Walking Quietly in Muck

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Buckinator
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Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Buckinator » Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:34 am

I had my first real season of getting out into the marsh and hunting beast style. I found it difficult to walk in muck quietly. I'm sure the sucking sound of my boots pulling out of the mud broadcasted my location with a couple hundred yards or more.
What do you do to eliminated this? I found that wiggling/ twisting my boots and pulling up at an angle helped but not always.

I was thinking about strapping a hose from the top of the boot, under the boot, and to the top of the other side of the boot. The hose would have a hole on the bottom of the boot that would allow air, water, much to more easily flow into the cavity under the boot as you pulled out. Basically breaking the vacuum that creates the loud sucking. Maybe there is something like this out there already that you guys know about.

Didn't get to try this idea out during the season but will have it ready to try at spring thaw. Thoughts?


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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Outdoor814 » Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:06 am

Usually when walking threw nasty muck and mud I will twist my foot in a 90* angle , this keeps from making that loud suctioning fart noise.
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Nocturnal » Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:20 am

I've never twisted my feet 90 degrees like that but I'll have to try that. I usually point my toes down, almost like walking tippy toed. Usually you'll get that suction feeling when you lay the heel down flat like a usual walk.
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby dan » Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:22 am

I like to plan my wrought step by step looking ahead for things to step on like cattail roots, a branch, etc... When I gotta make noise I do it slow, try to step pointed in, pointed out, pulling a flat foot out flat makes a lot more noise... This years bow buck, I spotted him in a nasty timbered swamp with deep suctioning noise. I was heading to a pre-scouted spot when I saw him. He was bedded and I saw his rack move within a clump of grass as his head turned to watch some does passing thru. I was already going slow and as quiet as possible, but at this point I decided I wanted this buck, and he was the target buck of the day that I was on my way to try hunt. Me and Mario had many trail cam pic's of him.
I was pretty sure he would travel away from me when he got up, towards food and does, not toward the I just climbed out of. So I decided to stalk him and try and get within a 40 yard window to try and get an arrow in him. After planning my trail, I realized there was no way to stop my boots from making noise when I pulled them out of the muck... It was an easy fix... The boots and socks stayed there and I slid forward in bare feet. The buck never saw me coming in on a crosswind with a tree blocking his eyes. It turned out he was wounded, but in my opinion that would make him even more wary. You need to figure out what you have to do to succeed in each new challenge they throw at you.
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:23 am

I haven't found a quiet way to do it other than tipping my foot to the side and pulling it out slowly. Deer make a ton of noise moving in that stuff too so it's not a terribly bad sound to them since they hear it all the time. The key is move slow and go in plenty early. You don't want to be sneaking in one hour before prime time.
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Buckinator » Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:03 am

dan wrote:I like to plan my wrought step by step looking ahead for things to step on like cattail roots, a branch, etc... When I gotta make noise I do it slow, try to step pointed in, pointed out, pulling a flat foot out flat makes a lot more noise... This years bow buck, I spotted him in a nasty timbered swamp with deep suctioning noise. I was heading to a pre-scouted spot when I saw him. He was bedded and I saw his rack move within a clump of grass as his head turned to watch some does passing thru. I was already going slow and as quiet as possible, but at this point I decided I wanted this buck, and he was the target buck of the day that I was on my way to try hunt. Me and Mario had many trail cam pic's of him.
I was pretty sure he would travel away from me when he got up, towards food and does, not toward the I just climbed out of. So I decided to stalk him and try and get within a 40 yard window to try and get an arrow in him. After planning my trail, I realized there was no way to stop my boots from making noise when I pulled them out of the muck... It was an easy fix... The boots and socks stayed there and I slid forward in bare feet. The buck never saw me coming in on a crosswind with a tree blocking his eyes. It turned out he was wounded, but in my opinion that would make him even more wary. You need to figure out what you have to do to succeed in each new challenge they throw at you.


HaHa. That's Awesome Dan. Doing stuff like that makes for better stories too. Ill keep that in mind if the situation ever comes up. After a few trips to the marsh I learned quick that stepping on grass or cattails in mucky areas helps
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby mag1 » Thu Jan 05, 2017 6:32 am

Here's one for you guys, I have an area that requires walking 1/4-1/2 mile thru muck without real good stuff to step on . mainly thru a tag alder area, some open where there are clumps to step on, but it is tough walking.

How do you guys handle long distances thru this kind of stuff. The overall walk in is 1 - 1.5 miles in, with alot of wet stuff. (I'm trying to figure another route in, but not having much success with the wind dirrections, ect....)
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby dan » Thu Jan 05, 2017 8:26 am

mag1 wrote:Here's one for you guys, I have an area that requires walking 1/4-1/2 mile thru muck without real good stuff to step on . mainly thru a tag alder area, some open where there are clumps to step on, but it is tough walking.

How do you guys handle long distances thru this kind of stuff. The overall walk in is 1 - 1.5 miles in, with alot of wet stuff. (I'm trying to figure another route in, but not having much success with the wind dirrections, ect....)

I just go thru... Take my time but go steady till im close enough that I have to sneak.
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Jlarsc » Thu Jan 05, 2017 12:50 pm

Anyone ever use marsh skis like the old time duck hunters used to use?
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Jlarsc » Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:25 pm

https://deltawaterfowl.org/sliding-thro ... -cattails/
Think im gonna try bending up a pair this winter. Looks like a cool project
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Jonny » Thu Jan 05, 2017 2:02 pm

I have one spot I have to walk a quarter mile in thick wet clayey muck. The kind that makes a suction fart if you look at it. The only way I have been able to not make the fart is to walk on my toes and walk slow. If your heel goes in first, it will fart. Go find an area and practice walking through it. I did this by my house and it made a world of difference.

As for deep water much, I am of no help. Walk slow and make slow steady movements would be my advice.
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Re: Walking Quietly in Muck

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:25 pm

Jlarsc wrote:Anyone ever use marsh skis like the old time duck hunters used to use?

My grandpa used them in the old days for duck hunting. They work fine in open areas of muck with shallow water. Any cattails or marsh grass and they are a huge pain in the but. Not real practical for deer hunting purposes.


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