Boot Question- Rubber boots or not?

[montee77]

Leaving in 2 1/2 weeks for a moose hunt. Debating on taking rubber boots, this hunt will be along a river, I have Simms waders with wading boots,
my Crispi boots with gators, but trying to decide if I should bring rubber boots? We will be pushing are weight that we are allowed so thinking im not going to bring them. Any recommendation would be greatly appreciative.

 

[Berksbowman]

Where are you headed to for your hunt?

 

[mobilefamily]

Take waders. Leave rubber boots. Do take camp shoes. Leather boots are a toss up depending on how much weight room you have left.

 

[Alaskan89]

I prefer the LaCrosse Alpha Burly's for moose hunting but since you're hunting near a river and I assume out of a boat you'd probably be better off with waders.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

never take my rubber boots. Live in my waders. Camp shoes yes. Hikers, no. If you're on a river hunt, light and nimble is the right choice. Hikers will get heavy, probably wet and will stay likely in your raft or dry bags.

 

[JColony]

We live in Xtra-Tuff's on our moose hunts. But... The area we hunt is spruce forest w/ old burns, not a lot of deep wet areas. Mainly just muddy trails, wet grass, and shallow puddles and streams to cross. So really it boils down to what your area is going to be like. All that said, its been a wet one up here in AK, so creeks, rivers, and marshes may be extra high. Assuming AK is your destination...

 

[fellerr]

Only have one experience moose hunting. Hiking boot for us would have never worked. To wet and swampy. We wore muck rubber boots with waders. It worked. Couple steps in deeps spots everyday over the boot wasn’t ideal though. Feet were always dry in the wader but boots were wet. We got by.

Doing it again, I’d do waders with wading boots.

 

[montee77]

Thanks guys.

 

[AKHUNTER]

Moose camp can be wet and rainy, tall and wet grass, muddy, etc. I would bring crocs, knee highs, and waders. Crocs because they weigh nothing and super handy for in and around the tent if conditions are favorable and they let your feet dry out. Rubber knee highs if it's wet around camp but not wet enough to use waders when hunting around camp. Waders with wading boots because you surely need those.

 

[mooster]

For my lake hunts climbing In out rafts, mucky areas and deep grass edges, Simms wader and light boots for me. Add neoprene footer chota hippy for like hiking days to nearby ponds or grass openings . Around camp a croc boot is great for camp and early morning / late evening.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Except for one, all my moose hunts have been done in drainages, near lakes or along creeks and rivers. Wading is just part of the deal. Despite that, I have never brought conventional waders on a moose hunt ever. I wear rubber boots every single day...hunting, hiking, packing...everything. I bring a pair of Wiggy's Lightweight Waders to pull on over my boots for deeper crossings, then bag them or leave them at the crossing for when I return. I've never had a problem doing that and have no plans to change. It's probably important to explain I'm killing my bulls at distances of under 20 yards and I have to be extremely noise-aware. There's no way I would ever try to stalk in on a bull while wearing waders. Just rubber boots are noisy enough going through brush. I realize I'm mostly an anomaly in the world of moose hunters, as I absolutely crave the up-close encounter and do all my moose killing with a longbow.

I have never done a float hunt. I'm sure I'd be in waders for that, or for a marsh-type hunt with water everywhere. I wouldn't like it though, and that's a prime reason why I avoid them.