x-country skis vs snowshoes for hunting

DGY said:
Like I said if your are lightweight it might more for you but I will make myself a pair of sibarian style skis, really wide( around 7.5”) quite short but not super short like maybe around 60” long and the entire sole will be climbing skins, the skins works great at moving forward and slowing you down on the down hills, also the cut the noise a lot! Have a look here
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Nice, the creativity reminds me of a video I saw in the past about Russians making DIY rafts and running some crazy rapids.

Not sure I have the drive to make my own skis, but it does inspire me to hit the ski swap for a well used pair of short, fat skis from a heliskiing outfit and throw some old snow shoe bindings on them and pe4mantly attach an old pair of skins.
 
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My big issue with hunting on skis was always how to carry the rifle or shotgun while using the ski poles. What I ended up with were a couple of otherwise ridiculously long homemade slings that allowed me to sling the long arm behind me without it swinging around too much. This was when I could hunt out of the back door of the old Bad homestead and before the military came up with all of the carry options like two point slings that are available today, or at least before I knew about them. Otherwise, for moving around in an area that was a bit far away and/or had any kind of trails, I chose skis and mostly used snowshoes for thick brush where skis were more of a hindrance than anything. But it's also true that the snowshoes we had were shyte.

Edit: And thinking back, I wasn't using what are to us modern xcountry skis, which were unknown here at the time, but rather an old solid wood pair that one of my parents had skied on, with a binding that the heel could be released on, from the days when you had to climb your own hill with no lift, and big old leather boots to go with.
 
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Hollow Point said:
I use some. OAC KAR 149's. shorter and wider than other x-country skis and hummock binding. I wouldn't consider them to offer any better floatation than snow shoes but they are quicker to cover ground on.
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Nice. whats the width of those?

Whitewoods Outlander snowshoe skiis are another I found. Shorter @ 139 and 110mm wide, binding fits any winter boot also.
not sure where available though

I had an old pair of the original style heli-ski short/fats with a set of Silvretta 404 bindings and used mountaineering boots
clunky, but made the going better

edit - i solved the rifle issue with a BLR t/d
 
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boxhitch said:
Nice. whats the width of those?

Whitewoods Outlander snowshoe skiis are another I found. Shorter @ 139 and 110mm wide, binding fits any winter boot also.
not sure where available though

I had an old pair of the original style heli-ski short/fats with a set of Silvretta 404 bindings and used mountaineering boots
clunky, but made the going better

edit - i solved the rifle issue with a BLR t/d
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Ah the 404 binding was such a great binding!!
 
You know, maybe I did have nordic skis in my early days. These are skis, or the remnants of a pair, that the Vikings used and, aside from the ruination, I can see that the ones I posted about above were quite similar in design. I do know the Vikings used just one big pole though, like a quarter staff.

viking skis.jpg
 
Your probably best off sticking with snow shoes if you haven't skied much. If you played hockey and are good on skates that would help with short approach skis. Walking around on flats is one thing but the fun begins on the way down a hill..... :)

Nothing is going to "float" you on top of deep fresh snow, it's called breaking trail for a reason and best done with a group taking turns.
The nice thing with skis over snow shoes is they are easier to drag and slide forward with less lifting and it's easier to follow and take advantage of the track they set on the way home.
 
Can-down said:
Your probably best off sticking with snow shoes if you haven't skied much. If you played hockey and are good on skates that would help with short approach skis. Walking around on flats is one thing but the fun begins on the way down a hill..... :)

Nothing is going to "float" you on top of deep fresh snow, it's called breaking trail for a reason and best done with a group taking turns.
The nice thing with skis over snow shoes is they are easier to drag and slide forward with less lifting and it's easier to follow and take advantage of the track they set on the way home.
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I agree to a certain extent, but there is a reason bc/alpine touring skis have evolved from 60mm under foot to 120+ mm, to get more float, or should I say less sink hahaha
 
Coming back to say I've used MSR snowshoes hunting/calling coyotes around Okotoks/Aldersyde and the coyotes didn't care about the noise. I live in Fernie now and have snowshoed in deep snow here on MSRs (not hunted) but have walked near small deer and elk herds and all they did was look.
Yes an edged xc ski will hold on ice but there are better tools for that job, and yes the edge does increase the durability over a traditional nordic ski. The dude above that uses short fat touring skis with 404s might be on to something. It's hard to source AT bindings like those now because everyone has gone to "pin" bindings and boots.
 
DGY said:
I agree to a certain extent, but there is a reason bc/alpine touring skis have evolved from 60mm under foot to 120+ mm, to get more float, or should I say less sink hahaha
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I still remember my first nice pow telemark decent on Vantage around Cerise Creek at the turn of the last century on a new pair of Rossi X X X Bandit's..... I thought to my self " These things are unsinkable!" Then as the years passed and the ski's kept getting wider that happened over and over again....

I grew up skiing Gorilla Snot at Whistler under the chair on skinny 203's and 210's making it look like nice pow..... :)

When there's over a couple feet of fresh snow, even wetter coastal snow your going to be slogging.... colder snow and your at the bottom of it for sure.

It really depends on the snow pack and the conditions at the time what's best.... one of my favourite things is walking through the forest on a perfect crust that has enough give to cushion your steps and allow penetration for steeper climbs and side hilling in boots without breaking through.

I often see tourists using snow shoes in conditions they could walk on with any regular shoe let alone boots.... :)
When ever I do I suggest that they should leave the beaten track they are following and set out on their own path through the forest where the snow shoes can actually perform and feel good under their feet.
 
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Can-down said:
Your probably best off sticking with snow shoes if you haven't skied much. If you played hockey and are good on skates that would help with short approach skis. Walking around on flats is one thing but the fun begins on the way down a hill..... :)

Nothing is going to "float" you on top of deep fresh snow, it's called breaking trail for a reason and best done with a group taking turns.
The nice thing with skis over snow shoes is they are easier to drag and slide forward with less lifting and it's easier to follow and take advantage of the track they set on the way home.
Click to expand...
Deep soft snow is exhausting on either skis or snow shoes. In the 1960s I used skis for hunting coyotes. You could travel fast on snow with a significant crust on skis, Put four inches of snow on that crust and you are working to break trail, once the trail is established, it is easier and faster than walking or snow shoes until the next snowfall. Skis rattle on hard packed snow. they are virtually silent on fresh snow.
I had about an 8 mile loop that i used to hunt coyotes. My neighbor had a twin track skidoo and we built a trial setter - that made fresh snow less strenuous. He also started hunting coyotes on my loop. The coyote wised up quickly and started to run at the sound of a two stroke, They did not run from anyone on skis so it was to my advantage.
 
10x said:
Deep soft snow is exhausting on either skis or snow shoes. In the 1960s I used skis for hunting coyotes. You could travel fast on snow with a significant crust on skis, Put four inches of snow on that crust and you are working to break trail, once the trail is established, it is easier and faster than walking or snow shoes until the next snowfall. Skis rattle on hard packed snow. they are virtually silent on fresh snow.
I had about an 8 mile loop that i used to hunt coyotes. My neighbor had a twin track skidoo and we built a trial setter - that made fresh snow less strenuous. He also started hunting coyotes on my loop. The coyote wised up quickly and started to run at the sound of a two stroke, They did not run from anyone on skis so it was to my advantage.
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Snow makes rough terrain smooth and quiet as you say when it's fresh!

Sounds like you had some great ski hunts back in the day..... :)
 
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I can not offer any sage advice but find this thread interesting in its timing. My wife bought some X county skis a couple years ago and this fall bought a set for me. We went out to take the dog for a “walk” and I didn’t get along with the skis well at all. I went back to the house and swapped out the skis for snowshoes and for me, a significant improvement. So, been pondering the hunting aspect and if I was to hunt Im deep snow which would I choose. Well, my first choice would be a snowmobile but if I was hunting coyotes I would probably call them so the noise of the sled not as big a deal. Barring the powertoboggan idea, if I wanted to make some distance skies would probably be faster and easier (maybe) but shoes for me is an easy choice over skis. Perhaps if I was a “skier” that might change. I can’t imagine shooting while standing on skis. Shoe are far more stable for me.
 
boxhitch said:
Nice. whats the width of those?

Whitewoods Outlander snowshoe skiis are another I found. Shorter @ 139 and 110mm wide, binding fits any winter boot also.
not sure where available though

I had an old pair of the original style heli-ski short/fats with a set of Silvretta 404 bindings and used mountaineering boots
clunky, but made the going better

edit - i solved the rifle issue with a BLR t/d
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135mm wide at the front curve narrowing to 110mm under your feet and out to 125mm at the back.
 
geologist said:
True.

But when it's your job you just have to man up and break trail sinking to your balls with each step.

The good thing is you can eat huge breakfasts and suppers and still lose weight.
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Went on a snow shoe trek, marking habitat enhancement plots in 1981 or so with a somewhat prominent Alberta based sports writer. His subsequent article (In Western Sportsman) related how he "broke trail for me", and his compensation for breaking trail was sharing the lunch i had brought over the campfire i had made while he was resting from keeping up to me while I was breaking trail. He who writes the story only remembers the 20% of the trail he actually broke. He slept well on the drive back to town... His story didn't mention he neglected to bring lunch, or beverage, or matches. Old guys are wily (yes correct spelling, i looked it up). He who tells the story gets to be the hero.
 
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