to be really good. Also, you can just get a pair of rubbers (used a lot in farming) that go over your regular boots. They do have quite a smell to them when new though...

Zak - The pine works well if you hunt pine forests. But if you go into a hardwoods forest, the deer are going to wonder. Deer don't notice anything unless it's out of place....

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I agree new rubber boots have a distinct rubber odor. I just don't know how alarmed deer are to that rubber scent and it the can put 1 and 1 thogether to figure out the smell is made by man. I use scent elimination on my boots, wash them and scrub them using warm water and baking soda. After a year stored in a rubbermaid container with an open box of baking soda I believe my boots are pretty scent free. I still keep them clean and mist them with scent eliminator every time before I head into the woods. I certainly thinl it's an advantage over leather boots which will "pick up" scents easier.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I've had bucks bust my trail using both rubber and leather. But much less while using the rubber. IMO, rubber is the way to go, just keep them scent free and you will be fine.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I use rubber boots until the weather dictates that I switch to my (rubber bottom) insulated boots. I take every precaution with them and only use them for hunting. I have repeatedly seen mature deer--both buck and does--appear to be relaxed and unaware of my footpath in--even when they were nose to ground at times.

However, I've had my German Shepherd track me on more than one accassion directly to my treestand! [:@] He didn't see me leave, wasn't aware I was there and I had never taken him there before, yet he came in, nose down and trotting.

That makes me wonder whose nose is the best?

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

My bet is on the deer ,
dogs can't process 6 odors simutaneously , and the olfactory center of their brain is smaller in proportion compared to a deer .

Boy I miss TR's Tips ! [&o]

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I think it depends. Most humans have a large "thinking" portion of the brain, but we can all attest that this doesn't make all people the same intelligence ;)

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Rubber boots work. Plain and simple. I even wear rubber hip waders to some of my stands that require me to walk through waste high grass. Deer no longer spook when crossing my trail. I believe deer can smell the rubber but it doesnt seem to alarm them.
Lacrosse alpha series is about the best ive used as far as comfort and warmth.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I have a pair of LaCrosse Alpha scent free rubber boots, but i am not sure as to how far that name will take you? But I always like to spray some red fox P on the soles of my boots before walking into the stand.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Rubber is our friend, insulated rubber is our best friend.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I usually just dump a bunch of paint behind me. That way it masks the scent and makes the trail easier for the deer to follow!:D

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RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I wear the rocky ( buckstalker ) rubber boot with thinsulate. Very Very warm Best boot Ive ever owned. I agree with what some were saying about the rubber smell. I hang mine outside after each use and since ive been doing this I dont smell the strong odor of rubber. I also have a pair of lacrosse rubber boots that I use for scouting. I use the rocky boot for hunting only

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I've always used insulated rubbers in the cold part of the season and liked the fact that I could walk through serious mud and water with them and they didn't bog down. I know some non-rubber boots are "waterproof", but they get muck all over them. With the tall rubbers nothing sticks. After sitting in the pouring rain last weekend in wet cordura/leather boots, I bought some Lacrosse Burly psort uninsulated tonight for $85. I can't wait to try them out they feel awesome! Not like them rubber boots of old.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Have a pair of Lacrosse Burly 800, work great. I put coon pee on the soles before going into the woods, and I leave them in the back of my truck until I get to the place I am hunting, then I put them on. Have no complaints or cold feet here.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

As far as a neccessity, I think rubber boots aren't.

I don't wear them, and I see plenty deer...but I can see how they can accumulate odors after prolonged periods of use, so switching to any other type of boot would probably be wise.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

my problem with rubber boots is they don't last. My goodness, they all crack in the same spots on the front at the top of the foot. I've gone threw 2 pairs in the last 2 years. I'm done with them. I cannot understand how they all say 'scent free', they have more of an odor after 2 months use then my leather rocky boots after 3 years. Yes, i've taken big whiffs of both.

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I enjoyed some of your thoughts on the topic and I will go with some of the ideas thrown around in here. Always a great source of information! I know my boots are on the ripe side and I always here about rubber, boots that is!

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

I tend to agree with this statement and will use mine up until the temps drop to below 40 overnight. Then my toes tend to get cold sitting in the morning.

Now take this with a grain of salt. I was never a "huge" believer in rubber boots but the logic behind them does have some merit. This year I bought a new pair of Lacrosse Alpha Burly Sports...went with two sets of antimicrobrial undergarments and started to use that Essence of Fall Scentblocker spray. I have seen more bucks this year...and more bucks up close than in previous years. Is that the result of my new scent practices? Possibly, but then again our deer management program changed about three years ago and I should be seeing more mature bucks on a regular basis. ;)

For what it is worth I will continue to use this new scent management "program."

RE: How important are rubber boots
 

Hey cardeer,,,, Thats hard core man hard core!!!!!!! LOL:D