What is the best pair of boots you ever owned for hunting pheasants?

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One shot 2018

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What is the best pair of boots for sale for pheasant hunting in South Dakota ? Lightweight and waterproof with a little insulation.
 
Danner Ft. Lewis. Mine are tan nubuck leather, like for desert duty, and Gortex lined. Not sure if they're made anymore other than in duty black.
 
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A5 Sweet 16 said:
Just weeks ago, I bought Irish Setter Elk Tracker 885's. A little too early to tell, but so far I REALLY like them. They could very well be the greatest boots ever.
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I take it they are similar to mountain boots which normally have added support around the ankles? Are they stiff?
 
birdshooter said:
I take it they are similar to mountain boots which normally have added support around the ankles? Are they stiff?
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Here's a link. https://www.irishsetterboots.com/USD/product/hunting-boots/big-game/00885-elk-tracker-400gr-udry?bvrrp=4176-en_us/reviews/product/3/00885.htm#tabGroup2

I don't know about additional ankle support, but they're pretty light & and surprisingly NOT stiff!!! (at least as far as toe flexing goes) To me, they're amazingly comfortable. A little aggressive on the sole, but......no dang seams on the toe to wear out in 2 seasons!!! And beauty being in the eye of the beholder....they're kind of cool looking.

Also, the tongue opens up really far. Just undo the hooks plus 1 eyelet worth of laces & your foot practically glides in or out. They're super easy on & off. Don't even need to use the puller-onner loop on the back.
 
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I have run through my share of Irish Setters, but have moved away from that brand. My current light weight pheasant and ruffed grouse boot is a Cabela's branded boot. I have worn these boots now for about 5 seasons. First pair started to leak (Gore Tex) liner in the third season and Cabelas replaced them free. They have a lifetime warranty on their own branded gear and if the boots are take care of and in reasonable shape will honor that warranty.

They might be discontinued :( Quite a bit of change as Bass Pro moves their own gear (example Red Head) into Cabela's.
 
One shot 2018 said:
What is the best pair of boots for sale for pheasant hunting in South Dakota ? Lightweight and waterproof with a little insulation.
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Vasque Clarion Hikers - worn with either low gaiters or high, depending on snow. Lightweight...on my fourth pair. This boot has been discontinued, however.
 
Danner High Ground 400. Super light and just as good as the first day I wore them 3 years ago. Use a boot dryer after every hunt. The boot dryer will increase the life of your boots 10 fold. I have a pair of Danner Pronghorns that I still wear from 2002.
 
I started using Kennetreks a couple years ago and will never go back. They are expensive, but for my style of hunting, they're perfect. They feel like I could play basketball in them, but have enough support for sidehilling for chukars or elk. I usually do 10-15 mile per day upland hunts and they keep my feet in good shape. If you're just heading out a draw for a couple hours, most any goretex boot works fine, but for all day hard hiking, the kennetreks are the best I've found.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Here's a link. https://www.irishsetterboots.com/USD/product/hunting-boots/big-game/00885-elk-tracker-400gr-udry?bvrrp=4176-en_us/reviews/product/3/00885.htm#tabGroup2

I don't know about additional ankle support, but they're pretty light & and surprisingly NOT stiff!!! (at least as far as toe flexing goes) To me, they're amazingly comfortable. A little aggressive on the sole, but......no dang seams on the toe to wear out in 2 seasons!!! And beauty being in the eye of the beholder....they're kind of cool looking.

Also, the tongue opens up really far. Just undo the hooks plus 1 eyelet worth of laces & your foot practically glides in or out. They're super easy on & off. Don't even need to use the puller-onner loop on the back.
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Being that they're called Elk tracker, leads me to believe they have a little added support in the ankle over a typical upland type boot and judging by the picture in your link appears it does somewhat.

Glad you like them and hope they hold up well for ya.
 
I use the LL Bean upland boots. Latest pair is the BOA system. Broke in fit out of the box, great customer support. They do wear fairly quick, but seems the other brands I have worn do as well. Hunt mostly CRP.

Really dig the BOA system.
 
westksbowhunter said:
Danner High Ground 400. Super light and just as good as the first day I wore them 3 years ago. Use a boot dryer after every hunt. The boot dryer will increase the life of your boots 10 fold. I have a pair of Danner Pronghorns that I still wear from 2002.
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Just curious why you say the boot dryer increases the boot life. I've been using one for the last couple of years and like putting my foot in to a warm dry boot bit I also alternate boots so I don't wear the same pair everyday.
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I pretty much wear everthing keen, from steel toes for work to cold weather hunting to upland fields. They are extremely lightweight and waterproof. I use Keen Detroits non steel toe for all my bird hunting. My son wore Keen Summits this past trip to SD. Early season hunting i wear a variety of Keen hiking boots. They all come with a 1 year warranty and if anything goes wrong they will provide you with a voucher for the value of the boot you purchased. In my opinion they are great boots.
 
I have "bad feet" - long, narrow, flat arches, hammer toes and the list goes on. I've tried every upland style boot made it seems, including custom made Russel's. This past summer I had ankle surgery, which basically completely realigned my right ankle and partially fused it. None of my previous boots fit, and most I couldn't even get on. I looked at a lot of boots and finally found a pair of Danner "High Ground". They aren't specifically for upland hunting, but the tongue design makes it easy for me to get them on and off and I can lace them very tightly, so they provide an amazing amount of ankle support. I purchased the unlined and lined (400g and 1000g thinsulite) versions). I hunted 14 days straight in Kansas in November in everything from tinder dry, warm to snow, wet conditions. My feet stayed dry and cool or warm, as needed and amazingly, I was able to walk without a lot of pain. I didn't have problems with the toe "dragging" in grass as I have had with other big game hunting boots.

The only down side to this boot, based upon reviews, is that the bottom eyelets are fabric, which eventually wear through and break. The eyelet design, though, is what allows the boot to lace very tightly and conform to your foot. Danner has a one-year warrantee, so as much as I use these boots, if the eyelets are going to go, they will within the warrantee period.

For me, these boots saved my season.
 
Russel moccasin, a little pricey, takes a little time to get custom made BUT very high quality !!! Keep leather treated, feet NEVER have gotten wet !!
 
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