How/when to use snowshoes?

[goosifer]

Showshoes have been mentioned a few times lately, and there was a thread about gear recommendations 3 years ago. I have a more basic question of how and when do you use snowshoes when hunting, particularly deer hunting.?Is it when the snow is more than x inches deep? Is it just to get to and from a particular location, then you take them off? What sort of terrain do they work the best/not work? Flat is good, too steep is not?

Yesterday i trudged through a good 5+ inches of snow that fell overnight. It was a bit of a workout walking to the treestand, and I wonder if it would have been worth it to use snowshoes. Thanks.

[turkeyfeathers]

5" of snow and you're better off just trudging through in boots. Walking on snowshoes in less than a foot is fruitless IMO     They'll work in any terrain. They have crampons/teeth  on the bottom to establish grip on hills and ice.

[Steve D]

5 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

5" of snow and you're better off just trudging through in boots. Walking on snowshoes in less than a foot is fruitless IMO     They'll work in any terrain. They have crampons/teeth  on the bottom to establish grip on hills and ice.

turkeyfeathers is spot on. Snowshoes are a lot of work and anything less than a foot you may as well go to the gym.

[airedale]

When it starts getting around the foot mark especially if there is a crust I would start using mine mostly when hunting Hare with Hounds up on the Tug. Snow really can get many feet deep up that way in the middle of the winter and without snowshoes there is no getting around. 

I was in a stand of dense balsam once and my Beagle had circled the Hare a couple of times through a cutout I found where I had a good view and could get a shot. It was a little tight in that area so I stomped down the snow with my snowshoes and decided to take them off so I could maneuver quickly if the Hare came by. Big mistake that was, I sunk down almost up to my armpits and had one Hell of a time getting out and back on my shoes, it was almost like quicksand.

Al

Edited December 18, 2019 by airedale

[Moho81]

Anything less than 12" is pointless but I will also add that if the snow is super fluffy they are also pointless as you will still sink down and THEN throw light snow up in the air and down the back of your neck. I've had a pair since I was a teenager, never wore them for deer hunting and only occasionally wore them for small game hunting in the late season when the snow really piled up.   

[goosifer]

2 minutes ago, airedale said:

When it starts getting around the foot mark especially if there is a crust I would start using mine mostly when hunting Hare with Hounds up on the Tug. Snow really can get many feet deep up that way in the middle of the winter and without snowshoes there is no getting around. 

I was in a stand of dense balsam once and my Beagle had circled the Hare a couple of times through a cutout I found where I had a good view and could get a shot. It was a little tight in that area so I stomped down the snow with my snowshoes and decided to take them off so I could maneuver quickly if the Hare came by. Big mistake that was, I sunk down almost up to my armpits and had one Hell of a time getting out and back on my shoes, it was almost like quicksand.

Al

That's an interesting story. How does the beagle handle the deep snow? I guess your beagle is light enough to not sink in when the snow has a crust on it?

[airedale]

Just now, goosifer said:

How does the beagle handle the deep snow?

Most times there is a pretty good base so they can go along pretty well without sinking in too deep because they are fairly light weight. If there is a good fall of lake effect snow it is so light and fluffy they can have a pretty tough time.

Al

[monahmat]

Personally I don't think there is a hard and fast rule for when to use them.  How much snow is on the ground is just one factor.  The type of snow, terrain, size and style of the shoe all factor in.  When ascending steep hills in slippery snow I feel snowshoes provide a lot of extra traction and stability even if it is just 6" or 8" of snow.  At times when there is a crusty layer of snow a large shoe can keep you from breaking through and enable you to move much quieter.  The best thing to do is strap them on in the off season and figure out what works for you in what conditions.  I've worn mine in 6" of snow and said this is a waste and I've also turned around in 6" of snow wishing I had worn them.  

Edited December 18, 2019 by monahmat

[Daveboone]

If I need snow shoes to hunt deer, I probably am not going....I wouldn't be able to get the deer back. It is tough to say when you need them though...a foot of light fluffy is different than a foot of lake effect, which is much more tiring to walk through.   a foot with a crusty ice on top...horrible going, and if you have snowshoes with cleats, it makes it much easier and safer. 

There a quite a variety of snowshoes out there. The bear paws are great for very rough or brushy terrain. Racquette type are a compromise between bearpaws and the longer trail shoes (there are a hundred different names for the different types). I got a great deal on a pair of the longer trail shoes, they are about 40 inches long but quite narrow. They now are my favorite for open terrain. Much easier to walk in and they track well.

Good for you still getting out. If there is snow on the ground and I am out, I always pack a small tarp in a daypack. I wrap the deer in it and it pulls right along like a toboggan, as long as the snow isn't too deep.