Snowshoes

S

shotgun

New member
I know it's spring, but there are lots of sales on equipment right now, and maybe this subject belongs in Hunting in the East. But, this is Other Hunting Equipment thread....

Anyhow lets talk about preparing for the coming season...

1) What kind of shoes do you use? Why?

2) Are aluminum or wood better? Why?

3) Do you use x-country skis instead or occasionally?

3) Do you use sleds or tobagans to haul equipment and critters?

Add any pointers or information you feel important....

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one shot~one kill
 
Personally I prefer the ones with 1/2" of rubber tread on the bottom, keeps the cactus out of my feets..

Sorry Shotgun I just couln't resist.
 
That and the extra pad on your stadium seats...got it?
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BTW-I liked the fork idea too! Now I have a reason to bring a knife (sharp) and fork, is there any reason to bring a spoon?
 
A buddy of mine went out and bought a pair of
Military surplus magnesium shoes this last winter. He was going on and on about how much lighter they were over my traditional Michigan 14"x48"s. So we put them on the scale and his were a whopping 2 GRAMS lighter than mine! His are some very nice shoes but I like the "feel" and "warmth" that mine offer. It's like you get attached to them after a while..I know, it sounds strange but I would hate to replace them.

X-country skies I have not used. I don't think they would work all that well in 99% of the situations I've been in.

I have used a small sled but only when the snow is soft and sticky. Otherwise it makes to much noise. It makes it alot easier to bring those critters out of the middle of a sections when you can throw them in the sled.

Chuck

[This message has been edited by CRhodes (edited 05-03-2001).]
 
Shotgun,

I don't think so. The frame on the metal shoes are a continous solid extrusion thats powder coated and the webbing is stainless steel cables coverered by clear plastic tubing.

I think the solid frame and the powder coating helps cover the "tinny" sound that you would get from a hollow core frame aluminum shoe. Plus the webbing allows the snow to fall through when you take your steps, where as the canvas "solid" deck style would trap snow and then add weight.
Especially on warm days when the snow likes to stick together.
 
Shotgun -

I have and use both the metal shoes & wooden trail shoes.

The trail shoes are definetely superior for long treks over my Atlas metal shoes.

I got the metal shoes because of the light weight plus they pack better on my sno go. The wooden shoes weight more then twice as much and are alot more less manueveral. But the trail shoes are far better at times. So both get tossed in the truck.

I have x-country skiis but because of the snow conditions here and especially the low temps they aren't practical atleast for me.

I also sometimes pull a sled when not using the sno go. I don't have too much problem with the noise factor. The sled is always in the truck. Just two simple kids sleds one set inside the other making up one sled (stronger). If using it for trapping or ice fishing then milk crates, etc. are attached. If necessary when out with it I can seperate the sleds to make two.
 
John:

Thanks for sharing the info, and welcome to our humble, but great site. Hope that you stick around for a long time and share your experiences with us.....
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one shot~one kill
 
Shotgun:
FWIW
I've owned 2 types of snow shoes, ash wooden Bear Paws and Atlas metal, both have pro's and cons.

The wooden ash are a little quieter but lack the stability on slick frozen slopes. Even gentle ones. Under certain conditions the snow will glaze over during the day and freeze at night forming a light crust both types tend to be noisy but the metal framed Atlas really drum beat. But this is also when the metal cleats of the Atlas Shoes come in handy or when you happen to cross any frozen ponds or water courses the cleats make the shoes a lot more stable especially when you add a pack with electronic call and necessary gear.

Reguardless of the type you choose ash or metal, install or have installed the ice cleats. Its all to easy when traversing rugged terrian to loose your footing and turn a fun hunt into a survival situation.

Good luck with your winter hunts you'll find you usually have the woods to yourself, and the wild critters that is.

218 and a wake up.

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Lastshot
 
I use both wood and metal (Atlas) snowshoes. My "all-around" shoe is the Iverson 12 x 36 shoe. I've also got the bigger wooden Michigan shoes for the real fluffy, deep snow. I recently purchased the Atlas shoes with the traction cleats, after I went downhill skiing on my Iversons.
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I also started using poles while snowshoeing. It does make things a bit easier. There's no way that I can use CC skis here, due to the snow and where I like to go calling. The metal shoes can be noisy, especially on crusty snow. I prefer the smaller, shorter shoes, since I like to stay in the thicker stuff while calling during the winter months. MI VHNTR

[This message has been edited by MI VHNTR (edited 05-03-2001).]
 
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