A question for some alaskan natives.
Back in the mid 80's i took three trips to NW Alaska. I hunted moose and caribou North of the Noatak in the NW Brooks range.
Back then we wore ankle fit hip boots or ankle fit burleys. Walking through the endless fields of "N" heads all day would just about kill you especially with a bad ankles. I remember having my feet so swollen and wet (due to sweat) by the end of the day I had to have my hunting partner help remove those boots and I was holding on to a tree! Plenty of blisters as well!
Has foot gear for traversing this terrain improved over the years?

EZ

EZ,

I lived in Western AK for 22 year and hunted there extensively. I also hunted the Brooks Range, the Wrangells, the Peninsula and South East AK. The only time I wore hip boats was if the hunt was conducted from a boat. Good waterproof hiking boots will serve for 95% of your needs and your feet will appreciate it. I always took two pairs in case one did get throughly wet.

Mark

+1

Good ankle support would be alot more important to me than constant water proofing, but then again I buy top quality clothing that dries quickly. There are also things like glacier socks and sourdough slippers that you can wear over your regular boots to cross streams and swamps. Look for good quality leather boots that are full grain with the burly side out. Continusly use water proofing and conditioner to keep the boots functional. Also use gaitors like those by Outdoor Research to increase water crossing heighth, protect your boots, and protect the bottom of your pants.

Brett

There ain't no leather boots that are going to keep you dry hunting the areas you describe- period. So you can forget that idea. Our moose hunting area is quite swampy and is accessed by airboat. We take hip boots with us and oftentimes will wear them on the boat. This, in case something happens and we have to get out of the boat. Otherwise, we generally keep the hip boots in camp. For daily wear for hunting, it's rubber knee-highs. These are large enough to allow a felt bottom liner to be inserted AND a quality arch support (read Danner) is placed on top of the liner. Extra liners are in camp in our gear and when in the field, our pants leg is inside the rolled up boot. In camp, we'll sometimes just roll the boot top down since it's cooler. This is done say in the morning when getting dressed and we plan to hit the field in a short time. In camp, at the end of the day, we wear a low cut, moccasin style rubber shoe and this works very well for it's intended purpose. Going back to the boots - At the end of the day, your feet will be damp. At night, we pull out the felt liner and pull off our socks. I wear 2 pair of socks in my boots, 1 light & 1 heavy. Both the socks AND the liner are placed either in my sleeping bag to dry or hung next to the wood stove for the next day.
On fitting the boots, you want a snug fit with the liner and arch support inserted and wear the same socks that you will wear on the trip. I've worn this setup even in the Brooks Range sheep hunting since there are large areas that are boggy. This setup is not the best but is a compromise and it will work. Should you have to traverse the "'N' word heads", care must be taken regardless of what you have on your feet. Again, there is NO leather that will give you both ankle support AND keep your feet dry. This from years of experience.
Bear in Fairbanks

maybe I was just lucky, but I wore a pair of Danner boots that Cabelas sells (the made in USA version that now sells for $300) on two Alaskan moose hunts, several elk hunts, several more Illinois and Missouri deer and rabbit hunts (in the snow a lot), and had both ankle support and dry feet. The boots themselves got wet as hell, but my feet stayed dry.

My favorite moose hunting boots are the rubber bottomed and leather upper ones from L.L. Bean and Schnee's. I SnoSeal the heck out of them and work it in with my wife's hair dryer. I like the chain tread for the "low land" moose hunts and the lug soles if I am in the foot hills. I have 3 or 4 pairs with 10" and 12" uppers. I put innersoles in them and a liner with a pair of Smart Wool socks. The boots are not insulated and I will wear heavier Smart Wool socks if needed. If I am hunting out of my boat on the Koyukuk or a few other places moose like to live I wear neoprene hip boots. My hard core sheep hunting buddies wear Lowa boots and I would too if they made them in a size 14 wide. Since they don't I wear some Gortex lined Danner boots. The only water proof boots I have seen are made from solid rubber. I think the biggest problem most hunters face with foot gear is with their feet. Most of us don't spend enough time in the Alaskan "bush" to get our feet toughened up. That's why we have blisters and lost toe nails. I always get new hunting boots in the winter and have them broken in or replaced if needed by hunting season.

I see lots of boots that are insulated, rubber boots and leather. What you posters think? Should you get insulated boots or have extra socks?

I've got a pair of heavily insulated (1200 gram)knee boots that I've worn for years but never in extreme Alaska conditions.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
EZ,

I lived in Western AK for 22 year and hunted there extensively. I also hunted the Brooks Range, the Wrangells, the Peninsula and South East AK. The only time I wore hip boats was if the hunt was conducted from a boat. Good waterproof hiking boots will serve for 95% of your needs and your feet will appreciate it. I always took two pairs in case one did get throughly wet.

Mark

+2

I take a good pair of gators with me with the waterproof boots your good.