The #1 thing we have all stepped in is #2! Admit it. How many times have you let the dog out, or just finished mowing the grass and you are enjoying a barefoot walk until… You immediately know what you stepped in and there is no going back. The only solution is to scrape it off and find the hose.

Even when wearing footwear or boots, stepping into things can get crazy fast.  All you can do is learn from your missteps and try to be more observant.

One day dove hunting, I dropped a dove on the other side of hedgerow. It was a hot day, so I was only wearing light hunting boots, a pair of camo shorts, and a hat. As I stepped across the hedgerow, I thought I stepped into a crushed a bag of garbage. After retrieving my dove, I turned to return to my hunting spot and saw a huge swarm of hornets coming at me. The trash bag was a hornet’s nest that fell out of a tree. I had flattened their home and they were pissed! I swear they formed into a huge arrow, like in the cartoons, and my butt was the target. I dropped my gun and dove and sprinted to a nearby pond. I jumped in and held my breath. After several minutes, the hornets gave up. Slowly, I grabbed my gun and dove and found a new spot to hunt.

I am sure we all have great stories about stepping onto snakes, eels, insects, and a variety of other gross, nasty, and creepy stuff. We all scream like little girls and run like the wind.

On another occasion, I was fishing along the Gardiner River in Yellowstone Park. Fishing was awesome, and I was wearing hip boots. I came to a mudslide that had migrated along the river after a thunderstorm the night before. It had crusted up and was only a hundred yards across. The fishing upstream looked great, so I started across. All was well until I got to the final 10 feet or so. Suddenly, I broke through the crusty mud and was stuck. The suck of the mud was really sucking. I could not pull my booted legs out. Thank God it wasn’t quick sand. After struggling for an hour, I started yelling for my Dad. He finally heard me and came to my rescue. We both ended up covered in the thick and sticky mud but were able to retrieve me and my boots. We walked into the river, looking like muddy pigs, and washed off the residue. The river turned into a muddy mess as we cleaned off. The hot day dried us off and we were soon back to fishing.

Life afield is always an adventure. We enjoy the challenges and stories that result from our trekking into surprises but…

Watch your step!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, catch him at www.montanagrantfishing.com.