Rubber boots are the go-to footwear for most hunters. They exhibit qualities that make them great for hunting not just deer but a wide range of wild game. Guns are a no-brainer; every hunter requires them. However, almost as important as your artillery is a pair of rubber boots made specifically for hunting.
Today, we will go over the reasons rubber boots have become a staple hunting gear.
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Why Are Rubber Boots Ideal for Hunting?
Looking at the structure of rubber boots, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise why they have become the leading hunting footwear. Aside from looking inconspicuous, they hold the following advantages that make them great for hunting wild game:
1. Waterproof Capabilities
Wearing a pair of rubber boots ensures that water or moisture doesn’t get anywhere inside your shoe. Hunting with soggy socks and wet feet can get uncomfortable really quickly. Not to mention, all the extra noise this causes could frighten away prey.
Still, not all rubber boots are created equal in the water-repelling department. A quality pair made with vulcanized rubber and other moisture-wicking materials provides a higher level of water resistance than a cheaper pair.
Then, there’s the height factor. Rubber boots can range from 10 to 18 inches in height, with higher boots offering a higher chance of keeping feet warm and dry over the course of the hunting session.
2. Foot Protection
Safety is the number one priority in hunting, and a good quality pair of rubber boots should help ensure that. This durable and flexible pair can navigate all sorts of terrain, from harsh woodlands and eerily quiet prairies to snowy landscapes and thick vegetation.
Rubber boots can help keep your feet warm and dry throughout the expedition, regardless of how wet or cold it is. Your feet should remain safe and secure inside a great pair.
3. Flexible and Lightweight
Don’t be deceived by those thick outer soles, as a pair of rubber boots for hunting is as light as they come. Besides, these boots are not just made of any kind of material; they’re made of vulcanized rubber, which is on a whole other level and known for its lightweight quality.
Aside from weighing practically next to nothing, these boots are also flexible. So, when trailing or giving chase to prey, they allow a hunter to move with ease and efficiency. Wearing these boots, you also barely feel the strain of walking long distances. That said, pairs that are too tall do lose their lightweight quality.
4. Lack of Scent
This is exactly what makes a pair of rubber boots ideal for hunting deer and other wild game. Unlike traditional footwear, it doesn’t give off any scent and even masks the smell of your feet. This has a lot to do with the vulcanized rubber, which possesses an airtight quality.
Rubber hunting boots are critical to concealing a hunter’s scent, which can easily drive more experienced prey to flee.
5. Support and Traction
The right-size quality hunting boots fit just right around the ankle. This allows it to provide the wearer with adequate support for walking and running long distances. These boots also have an ankle brace that hugs both the heel and ankle comfortably, making strains and sores a distant memory.
Rubber boots perform well traction-wise, too. Their solid but lightweight outsoles allow for excellent treading, which lets you conquer wet, marshy, heavily vegetated, and muddy terrain with ease.
Boot traction is crucial to hunters, as it allows them to steady themselves against loose, wet, or muddy landscapes. One could easily fall and hurt himself trekking these menacing pathways with anything other than a pair of rubber hunting boots.
Hunting boots are designed with a wider outsole for protecting the ankles and feet. This becomes especially necessary when trekking through dangerous sloping landscapes.
6. Insulation
Insulation is indicated in grams on a pair of boots, and here’s how you choose the right amount:
- No insulation to 200 grams of insulation
This is the appropriate range for hunting in milder conditions, such as the early parts of deer-hunting season.
- 400 grams to 800 grams of insulation
These boot insulation numbers are what you need to consider for hunting during the fall.
- 1000 grams of insulation and above
This is for hardcore hunters who love hunting against the odds. If harsh weather doesn’t deter you, take these boots with you for better protection.
So, Are Rubber Boots Best For Deer Hunting?
Rubber boots are especially effective for hunting big, wild game like deer, which is why a lot of hunters prefer them over leather and other conventional hunting footwear. That said, they aren’t without their downsides.
The fact that rubber boots have low aeration means they could get too warm in already warm conditions. Also, their excellent waterproof feature could backfire on a hunter in case water comes pouring from above.
Rubber hunting boots aren’t the only thing helping you see more deer. Nine scent control tips come down below!
If you think your dog can smell everything, you should think twice. Deer actually have more scent receptors in their noses than man’s best friends do. Therefore, when you hunt deer, putting on good rubber hunting boots is just one of the many tips to help you succeed. It would help if you created a routine that decreases and even eliminates the foreign scents that will give you away. Stay with us for more tips on keeping you scent-free when deer hunting.
1. Use scent reduction products
To stay scent-free from beginning to end of your hunt, we recommend you make a routine of using scent-reduction products throughout your hunt. For example, many hunting uses a scent-eliminating spray on the clothes every time you put them on, even if you stored the clothes outside throughout the night. Such sprays efficiently eliminate the scent that your clothes pick up from your body during the day. Always use the spray on your hat and gloves.
2. Prepare your hunting clothes
Start by deodorizing everything you will wear when deer hunting. You can find detergents that are scent removal so buy one. It would help get rid of any scented laundry detergent/fabric softener from the washing machine. You can pour baking soda into the machine and run it empty through a cycle.
You can hang-dry the clothes or use dryer sheets that remove odor. You can also add a cover scent that is typical for woods (“fresh earth,” for example). Make sure you put the clothes in sealed plastic bags and put on latex gloves when you get to the camp. You don’t want to put your hands’ scent on your scent-free clothes. Since you need to keep the contamination to a minimum, make sure to leave the worn clothes outside during the night.
3. Pay attention to your food
Unless you have diet restrictions of any sort, you should stay away from foods that make you have excessive gas or that are easy to digest. Before you go hunting deer, make sure not to eat foods odiferous, as the scent they leave behind can stay with you for a long time after you’ve eaten. Use a scent-free toothbrush when brushing your teeth to reduce the lingering odors as much as possible. Also, pay attention to caffeine intake while you’re after your deer. Caffeine is a diuretic—you don’t want to urinate too many times while hunting.
4. Be careful with your hygiene
The market is very generous for products made especially for the hunters. Such products are made to help you with good hygiene without being scented. You can buy and use scent-free body wash, toothpaste, shampoo, and deodorant. When you go hunting for many days, you won’t have easy access to shower facilities or bathing. It would help if you got rid of your natural body odor every day to stay scent-free for your deer. Otherwise, you will be easy to notice by your whitetail.
5. Don’t chew gum, smoke, nor vape
You don’t even need to be an experienced hunter to know that smoking, vaping, or chewing gum will produce scents that are entirely artificial in the woods. Such smells will immediately spook the deer that might be downwind from you. Additionally, such habits will cause residual odors on you for many hours. You will have to remove the scent as efficiently as you can.
If possible, avoid such activities, to begin with. Should you have to chew or smoke, you should at least have an air-tight recipient with you in which to spit/throw away the cigarette butts. It’s an effective method to decrease the amount of residual scent. Don’t forget to use an unscented hand sanitizer/scent-eliminating product after you’re done smoking/vaping/chewing.
6. Prepare your blind/stand
When you go hunting from a blind or stand, you need to prepare the setup a few weeks before your hunt. The specific odors from the materials used for making the blind/stand will naturally fade away. Your stand/blind will absorb the natural scent of the surroundings.
7. Use cover scents
Truth be told, you won’t be able to become scent-free even if you take all the cautious steps to reduce your odor footprint in the woods. After taking all the measures to reduce your scent, you can use a cover scent such as deer urine or earth-scent. The only aspect to consider when selecting your cover scent is to ensure that your cover scent exists in your hunting area. The more familiar the whitetail is with your chosen cover scent, the higher the chances for you to stay unscented by your game.
8. Make sure you can use the campfire smoke
It’s common for hunters to wear the hunting clothes near the campfire to collect the scent of burnt fire to the clothes—it will work as a cover scent. The method is successful only if the smell is familiar to the deer, identified as part of its stable environment. Should you hunt in an area where campfires or wood-burning stoves aren’t familiar, the campfire smoke will make your whitetail become alert. If you’re thinking about using the campfire smoke to cover your scent, make sure that the smell is typical for the area.
9. Pay attention to your nature calls
It’s not the most pleasant topic, but we need to discuss your fundamental needs. Sooner or later, you will have to “use the toilet.” We all know that it can get very smelly, so you have to make something to cover the smell as much as possible. You can take a plastic bottle and urinate in it. You will have to collect the urine until your hunt is over. Get a rigid plastic bottle with a screwable lid that you can tightly seal. Thin-walled empty water bottles won’t do you any good because the thin plastic is loud (it makes a cracking noise) and can give away your presence to your deer. If you need to defecate, it’s best to walk several hundred yards away downwind from the central area of your hunt. Get a lighter to burn the used tissues. Don’t forget to use unscented hand sanitizer or antibacterial odor control products to make your hands scent-free again.
Faqs
Can rubber boots keep your feet warm?
Research has revealed that rubber is an effective insulator of thermal heat. However, it’s not very effective at insulating heat as other materials. As a result, rubber hunting boots won’t be able to keep your feet warm in cold temperatures. Unless the boots feature insulation and have a good design, they will not keep your feet warm in freezing conditions.
Are snakes able to bite through rubber boots?
In theory, snakes can bite through rubber boots. However, not all snakes have fangs strong enough to penetrate rubber boots. You can buy snake-proof hunting boots that are made to keep you warm, dry, and protected, no matter if you go on a short or a 3-day hunt.
Do rubber hunting boots have a specific scent?
Rubber hunting boots surpass leather boots in terms of scent because rubber molecules are tightly packed together. As a result, the smell coming out of the shoes will not escape anymore. Scent control is crucial when deer hunting; it makes perfect sense to opt for rubber hunting boots.
What’s the best fit for hunting boots?
When you go shopping for rubber hunting boots, you need to ensure that you get the right fit. Look for boots with a snug fit around your ankles and instep. Your toes should move comfortably inside the boots. Size up the boots if you sense any cut-off circulation or pinching. Walk around with the boots on and look for a surface on which to walk up and down. Once you buy the boots, make sure to break them in before going hunting.
Will your rubber hunting boots stretch?
Most of the time, it’s not difficult to stretch out rubber boots for a perfect and comfortable fit. Use some ice to stretch out the tow and heat to loosen up the less comfortable areas. A boot stretcher remains the most effective tool to stretch the rubber boots fully.