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my two buddies an i are going this fall to colorado elk hunting ive purchased and been trialing my danner 8" pronghorn boots im thinking theyre to tall and theyre a little on the stiff side hiking up and down on slopes Are these boots to much and not flexible enough for me or do i just need to keep breaking them in? do i need something along the lines of a 6" hiking style boot were going to be moving tons spot and stalk style more than other styles of hunting so lots of milage on the ground
I see a lot of guys hunting in the pronghorn and like them. If ur going archery I would have uninsulated ones. I've had 6 inch and 8 inch and find advantages to both. 6 inch are cooler but may have less support, but are lighter. 8 inch will be heavier may give more support. As you can get blisters from any boot that doesn't fit properly. An 8-inch boot many times will help keep your foot from moving around preventing blisters. As for stiffness pronghorns are typically on the less stiff side I find most hiking boots to be stiffer. My 2 cents
I vote for an 8 inch boot. I do a lot of solo elk hunting and the last thing I want is a twisted ankle and no support from a lower boot or a boot no higher than a sneaker. Having good traction is also a top priority. Break them in long before the hunt and use tape over any "hot spots" that may develop. Select a boot that has good toe room. And then what Teeton stated also. Your feet and your boots will carry you to a successful elk hunt. Hurting feet will ruin it.
my best, Paul
Don't know what you're comparing them to, but Danner Pronghorn's certainly are not on the stiff side. You want a boot that's stiff enough to offer support going uphill, downhill, and sidehill, but you don't want a boot that feels like you're wearing a 2"x4" either. DO NOT buy a pair based solely on someone else's recommendation. What's comfortable for one person may be misery for another. Find the boot that fits you!
As long as it provides sufficient ankle support, boot height pretty much boils down to personal preference. My boots usually run in the 6-7" range, and I wear a pair of gaiters as well. Helps keep my lower legs and socks dry from wet/dewy grass, stream crossings, etc.
I wear one pair for everyday hunting, but I wear another entirely different brand for packing out my elk since they're stiffer and provide better support under load.
i did buy uninsulated pronghorns thanks for good advice on a hike out pair of boots ill be sure to put a lite short pair of hikers in the trailer for packing meat out if we are so lucky to down an ELK :)
"..ill be sure to put a lite short pair of hikers in the trailer for packing meat out."
I think you mis read what he was saying.
On my last two elk hunts I have started out wearing 6" hikers. Once Crispi and once Kenetrek. Both times as I started hunting steeper terrain I switched to Meindl Perfekt Hunters and stayed with them for the rest of the hunt regardless the terrain. I found it easier to wear a boot that weighed more but gave better support.
If the Danners fit you good you will be fine with them, but they are by no means considered a stiff boot! If your going to steep rough terrain you might want something stiffer. Your legs will be less fatigued at the end of the day! I had Danner Pronghorns, but they didn't fit my narrow foot, at the end of the day I was completely shot, legs felt like rubber, bought a stiffer pair of hiking boots mid season and at the end of the first day wearing them, I felt like I could go back up the mountain if I had needed too at the end of the day!
I have a couple pair of Danner Pronghorns and they certainly are not stiff and are not considered a "mountain boot". There are not many pronghorns that live in the mountains!
I think you are going the wrong direction with your boot changes; when you're packing meat out is when you want to have stiff supportive boots.
A good heavy duty hiking/backpacking boot if you plan to pack in with a heavy pack or pack out meat are Han Wag Alaska, Lowa Tibet and other boots in that class. You'll give up a little stealth hunting in them due to the stiff sole but they are very supportive for rough terrain or packing heavy loads.
Another good option for daily hunting and packing lighter loads is the Lowa Renegade and other boots in that class.
The Danner Pronghorns might work fine for you if they fit you well but I think if you hunt hard in them in some rough terrain or end up packing heavy loads you're going to find out that they aren't suited that well to the task.
A lot depends upon the terrain and your style of hunting. If you are hunting sage country or rolling hills it would be an advantage not to have a stiff, boot with thick soles and uppers. You will likely find out that you can stalk a lot quieter with thinner soles, lower tops, and lighter boots. If you are hunting timberline country and doing a lot of side-hill hiking it's a definite advantage wearing a stiffer sole but a lot tougher stalking quietly. I usually cover lots of country to locate elk so it can be an advantage wearing lighter boots.
Just because a boot is taller doesn't necessarily mean it will offer more support on steep slopes. My go to elk boot is Scarpa Kailash which actually are shorter than many boots. The soles and uppers are pretty stiff so that in itself offers a lot more support than a taller boot with thin soles and thin leather uppers. There are trade-offs for stiff vs light vs thick soles vs....etc. It really depends upon the country and your style of elk hunting. Everyone's feet, ankles, etc are a little different. Some guys tend to need a lot more ankle support, etc than others.