Those are called the lacrosse alpha agility snake boot. I'm running those exact ones now. Love them. They are an inch taller than the other other snake boots and very comfortable. Crazy you had a eastern diamond back 10 yards from you while filming a snake boot video😮! Glad you and dasiy did not get struck. And awesome video and sorry you guys are dealing with covid again!
GREAT VID! My thoughts are exactly with what you're talking about regarding those slithery things in shrubs or somehow off the ground a bit! I've seen too many vids where guys are climbing rocky mountain sides and looking down, but never thinking about the one in the bush, or lower branches of shrubs or trees... Or on the other side of that dead fall! Copper head and rattlers are both great climbers! Here's a story of a Copperhead in a tree... SIX FEET OFF THE GROUND! (Mississippi Clarion Ledger, published Jan 2020.) While that height may not be the norm, it shows they can climb! I'm an old Wisconsin boy now, and used to enjoy and never think about those things in the north woods of WI. Now in PA for the last 24 years and exploring the east coast,... MAN!... Rattlesnakes, Copperhead, Water Moccasin, Coral snakes, Pygmies, Alligator, Wild Pigs, Python, Man eating Elk, Mountain Lion, Big Foot... Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh MY! AAaaarghhhh! We're DOOMED! 😂 Great vid! Enjoyed! All the best, -Mike
Knew a guy who hunted south of Augusta in a large hunting lease. He's hunted there for years and one day some of the club members told him he ought to be wearing snake boots or chaps. He told them in all his years hunting there he'd never even seen a poisonous snake. A year later prior to archery season he was at the Buckarama on the last day and before they closed he passed some booth where the guy offered him 50% off snake chaps. So he buys a pair. A month later on his first archery hunt he gets hit on the leg by a diamondback rattler. That had been some years before I met him in my own (and then his) lease in Greene County) and he never took them off, even around camp!
I was just going to ask about chaps. I got them in Texas for just in case...but I didn't get the opportunity to hunt, and my trip ended after a week instead of 6 months. I did get to shoot on my friend's back lot but luckily there weren't any snakes. My friend had started a fire to burn off some brush and it got away from him. Rural Fire Dept came out and doused the flames, but the ground was bare. Perfect for a personal shooting area. I still wore the chaps...just in case. I still have them. I am in Iowa now and I have heard that we have rattlers and copperheads in the Wapsi River areas. When I fish there in the brushy areas, I have my chaps on.
Here in Arkansas, I just always wore LaCross rubber boots. I grew up looking down always for 2 things, arrowheads and snakes. Probably missed a lot of opportunities on deer because I was looking down so much. I used to pride myself in being able to spot a snake and many times, could even smell them. Four or five times I barely spotted a ground rattler in time as I reached down for a squirrel I had shot or to pick up an arrowhead. They strike first and fast and questioned last LOL. For years, I caught them and used them to show kids what their fangs looked like. I normally leave them alone in the woods and have them crawl within inches of my feet while turkey hunting. They went on so I let them go. Now, I have vision issues and struggle to even see the ground very good. I have had a lot of close calls with timber rattlers but never bitten. I learned not to trust a pile of pine cones because they are not always pine cones. And yes, have seen a lot of copperheads and rattlers high off the ground in trees and bushes. Had a big timber rattler set up over the only water around for a long ways as it waited for something to come to the water. He was in the perfect spot and if I hadn't been looking for snakes, he might have gotten me. They have their place in nature and do their jobs very well as God created them to do. And yes, experience trumps what a book might say or some "expert". Enjoyed the video again my Brother, thanks
Great down to earth video Brother. Been living in Florida for 25 years now, hog hunting in Florida and Alabama and I can say my snake boots are a MUST HAVE!! Love my LaCrosse and my Rocky's.
Robert, as always I appreciate the time it takes to put these videos together and the wisdom you share. I have worn Readhead slip on boots (not rubber), and have had good enough luck with them, though comfort is a little lacking. This year I broke down and bought a pair of Turtle Skins. My hopes are they will be a little lighter, cooler than a slip on or lace up and convenient to use. Time will tell how they work out, but if they don't, I'll certainly go with the LaCrosse. Glad the pup managed to not get bit, and yourself for that matter. You just have to be mindful of snakes in this part of the woods. Thanks again for the video.
Robert, I totally agree with you on your commentary on boots. I have been struck on the snake boot and at that time, all the snake boots I've ever bought were paid for. I have been bitten by a pygmy ground rattler on my hand. The hospital bill at the time was $65000.00. Six viles of antivenom and 3 days in intensive care.I own LaCrosse snake boots and Chippewa boots. I love my LaCrosse. By the was, I hunt the florida swamps. Lots of snakes.
I immediately just bought the Lacrosse 4x Alpha's. I'd rather learn about snakes FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S experience and that scent thing makes sense. Thanks,K
You now have Darrell looking for him a pair! He has the lace-up snake boots. Thanks for the video and the info! Who knew when we were kids you would one day have a youtube page with over 3 thousand subscribers! Glad you are better and prayers for Mrs. Tammy! ~~karen
Just stumbled across your channel today and it was an instant subcribe for me! I've been off and on looking at snake boots, now I'm on for sure. We have timber rattlers and copperheads aplenty here in S.E. MO. At 67 yrs old and hunting since I was 13, dont know how I've kept from getting bit yet. Now, back to catching up on your videos. Stay safe, my friend.
Good video RC. Those lacrosse are the “Agility snake boots” . They make an Agility that is not snake proof also. You have to watch, I have both pairs. On the condura lace up boots…..when your thru wearing them for the day, put them on a boot dryer and it will dry the sweat and they won’t smell near as bad. I do it with rubber boots also. You can stuff them with wadded up newspaper and keep the odor down also. If you ever put them in a washing machine it will make them stink from now on. Glad daisy didn’t get struck.
Greeting from our "secret retirement" location in Bulacan province, on Luzon, in the Republic of the Philippine Islands. Your snake boot review popped up in my suggestion box and I thought it prudent to watch. We have an assortment of venomous critters in the Philippines and some of our skeeters carry bad things such as malaria and dengue fever. This is a very different environment from where I lived most of my life in the northeast USA. Your excellent video could be considered a PSA (Public Service Announcement) calling for folks to practice situational awareness in their operating area. Your scaley friend resting near the woodpile at the end of the video was a perfect example. We have few visits from cobras in our subdivision, like most snakes, they avoid human contact. We did have a sizeable python recently but the subdivision maintenance crew saw lunch and caught the critter. Likely it was simmered in coconut milk with a few hot peppers for added flavor. That snake was certainly large enough the feed the entire crew for quite a few days. Good eating, to say the least! In a more rural setting, like our last visit to Corregidor Island, we viewed a small Philippine cobra consuming a bat under one of the heavy gun emplacements. Both the Philippine cobra and the smaller and very pretty Samar cobra are of the spitting variety. They will spit blinding venom at the face and often strike if threatened before retreating. Your channel offers a wealth of information valuable to the lifestyle here in the Philippines. Not a lot of hunting here, which is mostly reserved for the indigenous mountain people but I look forward to more time fishing and time in the jungle with our young troops. We will be hitting the subscribe button next. Thank you for a great, informative channel.
I have Dannar San Angelo and Twisted X snake boots. Once I tried the twisted x, I never went back. Sprayed a lot of mesquite this summer in tall grass and could focus on the mesquite instead of every step I took. We are in a dry climate so I'm not sure how water proof they are.....but the comfort level is like a tennis shoe. Also, FWIW I get my dogs the $30 per year rattlesnake vaccine...I don't know how much it helps but it does give them a better chance.
Great video! We hunt the swamps here in SC. I was torn between the Irish Setters & the Lacrosse. I’m going to buy a pair of the Lacrosse just from your experience. Thanks so much!
Nice bow Robert. Makes me want to try a self bow as well. your video has also made me think of getting some of those LaCrosse boots. I have a set of LaCrosse Burly knee highs, but I don't know if they would stop snake fangs. I have encountered copperheads, and I have seen cottonmouth and timber rattlers. I rarely encounter them, but then again I don't know how many I have been close to without realizing it, and that's the problem because you never see the ones that bite you until after it's over. Thanks for the video, and God Bless you.
Your videos are enjoyable, no nonsense stuff. Dogs seem to have that sixth sense when it comes to danger, if we just pay attention to them. Glad the good Lord had his eye on her too. :)
I imagine that rattler relocated to snake heaven. I usually leave any snake to do it's thing.....even poisonous ones............but not close to the house. Love the rat snakes around the property though.
Same here. I've been tempted to build a snake den for them to safely spend the winter. Around here, about the only venomous snakes that we have are Prairie Rattlers and Massasaugas. I fell back first on a Prairie Rattler as a kid and was fortunate that he didn't bite me. My dad said that he couldn't tell which of us were in the bigger hurry to get out of there. If you get bitten by a rattlesnake, it is going to be very expensive (one of my neighbors medical and ambulance bills ran to about $375,000 a couple of years ago when he was bitten), but the mortality is quite low -- maybe about 0.2% or so. But the rattlesnakes help keep the mice population down a bit. There have been cases in my area of people getting Hantavirus from breathing in aerosolized mouse urine. If you get that, it's going to be very expensive and there is a large chance of dying from it. A few years ago, my younger brother was working on a plow out in the field when he felt something his his leg two or three times. He finally looked and it was a Prairie Rattler. At the time, he was wearing rather loose fitting bib overalls over regular shoes. Apparently the snake was focused on the legs of the bib overalls. By the time the snake reached his leg, it had already closed hits mouth. He got venom on the bib overalls, but never penetrated his skin.
When you first started video, your dog was sitting so still I thought it was a 3d target, it freaked me out when she moved. You know how we love are animals ❤️ good video
I’m not an expert on many things but I might be on snake boots . I have done exactly what you described with the different types. The zip up kind are not bad because of the zipper, it’s that damn “waterproof “ liner. That’s how I knew you know what you are talking about. Even if they keep the water out( which is usually for about a month of continuous use) your foot sweats and that liner sticks to your foot. So your foot stays soaked all day and at the end of the day when you try to take them off, it has a suction like feeling and you will have to pull the whole liner out to remove your foot. Rubber boots are just as bad. Long story short, hear the fix. Buy some snake boots that are NOT waterproof. Then get two pairs of sealskins brand socks. They come in different weights (more wool inside for warmth). I’m in Louisiana so I get the light weight. I tuck my pants inside the boots when I put them on ( I roll up a cuff to make my pants shorter and thus doubles the Jean material on my calves). I buy Chippewa leather boots ( called “decardo “ model or something like that. I put “snow seal “ waterproofing on the leather and melt it into the leather with a hair dryer ( it’s a paste that turns to liquid under the heat and soaks into the leather) . My feet are bone dry at the end of the day. The boots slide right off once they are broke in. If I am walking in water a foot deep or more, sometimes the inside of the boots get wet but my feet are dry. Then I just put the boots on a boot dryer and they will be completely dry in a few hours . Boots with that liner take a long time to dry because that liner (I loving referred to as “ that damn liner” ) will be soaked and holding water. I just hang the socks to dry and slip on a dry pair if the outsides are still wet the next morning. I wear snake boots everyday all year.
Back in the 40's when my dad was courting my mom the pair were walking down the dirt trail road in the most remote part of Arkansas. A steep hill/bluff on one side of the road and a drop off on the other. A rattler struck my dad in the back of the neck and fell to the ground and struck the dog following behind. Mom started screaming & her mom came running up the road. Little dog quickly died & my grandmother carried my dad back to the house and he was in pain. Swelling, sweating and irregular heart beat. Grandma, stayed by the bed tending him and his heart beat was bad then it stopped. She ran outside & pulled a flowering type plant which I won't say the name of & she rolled a tiny peasize of part of the plant and shoved it down his throat. Quickly his heart beat returned and he survived. I learned in my older years that plant is toxic. It can stop the heart or start the heart. But, It is widely used in heart medication today. Grandma was a stout ole Native American and she practiced medicine as there were no Drs. nor towns for probably 70 miles or more. Snake boots really are a necessity and here I am going on 69 & just bought my second pair of Rocky lace ups. My first ones were solid high top (to the knee) leather lace ups I purchased in the 70's and you just can't find those these days but they sure lasted well.
When I switched from a recurve to a longbow I suddenly seemed at one with nature. It was during the bow deer season in PA. What a difference! No clue why., but....
Thanks for the video. I have recently embraced the snake boots when hunting in GA, but could do better being mindful and lay more attention. Looking forward to your next video👍🏼
Been wearing snake boots most every time I do anything outdoors. No telling how many times people get struck at and never know it. Back in mid April, I found myself right on top of 2 copperheads, both right under my feet, literally. Thankfully I had on my lacrosse 17" tall grass snake boots. Thanks.
I hunt in deep South Georgia, used to hunt central Fl. I started using snake boots in the late 90's. Had the Rockys with the sewn on sole. I have some Rocky lynx boots I like. As you said all the cordura/gortex boots let water in. I stepped on a juvenile Moccasin slipping in the am dark, luckily I stepped high on the body and it could not strike. I have had a Moccasin at thigh level while wading to a spot to hang a stand. Luckily it held its mouth wide open. I slowly stepped back as it dove into the water in front of me and I got out of there. I recently switched to the Lacrosse boots in the video. Solid boot although I wish they cinched better on the calf. The cost of antivenom can be $75-$150 thousand per dose. A solid snake bite treatment can require several dose. I spend so much time walking in the dark in the woods snake boots are a no brainer.
I wear them in here in North East Texas we got cotton mouth, timber rattlesnakes and copper heads every 20 feet it seems and I have incounterd them in December I almost stepped on a cotton mouth in a dry creek bed and didn't expect that believe me.
Great video. I've been hit 4 times over the years all cottonmouths, all with boots on. I really like Rocky for lace ups and LaCrosse for water proof. When the water proof crack, get a small tube of 3M 5200 marine caulk to seal them back up. It works great. In Florida, the average bite takes between 10-12 vials of anti-venom. Each vial costs about 11k dollars. Insurance may or may not cover all or some. Not going to take a chance, plus I hunt by myself 98% of the time. Thanks again for sharing.
Exactly correct. I hunt alone too. I’m a cheapskate I mean thrifty and I hate to spend a lot for boots. The hen I was looking at my insurance card and noticed that the emergency room deductible was $350. I also saw some videos and photo images of snake bites and how even after treatment you are still scared an crippled to some extent.
Many years ago I was doing tracker training in Ranger School and was informed Ga. has all venomous variety of snakes. Lots of do and don’s, From kicking pine needles to stepping over logs.. I can always detect the presence of Copperheads if I smell cucumber.. Some of the instructor could smell Rattlesnake.. Just an interesting factoid..
I grew up in water moccasin, cotton mouth, and rattlesnake country and never even heard of snake boots until I moved to California where the only snake is rattlesnake, and quit a bit of them. As a kid we just knew you have to be smart, careful , carry a stick, and wear boots (not snake boots). But here in CA... I wear snake boots always as there are a lot of rattlers. But there also the concept that wearing them encourages sloppiness and laziness because you think you are safe. Until you get bit in the thigh because of your immature over confidence that you are safe.
On my senior year in high school back in the early 1970s, I wore sandals all the time. We had free ranging peacocks around the farmhouse and buildings and they helped keep the rattlesnake population down. They were hell on the car paint jobs, though.
Snakes are a problem everywhere for hunters and woodsmen. I’ve now hunted for years with the Irish Setters, but I don’t have swamps, I live in the mountains of Kentucky! I’ve lost more friends to tick bites than snakes! Ticks are as dangerous as snakes!
I've used both boots you had in the video. Had the LaCrosse first and they only lasted a few months before leaking. I decided to try the Irish Setter's afterwards, and they leaked right out of the box. That said, LaCrosse are the best of the options available.
Robert you give some great down to earth information.. It takes a different kind of hunter to hunt in hot weather. If I’d seen that rattle snake that close to my house I would move. I have been working down In Brunswick a lot lately. Every time I step out of my truck I thing how does he hunt. That’s the Gods truth. I wanted to come shoot my bow with you to get some tips. You would have to put all your snakes up, lol.. Thanks again for the info.
Our property is only a few miles from where you hunt. I would never go into the woods without my snake boots. We have a lot of encounters with Rattlesnakes every year. Good luck to you this year.
I almost stepped on a coiled up timber rattler a few years ago. I researched snake boots but didn’t like any of the options. I ended up getting Turtle Skinz snake gaiters. Wear them just like regular gaiters over my hiking boots.
Enjoyed your video. I bought lands years ago and have been working out there for years. Would you believe every snake I ran across out there have been poisonous. Just last week I had to “jump” over a cotton mouth. Just ordered my 1st pair of snake boots 60% off. Figured boots are cheaper than a doctor’s bill after a snake bite.
Great information on the various snake boots. I have a pair of Rocky's with the side zipper, and like yourself, I am not very fond of them. But as you said; they are a necessity here in the South.
Like that bow. When I was younger I was stupid and didn’t use snake boots. Been fortunate, stepped on a couple and got lucky and changed my tune. Out in the bush life is good !
Well after this video I think I've changed my mind on coming south and trying my hand at some hogs. I'll just stay up here in the mountains where it's nice and cool and mostly snake free during hunting season. Except maybe the early season.
Awesome video. I hunt in southwest Florida and always use gaiters. Maybe it was in another video, but what do you do for mosquitoes while hunting? Not wanting to wear extra scent I just get eaten alive. Any advice on anything that won’t spook game and helps with bugs?
For the smelly boot thing, put some tea tree oil in some distilled water and spray it in the boot. Leave sit over night, two days dry is better. Lots of oil only a little water. And if you set lemon peals in your boots over night too it’ll help.
I hunted in those Lacrosse boots this past year. The only complaint I had is they flop around on my skinny legs if I walk fast. It’s a reminder to me to slow down. Now if you don’t have pencil legs you might not have the issue.
We have always worn snake chaps, like you said a big rattlesnake might bite you in the thigh, so I wore hunting boots with crotch high chaps. The Chaps came along way before snake boots!
Robert.. I just passed down a pair like that to my son & I liked em a lot. Muck has made a full rubber boot that’s snake boots that I’m trying this year in bow season. Muck Pursuit is the name.. Samkoviak said he might try em too & I hope he does cause he travels more miles than me lol
You are right about about your hands. I laid my bow down on top of a pygmy rattle snake and was bit on the hand. That little snake put me in ICU for two days. The Doctor said the pygmy rattle snake is the Sugar Ray Leonard of snakes!! Little but Bad.
I'm in southwest VA. And we don't have the cotton mouth ,but we have plenty of copperheads and some really huge timber rattler.i got a pair of redhead loggy bayou lace ups they are hot, but very comfortable.ive been laughed at several times, but I don't care it is a comfort when I'm squirrel hunting in the fall and I'm far back in the mountains alone .or walking back in the mountain before day lite spring turkey hunting.i even wear them to the spring when I go fetch some spring water. ,because I have stepped on chopper heads at the spring .snake boots are a smart move,and a Colt 22 rimfire pistol is Handy also.
At 81 now your chat about snake bites reminds me of dad when I was just a spud here in California . It was casual conversation but when dad talked you listened it was a very long talk I do remember that he went over everything you just spoke about but I think more detailed his big thing was not if your going to be bitten but when . We had know snake boots but very thick leather leggings eva as a little guy i wore them in fact my son wore the same leggings as a little guy I had 3 paire as I grew my grand dad made them even with my first real boots the leggings stayed on my legs We don't have the volume of snakes here as you do but the danger is there I can remember only 4 bits and it scare the shit of me . I remember on a fishing trip a snake struck at me it was dusk we were going back to the truck . My granddad hated snakes his father was killed by a snake in North Carolina he got out his flash lite and he track the snake down and did it in . Happy trails
A big timber rattler or eastern will bite through a rubber boot. People who’ve been bitten by big rattlesnakes say if feels like they got punched. So if a man punched you in the leg with two hypodermic needles on his fist do you think it would penetrate?
I am like you NO ONE is allowed on my place in Kentucky unless you have snake boots. We have killed several very large copperheads on the trails we maintain. Stay on the trail, and watch your step on the trail.
Good grief. My backyard backs up to a small wild life preserve. About a week after moving in I came home from work it was right at dusk outside and there is about a 3 foot snake curled up on my porch right off to the side of the front door. It rared back and hissed at me, I'm pretty sure it was not venomous. I backed up quick and waited a minute then reached over and was able to open the door. I jumped over it, got inside and I had a pool table at the time and used a pool que to nudge him along but he was not happy and struck at the que a few times. He did not want to leave haha. I have toads that come up on the porch alot at night and I'm sure he was waiting on a meal. Over the years I've had many snakes in the yard and unless I know it's venomous I never kill them. I hate to kill them but if they are in your yard where your kids and animals are I think it's best unless you have a way to relocate them far away. If there is water and a good food source in the yard they are likely to come back unless they are too far away. I don't hunt and I have never worn snake boots when walking through the woods behind the house but have always wondered about them and will now. Great video, thanks for posting.
I need some snake boots that I can also wade fish in, been doing alot od creek fishing and this time of year in South west louisiana, the cottonmouths, diamond backs and ground raters are loaded.
I break in my work boots , I buy same pair of red wing work in one , wear other for casual, when work boots wear out I put on the casual boots that are then broke in and buy new ones for casual and the cycle goes on now for 30 years
Thank you for this video. I was wondering, since the copperheads had bit you in your leatherboots and they did not go through, why did you decide they weren't enough and you needed actual snake boots ? Reason I ask is that I hike in the desert all the time, so hot and dry. Snake boots are just so stiff and hot, I was thinking of getting some thick leather boots and snake gaters instead (turtleskin). Because I usually hike with minimalist shoes, so I hate big, heavy and stiff shoes.
@@robertcarte95 Gotcha. So it's for the height that you went with the boots. I may then use leather hiking shoes with the turtleskins, which will cover me up to the knees. Thank you.
Thats funny my Lacrosse snake boots are the side zip and i love them cause they are easy for me to get off. Ive been hunting here in the South for over 20 years always in snake boots. I would be interested to see how your new lacrosse do in our cold winter weather.
Not to hijack or answer for Robert on this. But I did wear both my lace up rockies and my lacrosse rubber snake boots this year in Oklahoma deer hunting in 5 inches of snow during a December cold spell. Temps were 30 the during the storm and i was fine. Temps were upper 20s in the morning and my feet did not get cold until about 4 hours into the sit. The next day was back up in the 70s. Crazy weather
@Traditional Bowhunting And Wilderness Podcast I'm hoping they have womens. UPDATE: Got a pair of the LaCrosse rubber snake boots like Robert showed. Very comfortable.
it happens when you get casual. I had been fishing up ashes creek back in the holly shelter lands in Pender county North Carolina. I still had my hip boots on, and was hauling my canoe back to my house. so, along the road, I was lucky to see a brand new down vest lying on the side of the road in some tall weeds. I stopped and backed up, got out and went to pick it up. well, when I picked it up something hit my shin. A timber rattler had been under that vest! that bastard put fang holes in my right boot, right at the shin. My boots are a size too big and fit loose. those fangs never hit my flesh. the snake got away. I kept the vest. I patched my boots with slow cure 5200 marine caulk/adhesive.
Thanks for sharing. I grew up 100 yards from the holly shelter game land and spent endless time exploring. Huge Eastern Diamondbacks would mate on my neighbors back porch every year like clockwork.
@@ezragatton5431 some friends that live up on the north end of topsail see big eastern diamond backs go across the yard on the same week each spring in search for mates.
Rattlesnakes DO NOT always rattle before you’re in striking distance. My son and I found this out (without dire consequences) during Georgia ‘22 deer gun opener.
There was a series on TV called Venom ER this rancher in his 50s been bit by a huge rattler damn thing didnt rattle just sank its fangs into his leg . The Doctors said going by the size of the puncture wounds the biggest they had come across ...... anyway even with the ant-venom treatment this poor bloke got worse over several hours and slipt into a coma then died ! I wear TurtleSkin SnakeArmour Gaiters i hope they work as i havent had a snake bite them but they do keep the burs out of my socks !
