Moccasins?

[whitewoodshunter]

Does anyone here make or wear moccasins? And I'm not talking about the ones you buy at Wal-mart ,I mean real moccasins? I made a pair a couple of years ago and I'm not real sure of how the best way to waterproof or take care of them.They are great to wear in the early part of our archery season here in PA.

[sailordad]

not sure, but i hear tell that bear vrease will pretty much water proof anything.

now ya just gotta sneak up on a big ol' grizz and ask him real polite like ifn he wants to part with his fat. lol



                                                                                       tim

[huntertrapper]

yes...i wear a pair i purchased at a trading post..... and they are good for stalking, and they are so light too.....

[Stonedog]

Fellers, the bottom line is this......

You cannot waterproof moccasin leather.  Period.

I use a mix of beewax and tallow.....but honestly....at best....it is a semi-water resitant.....

[Papa Matt]

Whitewoods,

   I have made a couple pairs, and have not seen any real good way to waterproof them except by rubbing several coats of beef tallow (cow lard, for which you can substitute bear fat, buffalo fat, probably deer fat, etc.) into them and then warming them up so they soak up the tallow real good. I don't know how they are "supposed" to be made though, mine are the most primitive kind, that I just cut out some leather paterns and sew together. I am in Indiana, but I agree with you 1000% about the fall hunting appeal though. Feather-light, comfortable, the most quiet things you'll ever wear, perfect for walking lightly on top of crunchy fallen leaves. I am in heaven when I go out in September and early October squirrel hunting in shorts or pants, no shirt and just my mocassins with my cherry bow. It's hard for me to take them off and start wearing my camo boots in November when the rain/snow/temperatures start to fall. And when the frosts start. I have tried it before and it's really not worth in to tromp throught the woods in moccasins, weatherproofed or not, when there is a heavy frost on the ground. Even if the day time temperatures are still in the upper 60's, by the time the sun starts to come up and warm your feet, they are cold and wrinkled from the moisture. I'd like to know how the indians did it.

~~Papa Matt

[The Burnt Hill Archer]

yup i love using moccasins, for the same reasons already said. i live in upper Pa and i hunted with mocs last archery season. for the winter time, just add a pair of woolen socks. obviously ifn it gets too cold, that just doesnt make sence, but there ya have it.

my father in law just bought a pair of minetonka moccasins from crazy crow.

there is also a buildallong over on PP to make some knee high mocs.

Phil

[El Destructo]

I'd love to see ya wearing them here to Hunt in the Fall.....ah heck Summer for that Matter..these Goathead.....Devil's Horn and Sand Burs would eat you plum up.......along with the Rattlers!!!

[svaldrin]

Well I were them and I wore them for the first time in winter this year and well make your souls swade side out the slick side is fun if you like to walk around on skies  and there is no water profing them just remember dont wear them wet for to long 

[billy]

I have a pair my dad made me.  They are great, but when the ground is wet, then my feet get wet, plain and simple.  We did come up with one solution: make the moccasins oversized, then wear a neoprene sock on the inside for added warmth.  I had to wear the sock, then my dad took measurements of my feet and made the moccasins to fit.  I haven't worn them with the neoprene socks yet, but I'll give it a try this winter.

[deerhunter97370]

I read an article online writen in 1500s about rough footed Scots. Who went bearfoot alyear except when the frost came then they would go out in the woods kill a roedeer and fashion shoes out of the hide.  but they would cut holes in them to let water drain out. Joel

[predatorcaller]

bare feet aint fun but once you make em tough enough not much gets through them...i like moccasins better though.  i walked about a quarter mile though thick brush and thorns barefoot while fishing with my friends and only got two thorns in my foot. HA 

[stickbender]

     There are commercial leather water proofing stuff like sno pruf, etc.  It has mink oil in it.  You lightly heat the leather after smearing this stuff on it and it becomes like a liquid, and soaks in, and you wait a few minutes and reapply another coat on it.  Worked great on my leather boots in Montana.  But will it work for Moccasins?  don't know.  But as for waterproofing, why?
     You are going to get wet in the early morning dew, and any damp boggy type terrain is just going to soak in anyway, and drops of water are going to drain down side of your foot anyway.  The neoprene bootie would work. When I was a little boy, about five or so, I hardly ever wore shoes, and we lived on a shell rock road, and we would run up and down that road, and I never had a sharp rock or shell peirce, or cut my skin. I did have some nasty cuts from broken glass, and some nails that made it through. I saw a documentary on an island in the Pacific, where the natives would come running barefoot out to meet the boats comming in over the reefs, and the people getting out on the shallow reef, wearing rubber soled shoes, would have the soles of the shoes shredded in a couple of days, while the islanders, never had any cuts at all.  Skin is an amazing organ! 
   
                                                                             Wayne

[hawkbow]

I can tell you that moccasins are the only way to go for stalking, but in the high country dried pine needles and slick mocs can and will cause serious slippage i stumbled on this idea quite because of necessity.. while stalking a huge bull elk i found myself in a pine forest on a steep slope.. i couldn't even stay standing up. the immediate solution was to fix the problem.. sticky pine pitch from a bull pine and some dirt gave my slick soles very good traction on slick logs pine needles and rocks.. And i got the bull   at six yards. the pine pitch alone lasts for a few days.. walking many miles... good luck brother.. Hawk   

[stickbender]

     Hawkbow, wow, six yards!   couldn't you have have turned the mocs inside out, and used the sued or rough side?  Or would that not work on pine needles?  I definitely agree with you, they can be some kind of slick on smooth soled boots, and shoes!
But the pine sap, and dirt sounds like an excellent idea for better traction.

                                                                                    Wayne

[Clay Hayes]

One good way I've found to slow moisture coming up from the ground is to make an insole out of sheep skin.  If you place the wool side down, it will help to slow the ground moisture reaching your sock.  I also grease my braintan mocs with bear grease.  Works well for me, but definatly not "water proof".

ch