Elk Hunting Boots – Advice

I’m starting to put together a gear list for my Archery Elk hunt this fall down in New Mexico and first and foremost it looks like I’ll need to be investing in a new pair of boots. I’ve been doing some research over the past month and I never knew there was a whole new level (and price tag) when it came to western footwear.

Here are a few details – The hunt is from Sept 15-24th and the average temperatures for the time of year are about mid 80s to 90 degrees as highs and low 50s as a low, so uninsulated would be the route to go. It looked like last year they got a fair amount of rain during that time period so waterproof would be nice.

We won’t be packing in gear, just equipment we will need to hunt, ie a small pack, maybe a little bit heavier due to camera gear.

Anybody have personal experience or good suggestions?

I was looking at a few options right off the bat:

Lowa Tibet GTX

Salomon Quest 4D GTX

Vasque Breeze 2.0 GTX

Another one I saw when I was at a local sporting goods store was the Irish Setter Vaprtrek, they were really lightweight and seemed like a good boot.

Ben,
I go regardless of hunting or photography and have 3 strong suggestions for you. 1. COMFORT
2. Arch / Ankle support
3. Water PROOF
The very first thing I learned was how much the terrain can change from grassy to loose rock and the abuse your arches and ankles take. Next was the need for waterproof. I cross through so many creeks and streams that I never would have thought existed at high elevations.

Rather than dumping $300+ into a single pair, I would go for two pair of boots. Especially if you know you’ll be in a lot of rocky environment where you want the taller support well above your ankles.

I opted for a Cabelas branded gortex boot and a pair of Keen Targhee which is about equivalent to those you listed. Difference was i paid about $95 for my Keens

That’s a really good idea Randy. How have the Targhees been? Do you get enough ankle support with the shorter boots? To tell you the truth, I’m not sure entirely what kind of terrain I’m going to be experiencing.

I like the Keens for the general terrain and long haul walking. The few areas i get into that are sliding rocks, I go for the bigger boot. Volley ball sized rock can break your ankle or bones in your foot. Not exactly a 5 minute ride to the ER in case. So i give up weight and some mobility when I’m in the rocks.

Pics are a random sampling of where I’m at

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If the weather is hot, you may be trucking way up to much higher elevations. Luckily for you, NM isn’t known for much rain

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For about 20 years I wore Danner 11 inch leather boots with air bob soles. Great boots, but heavy. Then I went with Asolo 6 inch, which are great. Now, I wear Kenetrek Bridger Ridge 6 inch, also a very nice boot, waterproof, light, good traction and not to hot. Cut your toe nails short to prevent black toe, wear 2 pair of socks (liner and a light wool), and I buy my boots 1/2 size larger then street shoes as going down hill can do some damage on your toes. I don’t climb as many rocks now, so the shorter, lighter, non-leather boots work great for me. Hope you have a super hunt.

Very Interesting…I like the thought of a lighter boot, and I don’t believe the terrain is very treacherous by any means so don’t think a boot like the Lowa Tibet at over 4lbs would be the best. When would one want to make the switch to leather boots, what type of conditions?

We used to hunt in an area that had large areas of shale rock on a pretty steep mountain side, of course the elk were always above or below the shale, and the shortest/fastest way was to just cross the shale, although it was not the easiest. The shale would twist/slip/slide as we walked on it cutting into your ankles which the leather protected. My buddy also had weak ankles which the 11 inch leather helps to support from all the twisting.

Ben, where in NM are you going?

I’m planning on making the rounds around town tomorrow to try them all on. I’m heading down to hunt a private ranch by the Gila NF. Supposedly it’s pretty incredible land.

Ben, My brother-n-law’s brother and kids have been been on hunts down there a few times. He echoed Bull’s advise above on shorter and lighter being better for down there. Said he didn’t have anywhere as much rubble rock as Colorado or Wyoming. Make sure you get your boots early and break them in well in advance of going

Hope you don’t run into a heat wave out there….

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I’m thinking about going with a couple pairs of boots like you said Randy. I’ve got a pair of Merrill Moabs, I think might work, otherwise I tried on the Kenetrek boots and liked them the best.

However, It’s really got me thinking after putting on the Lowa Tibets. Heavier yes, not nearly as light weight as any of the other boots but I was very impressed with the ankle support and feel of the boots.

Another thing the sales associate was talking to me about was future trips. I do plan on a lot more hunts out west, and some backcountry pack trips too. So my thought now is buying a leather boot and use them in conjunction with the Moabs down in New Mexico and now I’d be set for future hunts too.

Randy Wieland wrote:

Hope you don’t run into a heat wave out there….

If I run into a heatwave like that….you’ll find me laying in the wallows with the bulls umbrella drink in my hand.

I have a number of Vasque shoes and boots (not the specific one you linked) and have been very impressed! Plus it’s a subsidiary of Red Wing shoe’s, and as we all know you can’t beat a MN company!

I have a pair of 6 inch leather Vasque too, very good boot, good support, just a couple of ounces heavier, good traction and they have lasted a long time with an occasional dressing of Pecard Leather Care. There are several good brands, select the one that fits you best.

I drew a tag in Wyoming this year. I bought a pair of the Lowas and have been very impressed. It took a couple weeks to break them in, but after that painful process they are an amazing boot. Great support and very comfortable.

Anyone looking at the Kenetrek Bridger Ridge High’s. They seem somewhat hard to find. Scheels in Rochester couldn’t even place an order for them from Kenetrek as they are out. I did find this site selling them on clearance for $119.99 with free shipping if anyone is interested.

Kenetrek Bridger

I would echo Randy.
Get a couple pairs. Wearing them hiking around in that warm of temps, your feet will get hot.. your going to want to give them a rest between days (spray down with scent killer, stick them on a boot dryer)… even if just for scent control.

I bring a few pairs of boots to Colorado elk hunts in Sept. But the Keens Targee performed awesome out there. Would definitely recommend them. The Danner 453 boot was my alternate. Both mid ankle support and it was good. Colorado is alot more rugged than NM. I also brought a light pair of knee high rubbers ( but Colorado is known for big rains) don’t think you’ll have that problem.

Are we going to see a HARVEST CHRONICLES from this trip?

This reply is horribly late but I want to put my 2 cents in for future reference. I too struggled with what to wear on an elk hunt. My first trip out I settled on a cheaper pair of Hanwags (Dakota) that worked just fine. In hindsight, I should have had a little stiffer boot but I made through the trip with no problems. It rained an INSANE amount the entire time we were out. To the point where we came out a day early and I took an 8 mile detour to get the four wheeler off the mountain. I never had wet feet from water. You will never stop your feet from being wet from perspiration. I like the Hanwags so much they became my upland hunting boot. This year I bought a pair of Lowa Cevedale Tech-Light Hunters. I have extremely narrow feet and the Tibets were just too wide. The Tech-Lights were perfect. Even though there was nowhere near the break-in time of Tibets or Kenetrek boots, they worked great. I plan on getting many years of use out of them. I packed out 2 elk and put on over 60 miles in the back country with the Tech-Lights. I was happy with every step. One note to add; since trying the Synergy foot beds from Lathrop and Sons, I have put them in every boot I own. They truly make a difference.
My hunting partners have had good luck with Meindl Denali, Lowa Tibet, and Kenetrek Hardscrabble. I will be buying another set of boots in the near future for a backup mountain boot and upland boot. I am looking hard at Crispi and Zamberlan as well as the brands already mentioned.