Which Danner boots to buy for Mule deer?

biederboat · 07-14-2003, 06:48 PM

Okay, the short subject line made me rewrite what I wanted to, I need boots for me, not the Mule deer. But, I am going to use them primarily for muley hunting (NE Oregon, mainly forest, not desert) and was wondering which model to get. I have a pair of Canadians which I use for elk and, becuase of lack of a better boot, use for muley as well. I want something tall to keep the seeds out. I may use for hiking/backpacking and would consider the temperature to be on the warmer side, maybe little or no insulation.

Any recommendations?

Thanks,
Biederboat

[ 07-14-2003, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: biederboat ]

Joe · 07-14-2003, 07:23 PM

biederboat,

I buy Hood Winter Lights. They only have 200 grams of insulation and don't seem to hot even in the desert.

Rauly · 07-14-2003, 08:29 PM

biederboat
I also have the Canadian model and hunt the east side for mulies. I didn't know that boots could get more comforatable than them. If you find them let me know. Although my Canadians have been lucky for me.

Rauly

biederboat · 07-15-2003, 07:27 AM

I think mine are the Candians, real tall, air bob sole, all leather, lots of Thinsulate, does that sound right? Yes, they are comfortable, albeit I bought mine as seconds and they are a bit tight on the toe which can make them a bit on the cold side. I had them stretched once, may need to do it again.

Biederboat

outdoor.spec.ops · 07-15-2003, 08:51 AM

I wouldnt buy any Danners after the last experience with them. Id stick with Redwings or Rocky.

Mojo · 07-15-2003, 08:55 AM

I have owned 4 pairs of Danners, and I love them. I don't have to tell you that you need to get something with excellent ankle support for hunting mulies on the East Side, and stick with the air-bob soles.

Each boot fits slightly differently, so try on several pairs, and get the one that's mose comfortable.

glowball · 07-15-2003, 10:01 AM

The last pair of danners I bought started losing the ******s or bobs off the bottom of the boot. This started after less than a year and maybe 5 or 6 times of wearing them. For $225 I'll buy something else.

outdoor.spec.ops · 07-15-2003, 10:54 AM

I had the knobi-things come off my soles and the toe of the sole coming unglued too, I sent them back, the reglued the part that was coming off, but did not replace the whole sole. I also had the stitching coming off the heel, above the sole, and they did not restitch this, they just trimmed the excess thread hanging off. They told me that I wore them for more than hunting, which I did on OCCASIONAL SCOUTING AND HIKING trips. They said they only replace or repair boots worn for hunting only, meaning weekends and during hunting season, not everyday wear. The boots were 3 months old that I bought special for a trip to Montana. Trophy series boots? They got my RIPOFF Trophy at 269 bucks.

onstep · 07-15-2003, 12:47 PM

I only cut firewood in my danners after getting a pair of Meindl Glockners. These are the ultimate in hunting boots. I walk all day with no issues in the some rough country. weneha, imnaha, sled springs, and minam to name a few. I've got a guide buddy who uses these for sheep in AK. My 2 cents....

outdoor.spec.ops · 07-15-2003, 01:17 PM

They are very comfortable boots but in my opinion do not hold up well, nor does their repair and replacement service as advertised.

biederboat · 07-15-2003, 02:29 PM

After talking to some other people, I think I will check out Cabela's...

Biederboat

nerta · 07-15-2003, 04:38 PM

I have a pair of danner fort lewis that are ok boots but for walking and working in the woods i wear white's smoke jumpers with the 10" top. They are hard to break in and cost more but the danners and rocky's ect... won't wear 1/10th as long or be as comfortable. Most of the so called hunting boots on the market are not rebuildable. Just input from a person who worked in the woods for years. :smile:

Beer Waggin · 07-15-2003, 05:31 PM

I'd never buy another pair of Danner's again either. When I was in college many years ago and money was tight, I bought a pair, only to have them fall apart in year two. I sent them back to Danner, only to have them tell me that they wouldn't warranty them. Those were $200+ boots 10+ year ago.

I've since been through a pair of Red Wings that only lasted about three years, and I'm still working on pair of boots the I bought about 6 years ago from Whites. They were called "The Ultimate." Whites didn't make them, but they put their name on them and sold them. I checked a few years ago with Whites, but they don't sell them anymore and they wouldn't tell me who they purchased them from. I only wish I had bought a few more pairs of them.

XXL · 07-15-2003, 08:25 PM

Onstep said ........I only cut firewood in my danners after getting a pair of Meindl Glockners. These are the ultimate in hunting boots. I walk all day with no issues in the some rough country. weneha, imnaha, sled springs, and minam to name a few. I've got a guide buddy who uses these for sheep in AK. My 2 cents....

I also have a pair of Meindl boots from Cabela's. I think mine are the Denali model. I've beaten the heck out of three pair in 20 years of hunting the Salmon river in Idaho, the Eagles and Elkhorns here in OR. They're not too heavy, have good ankle support and good traction. When you check out their website do a search for Meindl you'll find several to choose from. A good boot makes a big difference.
XXL

1pump · 07-15-2003, 10:00 PM

I was going to reply to this thread yesterday, but I wanted to see if anyone else was unhappy with their Danners. Besides, I wear mine at work, so I don't know anything about hunting boots.
My Danners only remained waterproof for about 8 months, and after a year the soles are worn out. Not to mention they were tought to break in, and I didn't like they way they fit my feet. They can be re-soled, but I'll spend my $245 elsewhere next time.
I like some of the Cabela's boots, but how the hell do you make sure they fit before you order them? :whazzup: My feet are 11's in some boots, 11-1/2 in others, and 12's in some. My feet just want to be happy! [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

Killertraylor · 07-15-2003, 11:15 PM

I've got 4 pair of Danners and love 3 of them. The one pair I don't like are cordura hiking boots and they are just too stiff. I have a light pair that I think would suit you perfect for what you are talking about, but I can't remember the name. They are a leather/cordura blend. I'll check them tonight when I get home and let you know. I always end up wearing my Danner Trophy's even when it's warm out. They are the most comfortable boot I've ever worn. I think they are close to $300 though. I'm sure you know about the Danner outlet by the airport in Portland? I've had really good luck with their factory seconds/overstocks.

Oh yeah - one other suggestion. I've had a pair of the Cabela's outfitter series 9" boots for about 10 years now and just can't seem to wear them out. They have a money back guarantee and I believe they are made by Danner based on the construction. I asked a guy once at the outlet and he couldn't confirm it, but said Danner did make boots under other companies' names. They are only about $160 and very similar to the Danner elk hunters that sell for $230.

[ 07-15-2003, 12:18 PM: Message edited by: Killertraylor ]

James in Idaho · 07-16-2003, 06:38 AM

Why buy Danners when you can buy White's? Just finished 10 seasons in my Smokejumpers, you won't find better ankle support. They are in need of a rebuild, guess I'd better get them sent off asap. Best footwear I've ever bought, and the $300 I spent on them has worked out to $30 a year. Beats the $100 to $150 I was spending every year for other boots. All you have to do with Whites is clean 'em and oil 'em.

kodiakfisher · 07-16-2003, 08:49 AM

I don't very often put my two cents in on hunting gear but this will be an exception.

Hunting boots- I have two pair, a pair of Rocky Boots with 1000 grams of thinsulate this year will be the sixth year with them. These boots are like wearing slippers with ankle support. I need to replace them understandably so.

The second pair I have are Danners radical 60 brown GTX 200gr thinsulate and goretex linning purchased at sportsman wharehouse in Salem. These boots were on sale for about $90. I was looking for an early season hiking boot for archery season for about $65 yes I'm cheap. These boots were so comfortable the first time I put them on I ponied up the extra dollars. This will be my second season with these boots. These boots are built tough, the sole is a little bit wider than the actual boot this has given me extra traction on steep elk country side hills side stepping down canyons. I have bad ankles so the extra width keeps me from rolling my ankles.

With all of my boots the first thing I do is go and spend an extra $5-$10 on the very best insoles I can find and put them in my boots. I cut the toes short to make sure there is enough room down by my toes. I normally scout and hike around with lesser quality boots to toughen my feet a little. I'm lucky I never get blisters even in boot camp no blisters.

I would never spend more than $100 dollars for boots that the sole is not replaceable. The advantage to the one piece sole is lighter weight. Backpackers say that a pound on your feet is worth five on your back. BTW if you purchase boot from cabelas and don't like the fit Cabelas send you a retrun label with your purchase. Just slap the label on and put them back in the mail no problem. I have returned things several times and never had an issue. I returned a Cabelas pack for poor quality and interestingly enough they no longer carry it.

Make sure your boot are nice and comfy so you can forget about your feet and concentrate on the hunt. Good luck with your choice of boots.

Kodiakfisher

k9jeff · 07-17-2003, 04:14 AM

FYI: redwing bought into danner several years ago... also Danner makes most of cabella's boots.....I have a pair of black Acadia's and love them. I have had them for the last three years and wear them 12 hours a day at work, They are still waterproof and are just now in need of re-soleing.

I have a pair of georgia boots that I love for hunting. A little heavy but they never slip.

shawn2010 · 07-17-2003, 09:37 PM

I just bought danner super rain forest for work, I wanted them to put a different sole on the Hawks so I could use hawks for work/hunting, I were to get another pair it would buy the Hawk.
There reason why the knobs on the soles wear off is from miss use, if you were them on concrete gravel, roads, rocks they will eventually wear off, they are great for steep mud slopes, they will almost stick to any muddy surface but they are very slick on wet wood, like a wet dock or wet river rocks. I would go with the hawk. Here is a linlk to it: http://www.danner.com/products.asp?catid=10&prodid=1750