Snake Boots, Gaiters & Chaps

Southern Missouri has a few rattlesnakes scattered here and there, but we have plenty of copperheads and cottonmouths. Cottonmouths are flat out mean! One of the reasons I dislike wade fishing Ozark streams.
 
I read somewhere that a rattlesnake can strike at least two thirds the lengh of their own body.I dont know about that though I havent ever measured the ones that struck at me.I had a 3 1/2 footer get so mad that struck and it practically lifted off of the ground and it struck so far that its whole body was stretched out.By the time it got coiled up again its head was gone.That thing didnt miss my shin by very far at all.I was standing probably two feet away from it before it struck.So Im gonna say it struck a distance of 2 feet and some inches since it didnt connect with my shin luckily.If you have big snakes like Diamondbacks or Timber Rattlers you need chaps or the tallest boots you can find.Alot taller than 15" for sure because I have seen some Prairie Rattlers that stood about the height of my shin when they coiled up.Im only 5'9" so thats probably why.So I dont even want to think about how high up a rattler like the one hm1996 killed could hit me.Cowboy boots would do for the little rattlers but for the bigguns they just wouldnt cut it.Most of the guys you see at rattlesnake roundups wear chaps along with their cowboy boots.A couple of years ago I went to a deal called the Rattlesnake Wranglers,it was some type of deal where they talked about the different kind of snakes that are found in Oklahoma.They had a big pit full of venomous snakes but they werent all rattlesnakes.One of the guys there only had cowboy boots on and a Western Diamondback bit him right above them.Wearing jeans doesnt help against snake bites apparently.The rest of them were wearing snake proof chaps and cowboy boots.
 
A large portion of my life has been spent in studying about reptiles of all sorts foriegn and domestic. I even supplemented my income buying and selling exotic snakes and have owned about every species you could name(from all corners of the globe) I can talk snakes all day long and it never gets boring to me, so if anyone ever has questions I would be happy to answer them. Ask and ye shall recieve.

Chupa
 
I looked at the snake chaps at Cabela's, they had "snake guard" protection only on the lower half of the chaps. Basically from the knees down. I was suprised to say the least, you would think should protect you all the way up full length. They really have no more protection than the gaiters they sell. I was considering them because I hunt around a lot of rocky areas and I thought the added protection would be good Snakes sun in various places and rocky ledges will hold a rattler just a well as any.
 
I was struck in the back of my calf in Tennessee while walking down a partly dried up creek. I stepped down a step and a copperhead was under the shale rock in the shade and hit me. Lucky for me I had on blue jeans and he got his fangs hung up in them. But its still unnerving to see a 15" copperhead hanging on your leg. After I kicked him off and my heart rate slowed back down I killed him with a stick. He got me about 12" up my leg but I might have been a little lower than he was. I don`t believe he got his fangs in deep because I had no site problems from the bite but boy did I get sick.
 
Danners 17" from Cabelas. they are high dollar, but gore-tex, and comfy. Once you break them in on your heel its like wearing a tennis shoe.
 
I've owned a bunch of them the best I've found is the Danner Jackel. They weight about 3+ lbs a pair. They are lace up but feel like a pair of slippers. They are also gore tex lined (waterproof). Next would be Chippawa.
 
chupathingy, a lot of folks could use some educating. Here in these parts and esp. in Alabama, anything that swims is a moccasin and that means they are all poisonous and they kill them all. what really irritates me is when I seem them intentionally run down a king snake.

sorry, didn't mean to highjack the thread.

I have gained good insight from the stories so far. good thread.
 
I've had leggings,chaps and a pair of boots with Gore-tex.The chaps you will sweat to death in,plus as all ready stated they are only good from the knee down(they also pull your britches down hooked to your belt loops)Leggins are only good from the knee down also,down side you have no protection on your feet at all.Boots are the only way to go,I prefer the 17 inch tall ones.And they do work just fine,stepped on a CaneBrake with mine,lol,not once but twice!Talk about doing the Fandango.I'm sad to report that the snake suffered head separtidice,caused by a 7mm-08 ballistic tip,an he fryed up just right.
 
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