[Rembrandt]

Tried deer hunting today in 3'-6' snow drifts.....not fun. Did more crawling and trying to get un-stuck. Anyone ever hunt wearing snowshoes? Tips, secrets, good, bad?

[tactikel]

Never hunted in snowshoes, but have used them a bit when I was younger. They work well, but take some getting used to. you end up walking with your feet apart. How much you weigh (with pack) and how light the snow is determines the size and shape of the shoes. I used wood frames with and rawhide or plastic webbing and plastic bindings. I heard the metal shoes with nylon are very strong, but can ice up faster than wood. Snowshoes work very well for short distances, for longer treks get them well in advance and practice with them as soon as the snow allows. I always used 1-2 ski poles. The wider shoes are more stable and hold more weight, but are tough to manuever thru brush.-narrower, longer shoes will get you thru tight trails in the woods.
Women and children can use smaller shoes (and still stay up on the snow). It is better to have shoes too big than too small, if you cant stay up on the snow it is VERY tough going!

[countertop]

I have wooden Tubbs oval shows - built for mountain and hilly travel (oval bear claw shape) vs long distance flat shoes (tear drop shape). The aluminum shoes that have come out are great too, but I love the wood and rawhide.

Looking more forward to getting out on them than anything else this weekend. Its been a long time since we had a decent snowfall in DC.

[Rembrandt]

Thanks for the tips.....another big snow coming in next week on top of 16" we already have drifted. Can't hunt in this stuff now, will only get worse.

[Dr.Rob]

I had a friend who did that in Wyoming. His advice? Do a LOT of snowshoeing before you try hunting with them on.

[Ditch-Tiger]

First off, let me start off by saying that i am not a small man.
Now that thats out of the way, i will say that i tried it once...(and never again!)
A friend of mine and i decided that we had had enough of being snowed in and that we would borrow his uncles snow shoes and go rabbit hunting. After an hour and a half of falling down and through the snow, all the while sweating in sub-zero temps to the point that i thought if i stopped to cool down i would most likely contract hypothermia imediatley but still couldn't help pulling layers upon layers of clothing off, I finally came to the conclusion, that if hell has an exercise, it's snow shoeing!!!

FYI- the rabbits stayed safe that day. If any died, it was becuase the laughed themselves to death...we never fired a shot.

[buck460XVR]

I use a traditional wood/rawhide shoes in the Michigan (Maine or Beaver-tail) style. It is a compromise between the bear-paw and the Alaskan or Yukon style. Snowshoeing is a lot like traditional cross-country skiing, where you lift your foot only to make the shoe clear enough to slide it forward for your next step. Trying to walk will just wear you out and make you fall. Once you get the gait and figure out how to keep from stepping on the other shoe and tripping yourself, it's quite easy. Good bindings make all the difference in the world.


When rabbit hunting, beware of the dogs getting tired and lettin' you break trail. They end up gettin' too close behind you and steppin' on your tails......makin' you wind up face first in the snow.

[Rembrandt]

Got these made by Yukon Charlie. Now to try them out....


http://www.yukoncharlies.com/YukonCharlies/Trail_Series-Mens_files/droppedImage.png

[BFE]

Wish I had some back when hunting in Alberta a few years ago. That was the only time I felt like I really needed some but would have used some other times over the years.

[Sunray]

Pay close attention to tactikel's post. Just moving on snowshoes, when you're not used to 'em, is exhausting. Your legs have to be spread like you have a crotch rash. Even with Ojibway style(every native tribe had their own style, suited to local conditions), long and relatively narrow snowshoes.
Most of 'em require different footwear too. Regular, hard soled, hunting boots don't work well. Soft soled boots, like a mukluk, are required.
"...the metal shoes..." CF issue metal with wire snowshoes are great. Al frames, I think. I've heard magnesium. (Don't believe that though and I've used 'em.) Light weight, reasonable size, even for big, heavy, trooopies. Cheap, they ain't, on the surplus market. Nearly $200Cdn, last I saw. They seriously beat traditional wood frame snowshoes.

[caribou]

yep.
Great way to hunt in the willows, for birds and rabbits, as well as make it easy to travle a decent distance where the snow is deep.
Good for crossing thin ice too.

Silent and cheap, its a bit different than ski'n but they have use for sure.

[qajaq59]

Yup, many years ago I used them for small game. They're great in deep snow. And they are silent as can be. But you'd better get used to them long before you head out if you're going any great distance. They do tired you badly if you're not used to them.

[MCgunner]

I've seen snow a couple of times. Was too busy building snow men before it melted to bother with hunting. :D Snow is a major event down here, world news, stop the presses! :D

[Rembrandt]

I've seen snow a couple of times. Was too busy building snow men before it melted to bother with hunting. Snow is a major event down here, world news, stop the presses!


Not sure they make snowshoes for pointy toed cowboy boots.....so you're probably OK.

[justashooter in pa]

snowshoes do not work well on fresh powder. they are no good for what just fell in front of my house yesterday (24" of powder). they work best on snow that has taken a crisp, after a few days of sunshine.

[buck460XVR]

snowshoes do not work well on fresh powder. they are no good for what just fell in front of my house yesterday (24" of powder). they work best on snow that has taken a crisp, after a few days of sunshine.

I actually prefer powder as the snow falls readily thru the webbing and you don't have to lift your feet so high as the tips will glide thru the powder instead of catching and sticking like they do in crusted or wet type snows. Also your shoes don't slip and slide like they do with wet or crusted snow. But that's just me. From my experience, most folk that have trouble with powder are using too small of shoe for their weight. Tactikel said it well...... It is better to have shoes too big than too small, if you cant stay up on the snow it is VERY tough going!