Why I wear snake boots

Glenn

I worked in forestry for several years and have been in some places no man should go. Have seen my share of cottonmouths and rattlesnakes, but have never been struck at that I know of.

I used to wear snake boots and chaps in my early days of forestry, but quickly got tired of wearing them and just stuck to a good pair of Danner boots or logging boots.

Most of snake bites happen to your hands, arms and upper body. 

Sure…snake boots do make it one feel better when cutting through tall grass or a palmetto head. I just can’t stand the weight of them and how hot they are.

bowhunter4life

Muck field blazers, with a snake chap is my choice. If I’m going over the boot in water,I’ll use sneakers or crocs with the chap. If I know exactly what I’m walking into and it’s not thick to the point I can’t see below my knees, I wear crocs and sock usually and no chaps. Most of the time I’m walking in thick stuff so this is my go to. They are light and comfortable and I wear a wool sock….. I’ve walked up on rattle snakes that let me get to close before letting me know they were there. I can’t afford a 100k plus medical bill, so I do my best to stay somewhat protected, yet comfortable.

tampaspicer

3 page thread of grown ups bickering over snake boots. 

JohnnyBandit

Pinman said:

JohnnyBandit said:

Pinman said:

Good lord I guess Ill have to write an explanation with every post - you see, the guys in the pit are wearing snake proof boots or chaps. But according to JB the boots are a waste of time and they must be "Nancy boys" and are scared of snakes. So why are they wearing them then? Carry on....

Now you are adding another spin on the situation....

Entering a "pit" full of rattlesnakes at a roundup or similar event is a completely different situation. 

A person that enters such a pit is surrounding themselves with a number of stressed out and highly agitated snakes.  Both the person and the snakes are in a confined space

That is just not a situation a person is going to find themselves in while in the woods. 

Keep trying   

Has absolutely nothing to do with snake proof boots being "a waste of time"  

Quit spreading falsehoods - if they didnt work those guys would not all be wearing them. 

As a "supposed" expert you are putting people in danger. 

I never said they did not work... I said they are a waste of time 

85 percent of venomous snake bites (and likely all snake bites but the non venomous ones are not tracked) are on the area of the fingers and hands.
13 percent of snake bites are on the feet and legs. But rarely above the ankle. 
55 percent of people bitten by venmous snakes are males between 17 and 27
28 percent of people were intoxicated at the time they were bitten. 

Denim can reduce the amount of venom injected by 60 percent or more.
Quality footwear that goes up to mid calf made of leather or other dense material offers significant protection against snakebite 

So I go back to my original comment.... They are a waste of time. 
Unless of course you want to go walking through a pit of snakes at a rattlesnake roundup. 
Which none of I are likely to do 

But I also said to each their own... IF a person feels better walking around in the woods wearing snake boots and chaps....  They should wear them. 

Snakebite statistic sources: Western Journal of Medicine, Wilderness Medical Society, New England Journal of Medicine, CDC, American Family Physician.

Tony Roma

joelunchbucket said:

Pinman said:

Look at all these Nancy boys in their snake boots.....skeert of snakes they are.

Rattlesnake Roundup: a Texas tradition runs into criticism | Reuters

Nancy boys? Maybe. Don’t know enough about them.

Knuckleheads? Definitely.

Not sure many here are trying to catch snakes when they go into the woods. JB and Grizz would be the exceptions to that. 

If you’re trying to catch a snake, you are among those most likely to be bitten. If you’re trying to avoid them rather than catch them, your chances of being bitten drop to almost zero.

To each their own, but for me, there isn’t enough risk to make me to want to skip the comforts of my normal footwear. 

My mom was a ER nurse in Osceola county for 10 years. She said almost 90 percent of people that were bitten were bitten on the hands and arms. Mostly  young men trying to handle them or very small children putting their hands into places without looking. 

swampdog

Something I’m curious about: I’ve watched a small rattlesnake strike a mouse in a small enclosure. The speed of the strike was so fast it hit and returned without seeming to affect the mouse. Shortly after, the mouse ceased to live. I’m reasoning that a rattlesnake strike is so fine tuned, it stops at penetration, injecting the venom and returns to the coiled position. If this is true, pants and any footwear should work in protecting us from a snake bite. If this is true.
I also believe snakes pick us up through vibrations, and if possible they move out of our line of travel. Otherwise the woods and trails would be full of trampled snakes where cattle and off road vehicles still range. Fast traveling vehicles arrive to quickly.

Pinman

tampaspicer said:

3 page thread of grown ups bickering over snake boots. 

Im having a good time!

Turner River Terror

There's about 9 Thousand acres of solid Woods behind my house.
There's also about 400 head of thousand pound cattle there as well. 
Them snakes learned a long time ago to get out of the way.
You want to Stand Your Ground... go ahead but you'll be buzzard food tomorrow.

FloridaOD

I have stepped on Snake with bare feet. Twice. Not intentionally. 

JohnnyBandit

Pinman said:

tampaspicer said:

3 page thread of grown ups bickering over snake boots. 

Im having a good time!

Me too!!!!! As long as  the subject is snakes.... I have fun.... I love catching them, talking about them...  Heck I like talking to them...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r33ydreOXNg

JohnnyBandit

swampdog said:

Something I’m curious about: I’ve watched a small rattlesnake strike a mouse in a small enclosure. The speed of the strike was so fast it hit and returned without seeming to affect the mouse. Shortly after, the mouse ceased to live. I’m reasoning that a rattlesnake strike is so fine tuned, it stops at penetration, injecting the venom and returns to the coiled position. If this is true, pants and any footwear should work in protecting us from a snake bite. If this is true.
I also believe snakes pick us up through vibrations, and if possible they move out of our line of travel. Otherwise the woods and trails would be full of trampled snakes where cattle and off road vehicles still range. Fast traveling vehicles arrive to quickly.

You bring up some very good points...

Leather boots, jeans, Khakis, etc provide a lot of protection.....

I have a VERY VERY bad habit of scooching really small snakes off the road or trail with my foot.. and I am speaking almost exclusively about doing this with dusky pygmys....  They cannot bite  through or above the Justin boots I usually wear... But do not do this... It is a bad idea.... During small game, I was in dinner with my wife.. and there was a tiny, likely newborn moccasin in the road... Some trucks were coming and I wanted to get it off the road real quick.... So I sort of scooched it with my foot.  One fang got hung up in my khaki pants... I thought it was funny and was laughing as I was shaking it off my pants... My wife just about had a coronary it was not fair to her because she has a history of heart issues and was really upset. Things were not pleasant in the truck for an hour or so....

And Pit Vipers do sense us and know where we  are via vibrations and heat. Snakes are considered deaf as they have no external ears... But they are extremely sensitive to vibrations.... Pit vipers also have pits beside their nostrils and can detect slight variations of temperatures.....

Speaking of getting trampled... Ever notice that all snakes will vibrate their tails when agitated... The Rattle on Rattlesnakes is an evolutionary adaption to help them warn off and avoid large hoofed animals. Bison etc.....

There is a species of Rattlesnake on Santa Catalina Island that has lost its rattle through evolution because there are no native large animals on the island.

Another point... since you brought up witnessing a rattlesnake strike a mouse.... I learned something 40 or so years ago..... When I first started keeping snakes in captivity..... I fed live prey.... I dropped a mouse, rat, etc in the cage... when the snake honed in on it and struck it was deadly accurate on the first strike... As my collection grew and began to include venomous species.... I started buying rodents frozen in bulk.... I would thaw and then soak in warm water to bring the temp up then dangle with tongs (for the venomous and big snakes) by the tail of the rodent for smaller safe stuff... Waving a thawed warm rodent in front and above of a snake will get a feeding strike if the snake is hungry.... But those same snakes that were deadly accurate if the prey is on the ground at eye level.... were horribly inaccurate when they struck upwards.....  Just a personal thought.... I think that is why most leg/foot bites are below the ankle... The snake is accurate striking forward but not so when they strike up.....

There is a caveat to that.... Arboreal species... Both venomous and non venomous seem to be good at striking in any direction and at any angle. And they do not let go....They hold on to their prey... so it does not fall to the ground.

Another interesting thing... if a rattlesnake strikes a rodent. It will hit it and release. Then wait and follow the scent trail to the dead rodent.... But if a rattlesnake strikes a bird. EDBs like quail, meadowlarks, etc and probably young  turkey pults.... The snake will hold on to a bird... so it does not have a chance to fly away and die where the snake cannot find it.

meateater

JohnnyBandit said:

Pinman said:

tampaspicer said:

3 page thread of grown ups bickering over snake boots. 

Im having a good time!

Me too!!!!! As long as  the subject is snakes.... I have fun.... I love catching them, talking about them...  Heck I like talking to them...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r33ydreOXNg

wanna hold my spitting cobra. 

bowhunter4life

meateater said:

JohnnyBandit said:

Pinman said:

tampaspicer said:

3 page thread of grown ups bickering over snake boots. 

Im having a good time!

Me too!!!!! As long as  the subject is snakes.... I have fun.... I love catching them, talking about them...  Heck I like talking to them...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r33ydreOXNg

wanna hold my spitting cobra. 

You might get a free pack of pork chops after that show and tell!..🤯

JohnnyBandit

bowhunter4life said:

meateater said:

JohnnyBandit said:

Pinman said:

tampaspicer said:

3 page thread of grown ups bickering over snake boots. 

Im having a good time!

Me too!!!!! As long as  the subject is snakes.... I have fun.... I love catching them, talking about them...  Heck I like talking to them...

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/r33ydreOXNg

wanna hold my spitting cobra. 

You might get a free pack of pork chops after that show and tell!..🤯

LMAO Doubtful...

Turner River Terror

Fun Fact...
Dave Shealy owns Trail Lakes Campground in the heart of Big Cypress.. Avid Bowhunter , Hunts barefoot and has for years.
Bet he's seen more snakes than anybody here.

JohnnyBandit

Turner River Terror said:

Fun Fact...
Dave Shealy owns Trail Lakes Campground in the heart of Big Cypress.. Avid Bowhunter , Hunts barefoot and has for years.
Bet he's seen more snakes than anybody here.

He sees a lot of skunkapes as well 

Pinman

JohnnyBandit said:

swampdog said:

Something I’m curious about: I’ve watched a small rattlesnake strike a mouse in a small enclosure. The speed of the strike was so fast it hit and returned without seeming to affect the mouse. Shortly after, the mouse ceased to live. I’m reasoning that a rattlesnake strike is so fine tuned, it stops at penetration, injecting the venom and returns to the coiled position. If this is true, pants and any footwear should work in protecting us from a snake bite. If this is true.
I also believe snakes pick us up through vibrations, and if possible they move out of our line of travel. Otherwise the woods and trails would be full of trampled snakes where cattle and off road vehicles still range. Fast traveling vehicles arrive to quickly.

During small game, I was in dinner with my wife.. and there was a tiny, likely newborn moccasin in the road... Some trucks were coming and I wanted to get it off the road real quick.... So I sort of scooched it with my foot.  One fang got hung up in my khaki pants... I thought it was funny and was laughing as I was shaking it off my pants... My wife just about had a coronary it was not fair to her because she has a history of heart issues and was really upset. Things were not pleasant in the truck for an hour or so.... 

That wouldnt have happened if you had been wearing Snake boots.....just sayin......

Turner River Terror

JohnnyBandit said:

Turner River Terror said:

Fun Fact...
Dave Shealy owns Trail Lakes Campground in the heart of Big Cypress.. Avid Bowhunter , Hunts barefoot and has for years.
Bet he's seen more snakes than anybody here.

He sees a lot of skunkapes as well 

When you don't have big ti,ts and want to advertise your Campground to City folk you got to come up with a shick..
Skunk Ape from the Dark Mysterious Glades will work real nice.
His brother Jack is pretty close to the same size...just sayin

JohnnyBandit

Pinman said:

JohnnyBandit said:

swampdog said:

Something I’m curious about: I’ve watched a small rattlesnake strike a mouse in a small enclosure. The speed of the strike was so fast it hit and returned without seeming to affect the mouse. Shortly after, the mouse ceased to live. I’m reasoning that a rattlesnake strike is so fine tuned, it stops at penetration, injecting the venom and returns to the coiled position. If this is true, pants and any footwear should work in protecting us from a snake bite. If this is true.
I also believe snakes pick us up through vibrations, and if possible they move out of our line of travel. Otherwise the woods and trails would be full of trampled snakes where cattle and off road vehicles still range. Fast traveling vehicles arrive to quickly.

During small game, I was in dinner with my wife.. and there was a tiny, likely newborn moccasin in the road... Some trucks were coming and I wanted to get it off the road real quick.... So I sort of scooched it with my foot.  One fang got hung up in my khaki pants... I thought it was funny and was laughing as I was shaking it off my pants... My wife just about had a coronary it was not fair to her because she has a history of heart issues and was really upset. Things were not pleasant in the truck for an hour or so.... 

That wouldnt have happened if you had been wearing Snake boots.....just sayin......

LMAO... True... but I would have looked pretty ridiculous riding around in my truck wearing snake boots...

What I really need to do is stop taking chances....

FloridaOD

Turner River Terror said:

Fun Fact...
Dave Shealy owns Trail Lakes Campground in the heart of Big Cypress.. Avid Bowhunter , Hunts barefoot and has for years.
Bet he's seen more snakes than anybody here.

Going Barefoot In The Woods would likely make one more alert, able to see Snakes, other things. 

I have done so. 

Super alert. 

The Blindfold Thang...... have “ Snake Boots” or other covering on feet. Both Feet. 

Crkr23

I remember reading of " Old Tom Gaskins" running for miles in the cypress when he was like 80 yrs old. He supposedly would do like a 100 pushups and do his run every day, certainly a tougher breed of cat than we are today. Back to the subject, never read of him being snake bit.

Turner River Terror

I have one of Tom Gaskins wood Turkey box calls. 

Pinman

Turner River Terror said:

I have one of Tom Gaskins wood Turkey box calls. 

Shot my first 2 Turkeys using one, is stamped "Palmdale, FL". New ones, made by his son I think, are stamped "Venus, FL". I bought one of the new ones and put the "Palmdale" one on the shelf. 

Pinman

JohnnyBandit said:

Pinman said:

JohnnyBandit said:

swampdog said:

Something I’m curious about: I’ve watched a small rattlesnake strike a mouse in a small enclosure. The speed of the strike was so fast it hit and returned without seeming to affect the mouse. Shortly after, the mouse ceased to live. I’m reasoning that a rattlesnake strike is so fine tuned, it stops at penetration, injecting the venom and returns to the coiled position. If this is true, pants and any footwear should work in protecting us from a snake bite. If this is true.
I also believe snakes pick us up through vibrations, and if possible they move out of our line of travel. Otherwise the woods and trails would be full of trampled snakes where cattle and off road vehicles still range. Fast traveling vehicles arrive to quickly.

During small game, I was in dinner with my wife.. and there was a tiny, likely newborn moccasin in the road... Some trucks were coming and I wanted to get it off the road real quick.... So I sort of scooched it with my foot.  One fang got hung up in my khaki pants... I thought it was funny and was laughing as I was shaking it off my pants... My wife just about had a coronary it was not fair to her because she has a history of heart issues and was really upset. Things were not pleasant in the truck for an hour or so.... 

That wouldnt have happened if you had been wearing Snake boots.....just sayin......

LMAO... True... but I would have looked pretty ridiculous riding around in my truck wearing snake boots...

What I really need to do is stop taking chances....

Yeah, I always try to make sure I look fashionable in the woods too....I stay home if my matching camo isnt clean.....

JB, I noticed a reoccurring theme in your snake posts and photos. The Road. H*** I could wear my Dollar General flip flops if I stayed in the truck or on the road. But Im sometimes waist deep in Palmettos after a 2 mile walk...

JohnnyBandit

Pinman said:

JohnnyBandit said:

Pinman said:

JohnnyBandit said:

swampdog said:

Something I’m curious about: I’ve watched a small rattlesnake strike a mouse in a small enclosure. The speed of the strike was so fast it hit and returned without seeming to affect the mouse. Shortly after, the mouse ceased to live. I’m reasoning that a rattlesnake strike is so fine tuned, it stops at penetration, injecting the venom and returns to the coiled position. If this is true, pants and any footwear should work in protecting us from a snake bite. If this is true.
I also believe snakes pick us up through vibrations, and if possible they move out of our line of travel. Otherwise the woods and trails would be full of trampled snakes where cattle and off road vehicles still range. Fast traveling vehicles arrive to quickly.

During small game, I was in dinner with my wife.. and there was a tiny, likely newborn moccasin in the road... Some trucks were coming and I wanted to get it off the road real quick.... So I sort of scooched it with my foot.  One fang got hung up in my khaki pants... I thought it was funny and was laughing as I was shaking it off my pants... My wife just about had a coronary it was not fair to her because she has a history of heart issues and was really upset. Things were not pleasant in the truck for an hour or so.... 

That wouldnt have happened if you had been wearing Snake boots.....just sayin......

LMAO... True... but I would have looked pretty ridiculous riding around in my truck wearing snake boots...

What I really need to do is stop taking chances....

Yeah, I always try to make sure I look fashionable in the woods too....I stay home if my matching camo isnt clean.....

JB, I noticed a reoccurring theme in your snake posts and photos. The Road. H*** I could wear my Dollar General flip flops if I stayed in the truck or on the road. But Im sometimes waist deep in Palmettos after a 2 mile walk...

Yes because I move the snakes off the roads so people will not purposely run them over... Wearing flip flops when handling venomous snakes regardless of where  they are is not a good idea. Mistakes and accidents happen and your feet are the most likely place to take a strike.

I do some walking and see snakes. Due to health reasons, I seldom walk more than a half mile away from the truck. That means the most I would have to walk back to the truck is a half mile.....  When it is real hot I often do not walk much at all unless it is early or late... Damaged Lungs. (That is a big reason I have not deer hunted in in recent years... If I did kill a deer and I was by myself, I would not have the wind to drag it out.)

Crkr23

I sure am glad that in my life that I have built a network of friends and God children that I can call for help finding and getting deer out of the woods. I can make less than 3 calls and one of them will be there at the drop of a hat. I couldn't imagine going through life without friends like that.

hoggator

saw this beauty last night.  This morning my daughter asked why we couldn’t walk up to the birds we roosted with our flashlights on since we were going to walk down the path of that huge rattle snake.  I said “that’s why I wear snake proof boots.”  Follow my footsteps.  

Crkr23

I use to razz newbies about walking in the thick, "Snakes always get the second person on the trail, the first person just p i s s e s them off". I certainly wouldn't do that to a young'un though.

hoggator

 Crk, I used that same line a few times.  😂
picture took a while to upload.  Only had one bar out here.  Possibly the longest and definitely the fattest I have ever seen.  

Crkr23

That's a big one, glad the encounter wasn't any closer.