I have a pair I wear down in South Texas, but I do not know of anyone that have actually had a snake strike their boots (or chaps for that matter). Up in the Cross Timbers region the snakes still sing out when you get close and you can stay clear. The south Texas snakes don't seam to make any noise when you get close, even when you have shot them a few times.

Never had one strike at me while walking, but had one strike me while driving a Polaris Ranger. Hit the plastic panel door on the drivers side outside storage compartment...snake hit the top of the door right under the seat I did have on snake boots also.

I have not, but was on a bird hunt a few years back when a guy got hit. We were in knee high grass following the dogs. One of the guys was walking behind the dog handler. He got hit on the back of his boot. The handler had apparently stepped over the hidden rattler and irritated the snake. The guy that got hit said it felt like someone hit him in the calf with a hammer. The boots did their job. He had venom dripping down the back of his boot. It never rattled. One of the guys with us did not have snake boots with him. He headed to town that evening and bought a pair.

Last bow season, I was walking to my stand on a well driven path when I got struck in the lower leg by a rattle snake. The rattler never made a sound before he struck. I jumped back and threw my bow down (brand new bow first hunt with it). My adrenaline was pumping so fast, I didn't even know if the snake had actually bitten me or not.

I grabbed my Glock from my side and unloaded it into the snake. I sat there for a second to collect myself and then checked my leg. I was very lucky that he had only gotten my pants leg. Good thing because the closest hospital or medical facility is two hours away. I located where he had bitten my pants leg by the two small holes and an area just a little bigger than a quarter that was wet in my pant leg.

I now wear my snake boots every time I go out regardless if I'm hunting checking feeder or cameras.

Yes, I have been hit twice both times by corn feeders.

If you get struck in the leg wearing boots or just jeans, be careful rubbing your hand over the area that they struck. The fangs break fairly easily and you can still get stuck and get a little venom in you. Not enough to make you sick, but enough to where you will wish that you hadn't of rubbed your hand over the area.

I have been hit a few times, once wearing snake boots. One of the other times, I was just wearing work boots and the fangs didn't make it through the leather either.

I have only been actually bit once, but it was on the finger and because I was being an idiot...Luckily, I had already milked and defanged him, but he was still able to break the skin and inject a small amount. My finger didn't work for about 3 hours and I still have the scar from where the skin died around the bite.

Be careful

Never had my snake boots hit, but have had tennis shoes, boots and pants hit when messing with them, or in a den clean-out situation, before I had tall snake boots.

I'd bet maybe 2/3's of them ever rattle, the ones that have ample time to perceive your presence, they are the ones I notice that always rattle. Step on one, or real close abruptly and they will respond pretty darn quick, at least this has been my observation. Air and ground temps also have an effect on how fast to act they are.

I saw some folks in Snyder allow a large rattler to intentionally strike their boots and chaps to demonstrate the effectiveness of their gear. They also did a demo showing how easily a bite can penetrate clothing. They had a pant leg from a pair of jeans with chicken wire inside and let the rattler strike it. I was suprised at how few bites actually penetrated the jeans, but all it takes is one time

I had a copperhead hit my work boot years ago. Broke off a fang but didn't go through. Sure got my attention.

And that should be the exact reason to wear them..

Knock on wood never been remotely close, glad your okay that could have ended badly.

Snakes cannot penetrate cowboy boots made from cow leather. Is why few cattle die from rattlesnake bites?

We were dove hunting several ago. I had 2 sets of snake guards but my BIL forgot his. One pair were those old hard plastic green types that cut into the back of your knees. The others were the canvas gators. My son was only about 5 or 6 at the time and I was teaching him how to shoot. I lent by BIL the plastic kind, put the canvas ones on my son, and I went without knowing I would not be walking around in the grass like normal. After about 30mins of hunting, we hear a scream and a weird sounding shotgun blast. Turns out my BIL had gone up to an suv to grab a drink. The snake had crawled under the back bumper. When he opened the hatch, he heard it rattle. Before he could react, that snake hit him square on the chin. He screamed, jumped back and shot that snake under the suv, hense the weird sounding blast. When we hit there he was white as a sheet and shaking pretty bad. He didn't hunt much after that.

That ranger story scared me. I drive all around the high grass in my ranger and never thought of wearing my snake guards while riding around. I will from now on.

My bankers MIL got bit several years ago on the ankle. Was feeding horses and kicked over a feed bucket. Took 12 viles of anti-venom at $10000 /vile. Her foot swelled up the size of a basketball but luckly she was able to recover. We now know there is only 1 hospital in our region that carries the anti-venom. Be safe cause them nasty bastages are back out!

One of my three bites that I have received from cotton mouths/copper head, I was wearing snake boots that had so much wear that the ankle area was soft. I got hit between two ponds in tall grass. I heard it smack my boot. I got home and pulled my boot off and had a hole in my ankle. I went to the hospital about a week later because it got infected. the doctor cut the infected area open with a razor and bled it out. He prescribed some anti- biotics. It healed over after a while and then got infected again a month later. I dug around in the old wound with a sewing needle and dried puss came out along with a snake fang. I put it in a baby jar for proof and it finally healed. I was amazed that there was a fang in my ankle. Yesterday I went hog hunting and I wore my rockys walking through brush/grass and swamp land and never worried about looking for the little bastards because I walked about 5 miles and that's too much territory to cover while staring at the ground. Needless to say the wore out liner in my snake boots is missing around the heel and now I have a dime sized hole in my heel now . Hard plastic rubbing heels for five miles = pain.

Those green plastic snake guards could be used to interrogate terrorist. All you would have to do is just slide them up into the webbing of the back of their knees repeatedly.

risk's of hunting. have told several insendence of snake incounters. One parkef truck cut threw de woods like usualy do on hog hunts. At time had cheap flip phone, carried it in belt holder. Hit switch cain like usual, felt tug, its a jungle out thar, screamed like de sissy i am, some times ya can still hear de screams. whn ya huntsolo ya nevrr know what can happen. The briars & switch cain wraped up phone. Finally hit little clearing, good sign, fresh. Cut back ta me left, heading twards an ATV trail, little over 100yrds. Went back ta truck. Was 3rd hunt archrry for deer&hog, co-inside with squirrel&hog. & was just looking for place ta hang stand. Next day grabed bow, stamd, looked around for phone. no phone. Drove ta WMA, figured trace steps back on ATV, walked ta were came out from jungle, no way gona find phone if it lost in thar, so headed back on ATV trail ta truck ta get bow&stand. Found my phone, on way back. In that short walk, seen 4 snakes, grabbed gear, seen hog's got video. Have seen more people get hurt & few been killed at the foundry were worked, woods were safer. Had thought few times bout getting some of that thar anti-snake venem. Been lucky in me duck-taped tennieshoes. Stay Safe.