You guys know anybody that drowned or almost drowned while wading?

[Duck&Pheasant]

Yes, went wading after a downed bird in a slough I had never hunted before. The depth of the water went from 3 feet to where I couldn't touch bottom in one step. I was not wearing a wader belt and my waders filled up almost instantly, I remember panicking and stupidly trying to swim to the other side instead of just turning around, I remember finally getting to the other side with my last drop of energy and just laying on the bank for quite a while before I could even stand up.

 

[WidgeonmanGH]

It is these kind of stories that make me wonder why more duck hunters don't abandon waders for drysuits. In both of these last instances they would have been amusing anecdotes and not even interrupted the hunt vs. life threatening situations.

 

[drahthaarducker]

I had a Momarsh fat boy with a 6 hp mm
That I rode up on a floating log.
Bow went up and stern went down .
I had on neoprene waders and used the momarsh seat to swim to shore.

The dog thought it was fun to have me swimming with him at night.

I made my way to a corn field and was hit with a spotlight. It turned out to be someone jacklighting a field.

He was surprised to see a man and a dog coming up from the riverbed.

He wanted me to ride up front and was afraid of hypothermia, I was actually sweating by the time I got across the briers, woods, and corn fields so the ride in the back of his truck felt good.

Since then I always wear neoprene waders in a boat in deep water and breathable waders for hike in hunts in shallow marshes.
.
.

 

[ARHHH4]

Glad the story has a happy ending for your son. I was however wondering how much trouble you are in

She didn’t seem too happy in the morning, and granted this happened like ten minutes into legal shooting time… but by the time I got home and my son was calmed down, all was well

 

[Backwards bleed]

Wader boots floating up is horrible in river current.. I have had close calls on the Platte river several times and once on the upper Missouri between South Dakota and Ne.
Had one close call, on the lower Platte near the confluence of the Missouri. The worst I have ever had.. It is a nasty river with strong current down there. I lost footing while trying to cross water that was too deep. My boots tried to float up and the current tipped me over. The current swept me down stream to deeper water. I finally hit a sand bar where I could walk. I was completely soaked. The river was rapidly freezing and choked white with slush ice. I had to pick my way across so I didn't go over my waders again. It took a long time to find the correct route back. By the time I got back to my truck I was hardly able to walk and getting disoriented. I am sure my young age and the old rubber lacrosse waders saved my life. The rubber waders had zero ice build up on them. My ability to walk was not impeded by them. Modern waders that build up ice on the out side and freeze would have turned me into an ice statue the minute I got out of the river. I was so cold I don't think I would have been able to hike back to the truck with frozen, stiff waders on.
That is probably the one and only time those cold rubber waders did anything good for me. Glad we don't have to wear them anymore.

 

[thekillerofmallard]

Watch the Myth Busters episode on it. It's pretty good.

 

[C M Wings]

I

Neoprene waders will float. Even if filled with water.

The old rubber ones will fill with water but are neutrally buoyant, and will not sync you.

Breathables, will fill with water similar to the rubber ones but again they shouldn’t sink you.

In most cases, if you pull your knees up, once you feel yourself getting submerged, you will float as if wearing a life jacket.

Again, I would be much more concerned about hypothermia.

If you go in lift your feet and you’ll float on your back wearing. Neoprene and they will kinda fill and drain water based on how high you can get your feet. But you will float. Everyone should try this in the summer in a pool or pond or somewhere safe and with a buddy. Knowing how things behave may save your life.

 

[nobands]

I’m too old or have gathered a few ounces if wisdom or fear, or a combination of all, that I don’t do the wader thing any more in cold weather. I have grown to enjoy hunting the noble Canada goose in fields. Easier and less dangerous. I like hunting from a comfortable field blind with all the convienceses of everything I can dump out of a truck. Nope, no more waders, chest high water, hip high mud, submerged logs to trip me over, danger of drowning or hypothermia. Just a comfy chair, and a zero gravity recliner for later, for a late morning/mid day nap with an extra hunting coat pulled over me like a comforter, that sun on my face, waiting for a late flock of geese to wake me up with their wings woooshing upon landing in my decoys. Maybe its a dream, maybe actual geese, but no waders for me. Call me a wuss……me no care.

This is pretty much me anymore.
I've had my dunkings and survived, only time I was truly scared was wading the river for early spring walleye. That was as a teenager , today I'd be getting grappled for .
I just can't work that hard for them anymore and hate being wet and cold .

 

[GUNNERX2]

While visiting Achorage, AK years ago, I was talking to a local about the hunting and fishing in the area and he told me about a guy that was dip netting some kind of fish in along a tidal creek that emptied into Cook Inlet. It was at night and at low tide. Apparently, he stepped off into some quicksand type silt and sank to the point he couldn't get out. When the tide returned, he was a goner. They found his body when the tide went out again.

 

[lax]

Years ago while wading through a foot of mud and about a foot of water my boot got caught in the roots of a stump and I fell forward locking it in. While trying to keep my face out of the water and freeing myself, my dog thought it was a game and kept jumping on my back.