I am going to hunt moose in northern Maine last week of September and first of October. We will be doing a float trip by canoe. We will be floating a mile or two at a time and then getting out to call and perhaps walk in off the river in swampy areas to set up for calling and stalking. Total of about 40 miles on the river. My question is what type of boot will be the best compromise for this type of hunting?
Knee high like the LeCrosse, regular hipp boots, waist high waders, full chest waders, boot-foot or stocking-foot?
I guess the real answer here is how deep and cold is the water going to be :D
I've never moose hunted, but it sounds like some similar terrain to some duck hunting I've done, and I've always preferred the chest waders with the 'built in boots'. Sorry I can't help more.
I have a set of chest waders with boot foot that are the thin fabric kind, with well insulated boots. ( Orvis is the brand name) I love them. My feet have never gotten cold in them , they are easy to get on and off, you can dress how ever you want under them, they are comfortable (to walk in too) and light weight and don't take up much space in you gear and give you WAY more options as far as where you can go/wade in terms of water depth. And,.. you can use them for duck season too. :D :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
when i guided i wore breathable stockingfoot chest waders, but i would buy a god pair of hiking boots sized to fit over them, usually i would get them off the returns rack at REI. anyhow, sacrifice the boots to the water, they will last a couple seasons but provide good support and traction. felt soles suck for hiking.
btw, you will likely need to go up 3 sizes to fit over waders.
The light chest waders are good, and you can get boot foot in camo, my buddy loves hem for duck hunting. If you are mostly using them for getting in and out of canoes and working through boggy areas I would go for hip waders. You can roll them down when moving on solid ground, and back up when getting to the wet areas. Helps keep the legs cool when moving, plus are a nice dark color. They also come in handy when skinning and quartering a big animal. I love my knee highs for general hunting, but if I was moving through the boggy areas up north the extra hieght would be nice.
Neoprene hip or waist waders would be my choice. I used neoprene hip boots on an Alaska moose hunt. Waist high would have been better. They're quieter and warmer than most others, not quite as durable, but easy to patch.
Thanks guys. All good advice. I think I will go with waist high light weight stocking foot with real boots over them similar to what homerdave recommended.