Good morning all, I've always worn rubber boots while deer hunting but as my hunting is more ground related now I want more support while walking. My question is do you feel wearing leather lace up boots has any ill effect regarding scent v tall rubber boots? I understand opinions vary but I do appreciate everyones.
Adam
For years I used canvas hiking boots for Hunting because I'm in Florida and they breathed much better in the heat. I can recall several times I watched deer get to the trail I walk in on stop turn and go back the way they came. After seeing this I started adding a drag rag to my walks in, it helped but still didn't cover my sent trail. I switched to rubber boots the past few year and have watched deer walk right down the same trail I just used. The rubber boots have also allowed me to put my pant legs inside to boots, I think this has as much to do with is as the boot material. My personal conclusion is YES it makes a difference.
Hey Adam, I switched from rubber boots to lace-up boots decades ago. Never cared for the fit and feel of tall rubber boots and the little sloppiness of fit made going up climbers and sticks slippery business. I enjoy the fit and feel of quality leather/cordura boots. The support and traction is better too. I spent good money on a pair of Danners for warm weather hunting and a pair of insulted Rockys for cold weather and use them exclusively for deer hunting. I do maintain them for long-life and keep them as scent-free as possible. Regarding the smell - any deer worthy of a ride in my Jeep which crosses my trail or goes downwind of my position is most likely going to win that round regardless of which boots I wear.
I only wear rubber boots when necessary for water or mud. Have killed better than 90% of my game while I was wearing leather boots. I hunt the wind and am extremely thoughtful and careful on stand approach strategy. I've experimented with knee highs and my opinion is that if you are walking through typical weeds, grass or brush deer will pick up your trail regardless. You drop enough body scent and brush up against plenty of stuff. If walking a groomed trail or open logging road with little or no debris they dont seem to pick up on my entry trail regardless of shoe type.
I just approach the stand correctly, and only cross trails within range at a place I can shoot to in case a deer I want picks up my trail. On my own farms I groom trails, both deer trails for game movement, and access trails to minimize sound and scent trail.
R
I just took a vid the other night of a small buck that hit by path in and he followed it up and down. I was wearing rubber bottom LL bean hunting boot. I only wear them in the woods. I'm hunting private ground too as I think that matters.
I think they smell you every time....
Tim B
I don't know one person in my area that uses rubber boots. I think there must be a big difference in what deer can smell in different climates and terrain. For instance, I always try to be careful how I come into my blind but I rarely have a coues deer that crosses my trail stop and go the other way. Maybe it is because it is hot and extremely low humidity where I hunt. I have no idea if that makes since or not. Coues deer are some of the most alert animals on the planet and I feel like they have a very good since of smell. My friend walked over and checked his trail cam before getting in the blind which kinda concerned me but we didn't have one deer that walked by there that got alerted. I don't have the answers but there is something different from what I see when I am out verses what I read in posts from people in other areas of the country. Also the terrain is very rocky and that type terrain may not hold scent like other terrain.
No, I've never seen a difference between either type. The deer smell me not my boots :goldtooth:
I switch out depending what I'm doing and the amount of snowfall.
I agree with Yooper. I think they smell "human" whether from your body odor, boots or whatever. I have never found a means to completely solve this issue, so I try to make my trail into the stand from a direction that I wouldn't have a shot anyway, making less problematic.
I bleated in a nice Buck and when he hit my track in the snow he jumped back like he got shocked. He didn't hesitate and was out of there.
The other night I hunted a spot and entered the woods on a deer trail. A hour later a small buck entered the woods using the same trail. You could see he was nervous but settled down. I'm thinking if there is a lot of people in the woods they get used to human scent.
I think there's little doubt that leather boots leave more of your scent on the ground than rubber boots. A porous vs non-porous material. This is pretty basic stuff. If they cross your trail when you're wearing leather boots, they're going to smell you. It certainly doesn't mean that you won't be successful wearing leather boots. Obviously, many hunters are successful wearing them. And I get that the leather boots are more comfortable. I have been in the stand and seen a buck hit my trail and tense up even though I was wearing rubber boots. I'm not sure if that means even rubber boots allow some scent through or the smell of the rubber boots were foreign to him and made hime nervous. The question was do leather boots leave more scent than rubber boots, and in my mind that's an easy one, Yes. But wear what you want and enjoy your hunt.
Unless I'm hunting wet areas I will wear rubber bottom leather boots such as a good Schnees or LL Bean boot, the Schnee being a better but more expensive boot. I tuck my pants legs in the boots and have not been busted that I know of from my ground scent. If I'm in the hills with rocks and such, I wear a good quality leather hiker with gaiters. If I'm in flat wet areas then I will use my muck or lacrosse rubber boots . I do think rubber boots build more scent inside by not breathing and scent can stovepipe out the top
You obviously need to take care when approaching your stand to stay away from where you expect the deer to approach from, don't touch brush and walk where you don't think they will
For years I wore LaCross rubber boots, great boots, but many times saw deer hit my trail and go back where they came from. That and the bit loose fit had me experiment with Cabela's snake boots. They are tall and waterproof, great for climbing and ruff or wet terrain. We don't have a problem with snakes here and I don't really see much difference in deer reaction.
Of killed a lot of deer and hogs before & after the rubber boot 'craze' if you want to call it came about, and since as well. I use them very little, but in the right place but not for sent control. I use them on flat land and in swamp bottoms.
I just prefer the fit, flexabilaty, stability and support that a lace up boot gives me.
I recently got some Thorogood leather boots and I'm liking them a lot so far. I might try a pair of their rubber boots when mine wear out.
I've always been a fan of LL Bean boots....
As a Retirement present, I ordered a new pair of 12" "Maine Hunting Shoes"
They should last me till I die... (or as least, can't walk anymore) :archer:
I used to believe that rubber boots covered up your human scent so the deer wouldn't smell you. I became a believer several years ago that this is hogwash. I had my rubber boots on and we were playing "hide and seek" with one of my hunting buddies young dog. That rascal stuck his little nose on the trail I walked and came right to me! If a dog can smell my tracks then I know for sure that a deer can! I've come to the conclusion that you are NOT going to fool a deer's nose. Period! Your only bet is to play the wind and take routes to and from your stand where you think the deer will not be traveling. Just my two cents. Tradcat
It depends on your area and kind of "traffic". I have switched between Muck boots, LL Bean and another for few decades. Looking in my field notes, if it is a place where little hunting pressure or no hiking trail the scent left matters (especially getting into a bedding area). One thing I do to my non rubber boots is I treat them (old Marine habit), I use Montana Pitch blend on the leather. In past when I did not or used something else, the deer seem to react to the other sealer, not as much if at all with the Montana Pitch blend. I cann't prove it, put I believe the Montana Pitch blend, helps keep my scent from "puffing" out as much. I have never had a deer react to my "trained" rubber boots. I always have bloused my pant trousers, out of habit and think this helps as well.
I dunno. I've had deer spook at my scent trail and others not notice it, with both types of boots. Agree with what was previously mentioned regarding pant cuffs. Good idea to tuck them in to keep scent transmission down.
Tucking pant cuffs does nothing but let odor escape through the top. Heavy, moist odor. If you put a second layer over the opening...maybe a little better.
I prefer leather these days. Rubber is for when it's swampy. My buddy had a raccoon follow his rubber boot trail straight to his ladder a couple days ago. They smell it regardless. That neoprene carp on boots is even worse. Ever smell a wetsuit?
I go out of my way to loop way around and come in to my stand without crossing areas that I expect deer to pass. Even then you have deer walk across your trail I've seen everything from locking up and turning inside out and running to sniff a little and walk on to even nose to ground and follow my trail for a little ways. You just never know what the deer will do. And that's been the same rubber boots or leather boots. I walk a lot sometimes 2 miles to my stand from truck and good leather boots are way more comfortable and my feet sweat less and stay warmer so unless I'm crossing water I prefer leather. This year the swamp I hunt was bone dry I wore leather boots the whole trip which was nice.
I'd say amount of time since you walked by makes a difference. 30 minutes after you walked a trail a deer will get a lot stronger scent than 6 hours later.
I usually wear rubber boots. I've been doing it so long it second nature. I don't hunt any wet areas but most mornings the woods and field are wet or damp. Some of my ladder stands I don't have a bow hook or holder any where handy so I stick the bottom limb of my longbow down in my muck boot. That works really well and I can't do that with a leather lace up boot.
Over the years I have learned a pile on scent control. Trapping for coyotes really reinforced previous thoughts. My opinion it doesn't so much matter what type, it is how you store them and where you wear them that is the most important. I never wear my boots anywhere but in the woods. Period! They are transported to and from in a clean bag or tote not contacting anything but dirt and leaves. I wear leather 95% of the time. This and a good approach, where you have trimmed anything that can make contact with you, allows me to get in clean. From all my observations on whitetail, they spend more time smelling the briars and branches. They can smell where the branches have been fractured and puts out a stronger odor telling them something has went thru. I also am a big believer in fox urine as a cover/deceiver scent. You see people at the gas station wearing their rubber boots all the time. Might as well have a gasoline drag line with you. LOL Just my 2 cents thru casual observation.
I wear leather boots 90% of the time I like the support they offer. Will wear rubber boots when hunting low lands. I watched a deer hit my trail Thursday Evening he was aware of the scent got that head way up in the air and was giving it a testing. 60 seconds and he just went back to walking the cow trail. Turned to soon out into the corn field to ever make it by me.
Try reading a good book on training search and rescue tracking dogs and other high level scent trained dogs used in law enforcement, etc...and your thinking about this will be much broader. It is worth realizing what is possible and how sophisticated scenting can be. For example, a dog doesn't just follow "your" scent if he is tasked with tracking you. The scent that drops off you like fine dust or smoke is movable and temporary. It can blow away, dissipates fairly quickly, and can get caught against nearby vegetation and objects. That is partly why there is a difference in air/scenting vs trailing vs actual tracking. There is other scent one leaves by touching something with your clothing, boots or bare skin. (I think that is the scent we leave behind the can quickly burn out a good location.) But good dogs shift their attention as a track ages to disturbance scent (maybe confirmed by actual scent of the target) which is the scent released when one walks on and crushes vegetation and the microbiome of the soil...think fungus, bacteria, earthworms and bugs and who knows what. All that stuff reacts and emits odor. This is the most persistent trail and reportedly highly trained dogs discriminate between tracks sometimes by the size of the person leaving the trail, which leaves a different signature hours or a couple days later. So for purposes of hunting deer, realize that a deer might detect a track in the snow when you wear rubber boots and be interesting or even alerted, but it may not be able to determine that you are human. The same with careful use of rubber boots. There is no way to avoid leaving sign that "something" walked here, but scent control, avoiding touching vegetation with hands and scent permeable boots can be very important. As for the smoke like blowing scent? That is why we pay attention to staying downwind.
I watched a lot of deer cross my trail over 5 decades of bow hunting because sometimes I can't predict the animal' travel route.
Frankly I remain uncertain that I can solve the issue of trail covering. I think the wild card is the attitude and experience of the particular deer.
Some will encounter my trail without any noticeable reaction. Sometimes they stop, nose up, try to confirm with other senses, and often reverse their direction to backtrack a just proven route that didn't alarm the animal.
I stopped using skunk cover scent in the early 80's when I saw a deer bolt at my trail. Across a winter wheat field. I concluded, maybe wrongly, that the skunk smelled more of alarm than calming?
I wear all kinds of footwear when hunting. I am the least comfortable wearing rubber boots.
I believe most of the scent isn't from the bottom of your boots but the scent from your body. I did a test with my 2 beagles where I showered and dressed at the house just as i do when going hunting. I was actually was going hunting after just changed cloths back for the drive. I went 125 yards cross wind then cut back 50 yards up wind. Called the wife told her to let the dogs out. They will track and bark on my trail just like a rabbit. They had no problem running my trail and when they crossed my cross wind scent they stopped barking heads went up and right to me.
Same type test but this time no shower. I rode my bike straight into the wind for 60 yards then cut 90 degrees left across the wind 100 yards and hid. Let the dogs out they picked up the trail and ran right on the bike track. But then running the trail with the cross wind they were tracking not on the track of the bike but 10 or 12 feet down wind. The average human sheds 2 billion dead skin cells a day.
In my experience if your hunting a educated animal that's not being hurried rubber boots won't make a difference. I've witnessed some wise old does and bucks around here that would smell logs, briars, weeds etc. if they caught scent they would back track and detour. Even tried rain suits before all the tech stuff hit the market. That didn't work either.
Minimize scent on ground any way you can, I wash my clothes in baking soda to minimize my stink.
:coffee: :campfire: :archer2:
rubber boots all day long for me,, Ive had so many deer spook when they hit the spot where I walked when wearing leather boots, moccasins, sneakers.. I will still wear leather boots, sneakers sometimes because I'll hit the woods last minute wearing my street or work clothes and grab my bow and head in trying to walk where the deer don't go and I walk in down wind. rubber boots another story I just walk anywhere and deer walk right over my foot steps and I had deer at the bottom of tree where I climbed up several times.
Out here, I almost never hunt deer within a mile of the truck. So it's leather every time. Too many other, more practical issues at play than if I might be able to reduce the odds of a buck smelling my footprint. Muck boots stay home for "farm" chores. Leather boots go hunting. I tuck my pants into my boots, which makes me look like a bit of a commando-wanna-be. But I've been busted too many times as my pant legs by my ankle grab a stick & snap it as I step. Having a slimmer profile keeps me from making unexpected noise.
Rubber for me. Lots a water in the low country.
Agree totally with bucknut, "how you store them and where you wear them that is the most important"
I used to wear LL Bean Maine hunting shoes which are great boots, soft and quiet... I switched to 16" Schnees Guide boots, lace up.... I really like them, they are quiet and comfortable, just a little work to lace up every morning... I use Montana pitch blend on them before every season. I agree with above that the deer will probably smell you in any boot if not careful... the Schnee's boots are a little pricey but not terrible and are good in warm or cold weather. They are hard to beat in my opinion. I haven't used pull on rubber boots a lot but I like their simplicity but a lace up will probably make walking and hiking easier.. good luck.
J
Still can't beat the Maine Hunting shoe. Air bob soles are an abomination and see no reason to indulge the prices that Schnees charges for their copy of the original.
Rubber in TX will get ruined.... just a heads up. More important is how well do you shoot.... boots are irrelevant if you can't hit shingle. Buy scent lock while you are at it :biglaugh:
Killed whitetails in Chuck Taylors to canvas wading boots. You let any boot get stinky inside it will escape scent control.
Think when weather drops cold my all time favorites are Hoffman's guide boots and I have tow different sets of liners. I switch them out every day to dry out and just scent control spray them. Leather tops, rubber bottoms. Best of both worlds. I wore rubber out. Sent them back to them they cut leather off just sewed back on new rubber bottoms. Best boot I ever hunted, be Schnees hands down.
Smag~
No. Its hype like most stuff. Go hunting and have fun.
Wear whatever is comfortable or keeps you dry. In my opinion if you can smell the rubber so can the deer. A hound can still track you if you wear rubber boots. So why couldn't game animals smell your trail?