Yes. I walk my dog 1-2 miles a day a lot of it in the woods. Its nice for checking the depth of creeks, getting up and down hills,smashing limbs out of the way.

I use a Cold Steel Walkabout . Not a great "hiking" stick but a mighty fine weapon. Which is a main reason. Last year 3 times unleashed dogs went after mine,2 had a .38 snub pointed at them while I kicked them. One had a aluminum trekking pole broken over its snout/eyes. Which is why I switched the Walkabout.

The walkabout is nice because I can swing it with one hand,while the other holds the leash .

For dog walking I use this with a button compass in the top. It's handy for moving branches from the path, fending off unleashed dogs, correcting my dog's behavior (with a gentle tap) and helping me up and down the hills. I added a leather wrap at the top for a more comfortable hold and a strap to make sure I don't drop the darn thing.

Old broomstick with a crutch tip and a paracord wrap for the handgrip.

Bill

Trax staff I bought at REI last century.
Spiderwebs, snakes - check.

3rd leg for offtrail and off balance situations. Has prevented many falls over the years.

Helps with keeping trail rhythm. Gives my hands something to do and to switch off occasionally.

Hiking without it would feel very wrong.

I have several, everything from collapsible aluminum trekking poles to modified shovel handles to my favorite, a natural cane I happened to find. Very useful in snake country and in fording streams, as well as pitching shelters and tarps. When we carried our child in a baby carrier on hikes, the person carrying the carrier always used a stick.

Using a hiking staff definitely improves stability.

Now that my knees remind me that I'm getting old, I have started using the aluminum hiking poles. They really do help with the knees, and with stability in rough country.

I prefer to cut a 6 foot staff from a decent cedar sapling. There are a number of cedar groves up where I play in the big woods, and I thin them out once in a while for this purpose. Cedar is light, durable, and has a lot of longitudinal strength. I like the butt about 2" diameter; it fits my hand. I name every staff I make, no two are the same. I carve their name in the mid section and I sand, stain and varnish them in a natural look. My staffs last me about a decade, and I only make them for me and my immediate family. I have leather thonged the top of a couple for a better grip, but usually I just go with natural. As with my knives, all my staffs are blooded.

The last three I made were named "AEI", "VAEINE", and "MAEIR". I don't know if I will make any more in that series or if I will start a new series of names.

Yup, several.
What I take, or even if I take one, depends on where I am going and what I am packing.
Sometimes I prefer my hands free.

Some have mentioned using a found stick.
Those have the great advantage of being easily replaced when you are done with them.
(but I am not sure if you can just release naturally grown walking sticks back into he wild without a permit)

Dual collapsible "trekking" poles. Too many miles, too many falls. They do help with sketchy terrain, save some strain on the knees, and come in handy for various other uses. A custom hiking staff can be a thing of beauty, but is hard to stow when not in use on the trail.

Never leave home with trekking poles -- keep a pair in the car all the time.

For easier hikes I carry just one. Two for steep, rocky terrain.

Priceless when you have a bum knee and ankle. Great for clearing spider webs.

For several years I've relied on these REI super lightweight poles for women. The pair weigh 14.7 ounces and telescope down very small so they be stored in my pack or strapped to the outside.

http://www.rei.com/product/784272

And my snowshoe poles with snow baskets more than paid for themselves during and after the three major snowstorms we experienced this winter. For two weeks I did not walk anywhere without one of the snowshoe poles to keep from slipping on snow mounds that blocked many street corners. I lent the other pole to a friend who is now shopping for her own.