Dryshod's Evalusion hunting boots are perfect for turkey hunters. (Photo courtesy of Dryshod)
April 23, 2024
By Lynn Burkhead
Chasing spring gobblers in the southeast a few days ago, I happened to notice that I was just inside the northern most range of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Meaning that while the odds of me getting struck were slim, they were not zero either.
Since there were also a few copperheads and water moccasins sure to be slithering about in the part of the state that I was headed to, I decided not to take any chances. And with that, into my duffle bag went a pair of lace up snake boots, something that I depend on in Texas each and every spring.
But as it turned out, it was mud and heavy rainfall that I had to worry about most on my turkey hunt, not something fanged and venomous. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of turkey hunting boots for your hunting needs in 2024 and beyond, whether you’re looking for snake protection, the ability to wade through knee-deep mud and water, or even to lace ‘em up and strike out on a cross country trek during a run-and-gun turkey hunt.
Cabela's Treadfast 2.0 GORE-TEX Side Zip Snake Boot Waterproof and breathable, there's plenty for turkey hunters to like about the new Cabela's Treadfast 2.0 GORE-TEX Side Zip Snake boots .
Advertisement
A performance hunting boot that gives protection from water, mud and snakes, this tough full-grain leather hunting boot has 600-denier textile uppers and a GORE-TEX waterproof and breathable membrane that will keep your feet dry, comfortable and protected no matter what type of terrain you're chasing a gobbler in this spring.
With an Ultralight TC3 OrthoLite cushioned, memory-foam insole that gives three levels of top-shelf cushioning to your feet, not to mention a BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tire-thread inspired Treadfast outsole and proprietary tread design, and this is a boot that will get you anywhere, power you through whatever the turkey woods can dish out, and make you forget you've even got a pair of waterproof snakeproof boots on during it all.
Add in medial side zippers and a lace-up design, and these boots are easy on in the morning, easy off in the evening, and a winning design for all day long comfort in between. And with brown leather and TrueTimber uppers, you'll look like a winner in turkey hunting camp too!
Advertisement
Danner Sharptail Snake Boot Side-Zips If you're familiar with hunting boots, then you probably know that the Danner Sharptail lineup has an almost cult-like following and is considered by many as one of the top hunting boots ever designed.
But upland bird hunters aren’t the only ones who enjoy the Sharptail lineup, and now turkey hunters can see what all of the fuss is about this boot model thanks to the Danner Sharptail Snake Boot Side-Zip model . This boot features full-grain leather and 900 Denier nylon uppers, a 100-percent waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex (GTX) lining, 360 degree Snake Guard protection, a lace-up and side-zip entry system for ease of getting the boots on and off, and a removable Ortholite Footbed for the ultimate in cushioning and foot support throughout the day.
Checking in at 70 ounces. per pair, this boot comes in brown, is 17 inches in height, is non-insulated, is built on Danner's 851 last that fits true to form to a hunter’s foot along with an athletic and supportive fit. Add in a 365-day warranty, and it’s tough to beat a pair of Danner Sharptails!
Dryshod Evalusion Hunt Camo/Bark boot Versatile enough to handle a variety of terrain, this Dryshod Evalusion Hunt Camo Bark Boot will make plenty of turkey hunters plenty happy this spring.
Checking in at 12-percent less weight than other comparable lightweight models in the Dryshod lineup, the Evalusion model has DUREVA, the company's exclusive leading-edge fusion compound that is durable enough to eliminate the need for a secondary rubber sole while still providing stability on uneven turf as well as exceptional comfort and energy return all day long.
With a multi-lug tread design, this boot offers superior fit and comfort, all while helping power a gobbler getter through pine woods, swampy bottomlands, and rocky hill tops in a quest for a long-spurred, paintbrush beard dragging, lovesick gobbler who just can't keep quiet.
Add in a four-way stretch breathable Airmesh lining, Hydrokote water-repellency, camo uppers, a steel shank, sturdy tuck board sub-soles for hard hiking hunts, and roll-down calf pipe abilities when you get back to camp, and this boot is an all-day, all-terrain winner from Dryshod.
Frogg Toggs Canebrake Snake Boot When turkey hunters think of the need for snake protection, they might tend to think of rattlers on the western prairie as they chase a Rio Grande gobbler in Texas. But hunters in the tradition-rich turkey hunting states of the southeastern U.S. might disagree, noting that there are plenty of onery cottonmouths in swampy backwater terrain where big gobblers grow old.
That's where the Frogg Toggs comes in. Its Canebrake Snake Boot comes in handy, a 100-percent waterproof design that features snake bite-resistant leather and nylon uppers in Mossy Oak's Bottomland camo pattern. Add in a moisture wicking lining, a speed lacing system, and protective toe bumpers and this is one tough yet stylish boot.
Checking in with a 16-inch height, a lace-up and side-zipper entry system, dual density comfort insoles, and a durable traction lug design for secure footing and this is a comfortable and rugged boot that will give many miles of turkey hunting use down through the springtime seasons to come.
Irish Setter VaprTrek hunting boot In the world of turkey hunting boots, knee high rubber boots and side-zip snake boots have dominated this particular niche of the boot market for a long time. But for some spring gobbler getters, it isn't protection from fangs or mud that are necessary for springtime success, but a lightweight boot that can span many miles in the prairies and foothill country of the West, and maybe even the vast pine forest lands of the southeast where you’ve got to move quickly to intercept a lovesick gobbler on the move.
That's when a run-and-gun mobile type of hunting boot shines brightest and the Irish Setter VaprTrek fits the bill in such settings. An 8-inch waterproof leather boot, this boot keeps a hunter hidden thanks to the Earth Field Camo leather and remains durable no matter what thanks to the abrasion-resistant ArmaTec XT material that resists rocks, thorns and uneven terrain that can break other boots down.
With Irish Setter's UltraDry waterproofing system, this boot will keep your feet dry when you have to cross a creek, while the ScentBan technology will kill bacteria at bay and help eliminate odor as you work up a sweat. Add in Irish Setter's ENERG material and CuShin comfort tongue technology, and you'll have a boot that is comfortable and helps fight fatigue no matter how many steps you take in a day of trekking after turkeys.
LaCrosse Alpha Agility Snake Boot Rubber hunting boot, meet snake protection and athletic shoe. Because this LaCrosse Alpha Agility Snake Boot isn't one of the old clunker rubber boot models of your grandfather’s past that didn't mold to your feet and threatened to rub a blister on your heel if you did much hiking during the day.
Instead, this LaCrosse rubber boot is a light weight, flexible, and comfortable model that envelops the contours of your foot, ankle, and calves, all while offering snake protection, along with a durable and waterproof boot as you hike about in the wet stuff.
With Lacrosse’s premium hand-laid rubber over a 5mm coating of insulating neoprene material, this boot has a comfort liner that wicks away moisture, an active fit design that keeps the boot secure on your foot, a kick-off heel plate to help shed these boots quickly back in the lodge mudroom, an Alpha Agility outsole as you negotiate rocky hills and swampy bottomlands, and of course, Snake Guard protection if you encounter a surly slithering kind of critter in the woods.
Non-insulated, these rubber snake boots are 17" tall, weigh only 4.9 lbs. per pair, and come in either brown or Mossy Oak Obsession , the official pattern of the National Wild Turkey Federation .
LaCrosse Venom II hunting boot Where I typically spring turkey hunt in Texas, run-and-gun hunting is a preferred method to chase Rio Grande gobblers in the rocky, wind swept prairie country not far from my home. The Cross Timbers region, not to mention the Hill Country and South Texas Brush Country, are all home to plenty of Rio Grande gobblers, as well as a few western diamondback rattlesnakes, including the one that almost got me during a spring hunt years ago.
Since that encounter, I usually turkey hunt with something like LaCrosse's Venom II Turkey Hunting boots on almost every spring hunt I've been on in the Lone Star State. An earlier version of these boots is a favorite of mine in the spring turkey woods, boots that offer snake protection as well as an athletic shoe feel that doesn’t wear me during a long day of running and gunning turkeys with a Lamar Williams boat paddle box call made necessary by the Texas wind that seems to always blow.
Constructed with full-grain leather and 1000 Denier nylon uppers, these boots feature a breathable Dry-Core waterproof barrier for negotiating a pond’s edge or creek bottom, a Windrose outsole for traversing rough and hilly terrain, a lace-up and side-zipper system to help get into and out of these boots at camp, and Snake Guard protection that won’t weigh you down.
Offered in Mossy Oak Obsession, the Venom II boot checks in at 18" tall and gives turkey hunter’s chasing longbeards in snake country a little peace of mind as they let some turkey yelping melodies loose upon the wind.
Muck Fieldblazer hunting boot One of the challenges of spring turkey hunting in the southeast is the longbeard rich low country where a big old backwoods gobbler sounds off every morning, secure in his swampy fortress that threatens to suck a boot right off a hunter’s foot with every quiet and cautious step at dawn.
Except for hunters wearing Muck Trailblazer boots , of course, one of the finest waterproof sport boots in its class thanks to superior fit, performance, and feel that hunters have come to rely on during Muck's quarter century of boot making excellence.
Coming in Mossy Oak Bottomland, this boot has a quadruple heel, a triple toe, Achilles reinforcement, a high-traction waffle sole, and double instep rubber. Add in a stretch-fit comfort topline binding that binds to the calf snuggly, a 5mm CR Flex-Foam neoprene liner that is 100% waterproof, and an XPRESSCOOL lining to wick away moisture and aid air-flow through the boot, and there's much to like in this classic model from Muck.
At 15.9 inches in height, this boot is easy on, easy off and provides waterproof comfort in the turkey woods as hunters go out in a variety of conditions ranging from sub-freezing temps all the way up into the 60s and beyond. And it's so comfortable that you can wear a pair of these Muck Trailblazer boots all day long and hardly notice you’ve got them on as you finish plucking out the feathered form of the old Swamp King that finally met his maker.
RedHead Camo Utility Waterproof Rubber Boots Simplicity, comfort and waterproof abilities are hallmarks of the RedHead Camo Utility Waterproof Rubber Boots from Bass Pro Shops .
Coming off the store shelves 100 percent waterproof, these boots feature naturally insulating 5mm neoprene bootie construction, durable rubber overlays, rear pull tabs to aid the early morning chore of donning the boots in camp, built-in kick rims for easy off ability at camp later on in the day, steel shanks for great stability, molded rubber outsoles, and removable insoles.
With brown rubber bottoms and TrueTimber Strata camo uppers, these boots are rugged, check in at an average weight of 5-lbs. per pair, and give great protection from water, mud, sticks, rocks, and more as you try and fill that unused gobbler tag burning a hole in your back pocket.
Rocky Trophy Series Outdoor Boot Rocky is one of the nation's leading boot manufacturers down through the years, known for outstanding models like the Rocky Trophy Series Outdoor Boot .
This is a 14-inch high rubber boot in Realtree APX camo , a classic model that offers Rocky's well-known RWP (Rocky Waterproof) construction, lightweight and flexible design, and a durable multi-terrain rubber outsole for all-day treks through the turkey woods. Add in Rocky’s Air-Port Lite Sponge PU footbed (made with Memory Foam), rubber upper and 3mm neoprene bootie construction, and an adjustable gusset that aids in putting the boot on and pulling it off, and this is a comfortable and yet rugged rubber boot that checks a lot of boxes in the springtime turkey woods.
Better yet, this Rocky Trophy Series Outdoor Boot is a simple and yet high quality rubber boot design, one that turkey hunters can rely on for years to come.
