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.
Great video! My American Bulldog was bit by a timber rattler back in June. It was lying at the base of a big pine. Had just walked by where the snake was and never seen it. My dog was walking behind me and noticed it. She grabbed and started shaking it violently. She killed the snake, but was bitten four times in the process. The snake was just under 5ft. with 12 rattles & a button. 2.5 vials of anti-venin and $2400 later, she survived, but was in pretty bad shape for the first 24 - 48hrs, in spite of the anti-venin. Thanks for the info on the boots. Blessings to you!
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.
He should give each one of those club members who told him to get snake boots or chaps, a big kiss! 😘 Good thing he listened to them. Anti-venom costs about $10,000 per dose and oftentimes people need two or three doses to combat a bad venomous snake bite. Health insurance usually doesn’t cover it, either. One way to avoid snakebites, is the hunt during the winter, when the snakes are in the ground, hibernating. Remember, where there’s mice and other rodents, there are snakes, which means practically everywhere, especially woodpiles.
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.
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.
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!
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
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
Great video and excellent advice. I grew up hunting in south Florida hunting in the Everglades. Snakes are a very real threat. I've had my share of close calls with rattlesnakes and cottonmouths! Snake boots are something well worth using!!!!!!!!!
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!
Thank you, sir. That was an excellent and informative video. I agree with every point you made. I still get made fun of for wearing my snake boots, but I have 100% pease of mind when I encounter Timber Rattlers and Copperheads. I'm 71 now and I I still wear my snake boots. I haven't lived this long just to let a snake take me out when I am alone in the river bottoms. I'll take the ribbing and keep on smiling and hunting. Thank you again for your superb and helpful video. I'm thankful that your dog chose to ease away and let that snake go! Kindest regards to a fellow Southerner! 😊❤
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 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
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. :)
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
Man, great video. The whole time your dog was sniffing around that bush, I was nervous. I had almost lost two dogs to one Timber Rattler a few years back now. Now, every time my dog sticks his nose to the ground, make nervous. Just this year, I was scolding him for doing that exact thing in an area of my woods known for snakes. After I got on to him. In true perfect camouflage, there is it was. A pretty nice sized Copperhead primed and ready to strike. My question is, when are they going to make snake proof stuff for dogs. I mean, dogs are going to be dogs. Can't stop them from using the best instrument God gave them. But, damn antivenom is expensive, and I would rather replace most of my friends before a good dog. Again, it's a great video. Semper Fi.👊🏻🇺🇸
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.
A hint about hunting boots, when my boots (any kind) come off they go on a boot dryer over night. Do that every time from the starts new and you will never have smell.
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.
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 !
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.
I do the same. If they are close to my house, for safety reasons, the venomous ones have to go. Have had too many close calls and dogs bitten. My friend and mentor trained his GSD to leave the snakes alone, but even my trained American Bulldogs are stubborn and too high prey drive. They just will not leave them.
Great video Sir I live down on lake Seminole in Bainbridge GA I've had my share of encounters with them Bell boys water moccasins too and yes as I got older and a little wiser I don't get in a tree stand with out my safety harness or enter the woods with out my snake boots that's fishing from the bank or squirrel hunting
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’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.
I have the Irish Settlers, great boot if you're not in water all the time. they're very comfortable when doing yardwork, farm work, or photographing in the woods. Great video, new subscriber now!
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.
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.
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.
While we've never met, I've run into bowhunters here in the lowcountry that speak of you highly. I started off back in the 1970s wearing the old buckle on, canvas covered wire mesh leggings. I'd wear them with jungle boots. After a few seasons of not seeing snakes, I got foolhardy and put the leggings aside. Then ole' Dale shot a gobbler near Clyde and as he bent down to pick it up, the bird flopped and a canebrake rattler struck the bird. That's what turned us back onto snake boots. I've been through the miserable Rockies and LaCrosse lace boots but now wear Turtleskin gaiters over leather boots now. Helps a lot in briers, too, while bird hunting. Around here, snakes can be out year round. I avoid the sandhills even in the winter on sunny days. EDB's will come out on a sunny day regardless of temps. Most hang out around the gopher tortoise burrow, but they are there. I've known of dogs killed in February on balmy days. I bird hunt in the fall and winter but don't put dogs on the ground in the a.m. unless the temps were in the 40s at night. I kennel them up at 50 F, typically around lunch time. Thanks for preaching to the choir.
I have a pair of Danner Sharptail 17 inch snake boots. They are the most comfortable boots I’ve ever owned. I can wear them all day with no foot pain. There was no break in period.
He's right about how it feels to step on a snake. I stepped on a copperhead, didn't see it, I was in my grandfathers boathouse at dusk, pretty dark in there, tying up the boat from some evening crappie fishing. Hopped out of the boat, barefooted, stepped on that sneaky snake and it nailed me on the side of my foot. Turns out, I'm allergic to antivenom serum. The cure was worse than the bite.
I've seen copperheads up on the clay banks too, eye level, ready to fight. i've probably stepped on about 5 or 10 copperheads and mocassins without knowing it and just kept walking - like you said, it feels unique to say the least. kind of like a stick, but firm and squishy. i dont go off the gravel anymore for these reasons, but have found that the mocassins love laying across the gravel in the sunlight, i nearly stepped on one about 5 ft long, but my brother put his arm out to stop my movements and covered my chest with his hand, turned to me and said run!, we ran like hell, lol.
Good advice. I typically hiked with low top hiking boots, but I’m going to wear high top boots in the future. I’ve hiked hundreds of miles in Georgia, over about 27 years and never saw a venomous snake, but then came across a copperhead. I was hiking on a long path, with tall grass and weeds on each side, heard something, looked down and to my right and behind me, there he was, a copperhead looking right at me, laid out about one foot into the trail and within a foot of me! I don’t know if he tried to strike me and missed, or what, but it was a wake-up call. Some other points for people to remember: Anti-venom costs about $10,000 per dose and oftentimes people need two or three doses to combat a bad venomous snake bite. Health insurance usually doesn’t cover it, either. One way to avoid snakebites, is to hunt when it’s cold as much as possible, when the snakes are in the ground, trying to stay warm or hibernating. Remember, where there’s mice and other rodents, there are snakes, which means practically everywhere, especially woodpiles.
LOVE the rubber Lacrosse snake boots! Only knock on them is that they are pretty difficult to take off after you've had them on for awhile and got some sweaty feet. I gradually gravitated towards the rubber boots because I got tired of all the other "waterproof" lace-ups leaking like a sieve no matter how much you sprayed them with Scotch Guard or whatever.
My brother in-law gave me a pair of snake chaps and made me aware after years of not really worrying, I was repairing a fence line in a low area and had to get off the tractor to untangle the wire, I had on a pair of muck boots because of the mud, but because he had given me the warning so many years before, I had put these extra heavy boots on to work down in that area, even though they where heavy and not what I would usually wear. I felt something hitting my leg and looked down and was standing on a cotton mouth, now the problem was to get off the snake without getting hit higher up. I told the snake I’d go this way and he could got that way, we did that and when I got away from there I had v shaped cuts in the outer area of the rubber but not through the inner liner and there was venom lines in the boot. He was really upset. So yes I do believe in snake protection. Thanks for this video and thanks to Frank who saved my life.
Which lacroose boot did you buy? lacrosse alpha agility 17'' waterproof snake boots for men? One looks like strickly rubber the other has different material on the top part not sure that it is waterproof, Had a rattler do the same thing on me by my deer stand in the muscadine leaves on the ground,
In the military, I've hunted in Mississippi, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama and saw snakes almost every time I went out. You re right, watch where you put your hands and where you may want to sit. I almost sat right on a Copperhead Squirrel hunting one time. Deer hunting at Camp Pendleton once, it was a chilly morning and sitting on a rock when a rattler came out from under the rock and was sunning itself to get warm on my rock less than three feet away. I let him have the rock!
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👍🏼
I’ve had all 3 types as well. I hunt in South Carolina. I have the rubber Lacrosse snake boots and they are my favorite also. Never been bit, don’t want to be!
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 live in michigan. We only have one venomous snake here. I did live in Louisiana while in the army and feel really fortunate that I never had an encounter with snakes. If I ever get the chance to hunt in the south, snake boots will be one of the first things on my packing list
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..
Here in the Ozarks there's alot of copperheads and I use rubber boots for protection. I find copperheads in my driveway and all around the yard. I almost got bit on the hand while removing rocks from a flower bed this past summer. I don't think a snake is able to get through rubber boots. Good video. Peace
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.
About 30 years back myself and my brother was walking on a pathway Right infront of him was an adder curled up he never saw the snake but luckily before he stepped on in it I put him back Weird thing is he can't remember it happening It's like his mind just blocked off the incident
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.
Did land nav at Warrior Leadership Course on Ft. Stewart and got off track looking for a point. Ended up deep in woods among palmetto. That’s when I knew I was off track. Now, I do a ton of fishing on Stewart and have seen coyotes, bobcat, hogs, snakes, and am glad I didn’t run into one that day deep in the woods.
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.
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.
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?
I live and hunt in pennsylvania there are timber rattler's and copperhead's here never came across one while hunting, now the entire archery season is warm so bought a pair of the rocky snake boots and they are nice for the price,figure why take a chance on getting bit.
always where snake boots,when I was 12 years old I stepped on a big diamond back,he bit me through my leather tenna shoes,I am now 60 and diabetic,it's just not worth not wearing them.been in Florida my whole life and highly recommend snake boots
I saw a man who had been bitten by a fer de lance in Costa Rica. I helped load him on a boat to the hospital. His ankle was so swollen it looked like the skin would rip. He screamed with every step being carried to the boat and loaded. He didn't lose his leg but his nephew was bitten the night before and he lost his leg. Same snake. The uncle was looking for the snake the morning after the nephew was bitten and he found it. I met others who were bitten years before and I saw the scars. They're horrible. Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and some other viper's venom does the same thing. Take the man's advice and wear the snake boots.
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.
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.
I have had a total of 5 strikes on the boot in the last 10 years. 3 cottonmouth and 2 copper head. luckily no rattlers yet. I won't hunt in above freezing temps without them.
I bought a pair of cabellas the most comfortable I ever had. After about 10 years or so they had blue charcoal soles for scent proofing. But they were hot never smelled.havent been able to replace them yet.
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.
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.
An absolute MUST in the South. 100% agree. Great video!
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.
Great video! My American Bulldog was bit by a timber rattler back in June. It was lying at the base of a big pine. Had just walked by where the snake was and never seen it. My dog was walking behind me and noticed it. She grabbed and started shaking it violently. She killed the snake, but was bitten four times in the process. The snake was just under 5ft. with 12 rattles & a button. 2.5 vials of anti-venin and $2400 later, she survived, but was in pretty bad shape for the first 24 - 48hrs, in spite of the anti-venin. Thanks for the info on the boots. Blessings to you!
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.
He should give each one of those club members who told him to get snake boots or chaps, a big kiss! 😘 Good thing he listened to them. Anti-venom costs about $10,000 per dose and oftentimes people need two or three doses to combat a bad venomous snake bite. Health insurance usually doesn’t cover it, either.
One way to avoid snakebites, is the hunt during the winter, when the snakes are in the ground, hibernating.
Remember, where there’s mice and other rodents, there are snakes, which means practically everywhere, especially woodpiles.
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.
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.
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!
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
Me too
As a fellow Arkansan I'm with you 100%. Best wishes for future successful hunts! 😊❤
Frostbite in the morning and snake bit in the evening.
😂👍
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.
Good straight talk , solid knowledge. Prayers for the family and Covid!
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.
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
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!
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.
Awesome REAL review
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.
Great video and excellent advice. I grew up hunting in south Florida hunting in the Everglades. Snakes are a very real threat. I've had my share of close calls with rattlesnakes and cottonmouths! Snake boots are something well worth using!!!!!!!!!
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!
Thank you, sir. That was an excellent and informative video. I agree with every point you made. I still get made fun of for wearing my snake boots, but I have 100% pease of mind when I encounter Timber Rattlers and Copperheads. I'm 71 now and I I still wear my snake boots. I haven't lived this long just to let a snake take me out when I am alone in the river bottoms. I'll take the ribbing and keep on smiling and hunting. Thank you again for your superb and helpful video. I'm thankful that your dog chose to ease away and let that snake go! Kindest regards to a fellow Southerner! 😊❤
P.S. - You have a new subscriber! 🙂
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 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
I was on the fence for a week - he HAD to say copperheads. Where i live you can see cottonmouths in any environment you can think of.
Never be so proud to ignore advice from others with experience.
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. :)
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
Man, great video. The whole time your dog was sniffing around that bush, I was nervous. I had almost lost two dogs to one Timber Rattler a few years back now. Now, every time my dog sticks his nose to the ground, make nervous. Just this year, I was scolding him for doing that exact thing in an area of my woods known for snakes. After I got on to him. In true perfect camouflage, there is it was. A pretty nice sized Copperhead primed and ready to strike. My question is, when are they going to make snake proof stuff for dogs. I mean, dogs are going to be dogs. Can't stop them from using the best instrument God gave them. But, damn antivenom is expensive, and I would rather replace most of my friends before a good dog. Again, it's a great video. Semper Fi.👊🏻🇺🇸
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.
big snakes can strike above the boot
Yeah that’s just a bad day
A hint about hunting boots, when my boots (any kind) come off they go on a boot dryer over night. Do that every time from the starts new and you will never have smell.
I have the same Lacrosse boots and wore them all last season. Very comfortable. Old one's you were referring to were probably the Alpha Burlys
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.
I also am a fan of Lacrosse boots, especially the Grange uninsulated when bowhunting.
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 !
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.
I do the same. If they are close to my house, for safety reasons, the venomous ones have to go. Have had too many close calls and dogs bitten. My friend and mentor trained his GSD to leave the snakes alone, but even my trained American Bulldogs are stubborn and too high prey drive. They just will not leave them.
I agree with all points. Well said. I use lacrosse too.
Great video Sir I live down on lake Seminole in Bainbridge GA I've had my share of encounters with them Bell boys water moccasins too and yes as I got older and a little wiser I don't get in a tree stand with out my safety harness or enter the woods with out my snake boots that's fishing from the bank or squirrel hunting
Good advice, thanks.
Praying for your wife! 1st time to see you. Really enjoyed your video!
Wow that’s crazy you were sitting right next to a rattler while doing a snake boot vid. God bless brother great video and glad y’all are feelin better
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 agree. Robert.their a must have!
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.
I have the Irish Settlers, great boot if you're not in water all the time. they're very comfortable when doing yardwork, farm work, or photographing in the woods. Great video, new subscriber now!
You are TOTALLY 💯 CORRECT about the boots, don't take a chance 👍
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.
Smart advice for certain. Never could figure out these types who think it’s cool to go barefooted.
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.
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.
While we've never met, I've run into bowhunters here in the lowcountry that speak of you highly. I started off back in the 1970s wearing the old buckle on, canvas covered wire mesh leggings. I'd wear them with jungle boots. After a few seasons of not seeing snakes, I got foolhardy and put the leggings aside. Then ole' Dale shot a gobbler near Clyde and as he bent down to pick it up, the bird flopped and a canebrake rattler struck the bird. That's what turned us back onto snake boots. I've been through the miserable Rockies and LaCrosse lace boots but now wear Turtleskin gaiters over leather boots now. Helps a lot in briers, too, while bird hunting. Around here, snakes can be out year round. I avoid the sandhills even in the winter on sunny days. EDB's will come out on a sunny day regardless of temps. Most hang out around the gopher tortoise burrow, but they are there. I've known of dogs killed in February on balmy days. I bird hunt in the fall and winter but don't put dogs on the ground in the a.m. unless the temps were in the 40s at night. I kennel them up at 50 F, typically around lunch time. Thanks for preaching to the choir.
I have a pair of Danner Sharptail 17 inch snake boots. They are the most comfortable boots I’ve ever owned. I can wear them all day with no foot pain. There was no break in period.
He's right about how it feels to step on a snake. I stepped on a copperhead, didn't see it, I was in my grandfathers boathouse at dusk, pretty dark in there, tying up the boat from some evening crappie fishing. Hopped out of the boat, barefooted, stepped on that sneaky snake and it nailed me on the side of my foot. Turns out, I'm allergic to antivenom serum. The cure was worse than the bite.
I've seen copperheads up on the clay banks too, eye level, ready to fight. i've probably stepped on about 5 or 10 copperheads and mocassins without knowing it and just kept walking - like you said, it feels unique to say the least. kind of like a stick, but firm and squishy. i dont go off the gravel anymore for these reasons, but have found that the mocassins love laying across the gravel in the sunlight, i nearly stepped on one about 5 ft long, but my brother put his arm out to stop my movements and covered my chest with his hand, turned to me and said run!, we ran like hell, lol.
Good info. Thank you!
Good advice. I typically hiked with low top hiking boots, but I’m going to wear high top boots in the future. I’ve hiked hundreds of miles in Georgia, over about 27 years and never saw a venomous snake, but then came across a copperhead. I was hiking on a long path, with tall grass and weeds on each side, heard something, looked down and to my right and behind me, there he was, a copperhead looking right at me, laid out about one foot into the trail and within a foot of me! I don’t know if he tried to strike me and missed, or what, but it was a wake-up call.
Some other points for people to remember: Anti-venom costs about $10,000 per dose and oftentimes people need two or three doses to combat a bad venomous snake bite. Health insurance usually doesn’t cover it, either.
One way to avoid snakebites, is to hunt when it’s cold as much as possible, when the snakes are in the ground, trying to stay warm or hibernating.
Remember, where there’s mice and other rodents, there are snakes, which means practically everywhere, especially woodpiles.
LOVE the rubber Lacrosse snake boots! Only knock on them is that they are pretty difficult to take off after you've had them on for awhile and got some sweaty feet.
I gradually gravitated towards the rubber boots because I got tired of all the other "waterproof" lace-ups leaking like a sieve no matter how much you sprayed them with Scotch Guard or whatever.
Thank you for sharing, and hope you and your family stay healthy and safe.
My brother in-law gave me a pair of snake chaps and made me aware after years of not really worrying, I was repairing a fence line in a low area and had to get off the tractor to untangle the wire, I had on a pair of muck boots because of the mud, but because he had given me the warning so many years before, I had put these extra heavy boots on to work down in that area, even though they where heavy and not what I would usually wear. I felt something hitting my leg and looked down and was standing on a cotton mouth, now the problem was to get off the snake without getting hit higher up. I told the snake I’d go this way and he could got that way, we did that and when I got away from there I had v shaped cuts in the outer area of the rubber but not through the inner liner and there was venom lines in the boot. He was really upset. So yes I do believe in snake protection. Thanks for this video and thanks to Frank who saved my life.
Which lacroose boot did you buy? lacrosse alpha agility 17'' waterproof snake boots for men? One looks like strickly rubber the other has different material on the top part not sure that it is waterproof, Had a rattler do the same thing on me by my deer stand in the muscadine leaves on the ground,
@@herbertnewman4595 alpha agility. Good boots.
Thank you Robert
In the military, I've hunted in Mississippi, North Carolina, Florida, and Alabama and saw snakes almost every time I went out. You re right, watch where you put your hands and where you may want to sit. I almost sat right on a Copperhead Squirrel hunting one time. Deer hunting at Camp Pendleton once, it was a chilly morning and sitting on a rock when a rattler came out from under the rock and was sunning itself to get warm on my rock less than three feet away. I let him have the rock!
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👍🏼
I’ve had all 3 types as well. I hunt in South Carolina.
I have the rubber Lacrosse snake boots and they are my favorite also.
Never been bit, don’t want to be!
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 live in michigan. We only have one venomous snake here. I did live in Louisiana while in the army and feel really fortunate that I never had an encounter with snakes. If I ever get the chance to hunt in the south, snake boots will be one of the first things on my packing list
I just bought the lacrosse boots 2 weeks ago and they by far are my favorite boots.. snake boots in south Georgia are a must..
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..
Great video! And I guess at the last, that's proof rattlers don't always rattle. I prefer the snake gaiters myself, but whatever works!
People in South America all wear PLAIN old rubber boots and that stops any snake in South America from puncturing the boot.
At 78 years old I can't hear them anymore. After a couple of close calls I bought some knee high snake boots. Enjoying the outdoors again.
Thank you for the video and thank the Lord ya didn’t get bit. God bless ya
Here in the Ozarks there's alot of copperheads and I use rubber boots for protection. I find copperheads in my driveway and all around the yard. I almost got bit on the hand while removing rocks from a flower bed this past summer. I don't think a snake is able to get through rubber boots. Good video. Peace
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.
Rattlesnakes strike higher and we got lots of them. I would rather be over safe than sorry.
@@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.
Hogs have naturally selected rattlesnakes that don’t rattle
What?
Stepping on a snake feeling like stepping on a full water hose that moves
About 30 years back myself and my brother was walking on a pathway
Right infront of him was an adder curled up he never saw the snake but luckily before he stepped on in it I put him back
Weird thing is he can't remember it happening
It's like his mind just blocked off the incident
“Snakes, why’d it have to be snakes”
Indy, 1981
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.
Well done vid. I saw u dog acting funny behind you.
I wear my rubber boots here while fishing canals from shore in South FL.
Blessings
Did land nav at Warrior Leadership Course on Ft. Stewart and got off track looking for a point. Ended up deep in woods among palmetto. That’s when I knew I was off track. Now, I do a ton of fishing on Stewart and have seen coyotes, bobcat, hogs, snakes, and am glad I didn’t run into one that day deep in the woods.
Great video. Thanks for the info.
Where you from hunting ft. Stewart? I'm from down that way by the exit off 95 used to turkey hunt c17,c16, c15, b24, and some a areas some times.
I have hunted fort Stewart. Snakey place.
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.
Appreciate ur information, I'm new to the mountains and snakes, so I definitely take ur words to heart
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.
As you were filming, I was wondering about Daisy and how often dogs get bit. Praise God that he is sovereign even over snakes!
Lordy! I was wondering about that too!
This, people is a real American who has his sh*t together.
Do the rubber ones afford as good protection as the cordura or leather types?
I never tested them but they say they do.
I was wondering if one could apply clear silicone at the back of those rubber boots to prevent them from future leaks. Just a thought.
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?
ThermaCELL!!
Great video Robert. What state do you hunt in?
Southeast Ga.
I live and hunt in pennsylvania there are timber rattler's and copperhead's here never came across one while hunting, now the entire archery season is warm so bought a pair of the rocky snake boots and they are nice for the price,figure why take a chance on getting bit.
always where snake boots,when I was 12 years old I stepped on a big diamond back,he bit me through my leather tenna shoes,I am now 60 and diabetic,it's just not worth not wearing them.been in Florida my whole life and highly recommend snake boots
Good info brother. Thanks for sharing as always. Prayers for your wife brother.
I saw a man who had been bitten by a fer de lance in Costa Rica. I helped load him on a boat to the hospital. His ankle was so swollen it looked like the skin would rip. He screamed with every step being carried to the boat and loaded. He didn't lose his leg but his nephew was bitten the night before and he lost his leg. Same snake. The uncle was looking for the snake the morning after the nephew was bitten and he found it.
I met others who were bitten years before and I saw the scars. They're horrible. Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and some other viper's venom does the same thing.
Take the man's advice and wear the snake boots.
Lol great ending! Thanks robert great video
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.
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.
I have had a total of 5 strikes on the boot in the last 10 years. 3 cottonmouth and 2 copper head. luckily no rattlers yet. I won't hunt in above freezing temps without them.
I bought a pair of cabellas the most comfortable I ever had. After about 10 years or so they had blue charcoal soles for scent proofing. But they were hot never smelled.havent been able to replace them yet.
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.
I understand the 20 yard comment I had a copper head strike my boot and I went 20 feet side ways in one jump
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.