SNOWSHOE TEST

[22-250AI]

The TUBBS Venture 36 were the shoes I tried out today.

Walking in crusty snow is loud, the snowshoes were not quiet. On a road were the snow was only 6" to 8" deep I shucked the shoes to compare noise levels with just my Danners on. Walking in bare boots was still noisy.

Walking in DEEP snow, I didn't find any bottomless powder but with the wind crust in deep snow I wouldn't sink where it made it too difficult to walk. In fresh powder I'm not shure if any snowshoe would keep you on the top of the snow.

I'm happy with the Tubbs. They allowed me to haul ass over snow I normally would founder in. The bindings and light weight are awesome. I have no doubt there is something better out there but what I have will work for now.

We had a good day, Early we saw several coyotes but through the day had many empty stands. Several times we were within 1000 YDS of coyotes with no wind while on our snowshoes, they definatly didn't mind the crunching snow.

TUBBS forum.jpg (25.32 KiB) Viewed 10177 times

Another good day

[Prairie Ghost]

Very Cool man thanks for the update and way to go on the kill.Were they only loud on drifted snow or loud in general? How about details on the hunt?

[The Outdoorsman]

Im gonna be honest, being from Indiana we dont have a need for snowshoes, well maybe up north but I dont get up there. Your snowshoes are nothing like what I would think they would look like. Remind me of mini knee-boards for the water. Nice coyote too.

[22-250AI]

Very Cool man thanks for the update and way to go on the kill.Were they only loud on drifted snow or loud in general? How about details on the hunt?

They were almost quiet when in several inches of powder with a base underneath.

On heavy crust where you would break through with just boots but stayed completly on top with snowshoes they were pretty quiet too. Anytime you would break through the crust is when they got noisy.

OPTIMAX can give us his opinion too.

The hunt was FUN...

First stand Nuthin
Second stand, Had a female pop over the hill seconds after we got sat down (PERFECT) and after a couple of toots her life partner very excitedly joined her. She was very hesitant, he wasn't.

At 168 YDS he met my little buddy, 50GR V-Max it was Bang SWAP !! Flop. Bullet placement is always ahead of bullet performance. He died before he hit the ground.

The next five stands were very awesome locations just no takers. Had a couple of howls answer us on one stand so Optimax and I poped over the hill for a looksy poo and there they were about 1000YDS out. Optimax dialed in his stick for 1000 YDS with his 75GR A-Max ( 23 MOA come-up) no wind and great backstop we had to try.

I was watching through my scope as the bullet hit 12" low and 6" right !!!! That old boy really ran. We couldn't get a range with my Leica CRF 1200 but after the shot we were less than 1/2 MOA. Hell of a poke anyhow !! I was laughing thinking what went through the coyotes mind when a bullet went smack into the snowbank a full 3 seconds before he heard the report....

Last stand of the night had a howl answer my first series. The I did an inventation howl back. and after at least a 1/2 hour there(HE) was (my guess is that it was a male ) He very slowly worked his way tward us.
AT 498 YDS he hung up and I swapped to my 75 GR A-Max, dialed him in and was getting ready to let the air out of him then he started coming.... At 328 YDS he stopped and gave me a fantastic broadside standing shot.

As he was coming fairly good and with the light fading and only a little slough to cross I let him come as he entered the slough I was ready !! He never came out and it got dark !! Should have smoked him at 328YDS.
The temp. went from 15 deg to -4 on our last stand, BRRRRR

It was a great day to be outside.

[Tbush]

Nice story and glad the shoes are working for ya

[Optimax90]

I thought the snowshoes worked great!! I will admit that there were a couple of times that I thought they were loud, then again with crunchy snow like that, I don't know that anything would have been less crunchy..

I will tell you this, they are VERY easy to get on and off and compact to carry. light weght, comfortable, and walking in those conditions would have been alot of work without them.

We made 8+ stands that day (with less digging the truck out there would have been more) And my leggs feel the same as always. You know what it is like to use new gear for the first, time you go out and hunt all day and the next day, all those newly used mussels hurt like a S.O.B.

As far as product goes they are a 8.5 in my book Very happy with money spent. Next thing is they go into the paint booth for a little fine tune painting. If I can take a rattle can to a $1200.00 dollar gun, I can paint a $200.00 pair of snowshoes

[Cooper AI]

Ok I have to add my two cents..... I decided to go with these snow shoes after Optimax 90 and 22-250AI decided to buy theirs. The clincher for me was last week... I went out without the shoe's to do a stand and it took me a solid 20 minutes to get to the stand that was only a couple hundred yards from my truck! The snow was unbelievably deep. When I got back I was commited to snow shoes! I tried them out for the first time yesterday (Thursday - New Years Eve). We did about 5 miles total and I will say that I was impressed with their performance. Yes they are a bit noisy at times but so is breathing like a fool trying to trudge through the snow! I made the mistake of walking down to get a coyote (200yds) with no showshoes and it darn near did me in for the rest of the day. It wore me out! As most of you know there is deep snow out there now and its not hard enough yet to hold up a person in alot of places. The only way to go is with snow shoes! I probably won't camo mine like Optimax 90 but I will not leave home without them from here on out!

[Optimax90]

Heck I thought we were going to have to hook the "Drag Line" to cooppers arms and pull him back to the top of the hill. I didn't know if I should laugh at the darn fool for going to get that yote with out his snowshoes or walk down the hill and help him out. I helped him out while I was laughing at him

[Dcoy]

Borrow a pair of wood Alaskan models and compare.Its your $$.
Good hunting.

[Dcoy]

250 and Opti,
I actually may be out your way soon to test shoot a rifle and if so,would be happy to bring a couple styles of shoes for you guys to put on and walk a few hundred yards in 'different' snow conditions.For instance,'crust' noise is diminished with full size woods such as Alaskans-they glide relatively quiet on top and don't break through.This morning I only made one stand and my access was a blown but crusted plowed field.Snow about 4-5 inches in the blown areas.I'd much rather avoid any snowshoe and decided to just skip wearing any cause I only had about a half mile walk.Dead quiet and 18 below-got about 50 yds with just leather boots and the noise was brutal.Turned around,put on the shoes and glided in.
I really have tried damn near everything cause our group snowshoes miles a day when we get together.There is nothing like full size woods in most conditions and even then there are distinctions.Early this week Pilgrim had his new wood Ojibwa models along in your State.Fabulous in most conditions but sucked in powdery CRP or grass.All around,the Alaskans are best for long trekking in NoDak type terrain.Honest opinion based on trying damn near everything ever made-at a LOT of expense.Actually,on reflection,I hope you will meet,maybe I can unload an assotment of metals and certain wood types.
If just going into 'stands' yours surely will work and as posted in the other thread have many benefits but even then,consider trying wood 'Bearpaw' models if you can borrow a set to try.Same advantages,but quieter.
Not arguing and this is just my opinion but i still have an expensive pair or two of 'metals' in the shed.
As to 'bindings',just find the type you like,they'll adapt to any model.
Good hunting and keep the pics coming!

[Tbush]

I'm with ya Dcoy

[22-250AI]

Dcoy and Tbush

Whick one of you wants to buy my Iversons ?


They are the Alaskan model bought em in 1996 with rubber snap on bindings and neoprene webbing.

I can't like em but really like my tubbs.

[Dcoy]

Whats the price?(on the Iversons)

[Optimax90]

Dcoy: have you ever had any issues with wood shoes, when it comes to hills?? Like going up, on some what slippery conditions??

The other day when we were trying to get up some valleys, going back to the truck, I noticed that mine wanted to slip out from under me, but with the agressive cramp-ons (the spikes) they held good and did a fine job.....

I just have to wonder if that is ever an issue with woods????

[Dcoy]

Yes,I would say 'Woods' are more slippery-thats why they glide better I suppose and,yes,I've taken a tumble on hills when they do.Particularly if you're in rocky terrain and step on a flat rock under the snow.
Thats sure why I gave up using cross country ski's on hard pack.Hard(landings)lessons learned.