I was 14 years old when my Pa woke me up. We drove a long, long way away. I gad no idea where when we went then. I am less sure now.

I had tried to deer hunt before that in a pair of gum boats and white socks for gloves. I was always frozen out.

Wherever we went was a huge 2 story boot store. I have no idea how we picked out these boots. They were heavy canvas with Gortex, and 1000 gram thinsulste.

There is no brand on them. I can find nothing like them on the internet.

I have worn them ever since. I am 34 now. My feet had never been cold. I have killed a couple of my turkeys, all but 1 whitetail, and all my elk in those boots.

The laces are split at the tie ends and fused into the boot. They a permanently in a state of either pulled right or just slack enough to get my foot in and out. They fit beyond perfect.

The canvas at the toe has worn through.

These boots, the heavy hunting coat, a 30/06, and bibs are the tangible things I have left from my Pa.

This last cow elk in a Wyoming Winter, with deep snow will be their last hunt. They mean too much to me to discard. I have no children.

There is a 12 year old that I have taken hunting the last few seasons. He had two bucks to his name with me. Two really big bucks. One weighed 300 pounds on the scale. His first two are much bigger than mine.

I have gutted his last buck. At our lease Christmas Party, I host, I am going to present him with his own knife.

Soon, as soon as his foot can wear them, he will be hunting in these boots. I wonder how long he will wear them. What ridges he will see in them. What game he will walk up to with them. How often blood will stain the now faders green canvas with permanent brown from decades of dirt infused in the canvas into.


I saw so much my Pa never got to standing in those boots.

There are a lot of items that can bring back memories.

Boots not a chance for me. I worked/lived in boots for as long as I can remember.

99 percent have come and gone every couple of years.

The rest are there because they are still useful.

What a wonderful story and memories!

Speaking of boots...

When I moved here some 9 years ago I found a pair of hunting boots left in the woods on my land. There they sat, side by side, one tipped over. I call that place boot hill. They are leather boots, old, have been there a very long time, covered in lichens, mosses and old leaves. There is an old blind nearby.

I am sure there are some stories behind them. I like to think something special must have made the owner leave them there in the woods. My assumption is he killed the finest buck of his life there. Maybe a place where he enjoyed a final hunt with a loved one? I check on them at least once a year.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
There are a lot of items that can bring back memories.

Boots not a chance for me. I worked/lived in boots for as long as I can remember.

99 percent have come and gone every couple of years.

The rest are there because they are still useful.

I live in a pair of Red Wings. Rock Quarries were hard on them. However, I have only hunted in these boots.

I have a pair of cowboy KENETECH. Sorrells with a different sole for stirrups and a pointy toe..and they work on foot as well, and they have many options and never forget 'Whites packers" all leather boots that last 50 years of hard use then send them back and they rebuild them to as new...good stuff..TRue story: I found a pair in the city dump while dumping junk, Hmmm sent them to Whites, came back as new, fit one of my boys so gave them to him..Last pair of rebuilts cost me $65. Last new pair I bought cost $200 plus, but today the fetch $300 plus per pair, but thats double cheap in the long run.they last a lifetime..and mine got handed down, don't need them anymore..My hunting today only requires a pair of Justins.. Most all Idaho packers guides wear Whites as do USFS personnel and fire fighters..

That's a cool story yet I cannot imagine having a viable hunting boot for 20 years!

I'm a click older than the OP (double plus a year of his age) so maybe my next good pair will last me the rest of my life.... but I doubt it.....and hope not!

I have a friend who makes great custom knives and I've had him make one, with their name engraved, for each of my 5 kids when they started big game hunting. That tradition continues and I've had 2 made for grandkids so far. Only 11 more to go.

Zeke