Originally Posted By: Byrd_Huntr
The sticks give us a little extra traction on a muddy slope, parts the thorny canes to access the blackberries, moves the nettles aside to search for morrels, shuffles the gravel in a clear brook to uncover the agates, helps answer the question; what's that?................


A friend of mine related a story about guiding a couple that had lived most of their lives in a city. They get a bit out ahead of him and one says 'Look at the funny rocks' he approaches and the man is squatting down and reaching. He it just about to touch a coiled rattler. Only a shout to stop moving, a slow withdrawal, and the snake being in a friendly mood, saved the day.

But he also related that the snakes, there were three or four on the sunny and warm side of that rock, really did blend quite well with the rocks and gravel and that had he lacked some common sense he might have seen the lumps as odd colored rocks also.

The point being that a good stick allows you to engage your gee-whiz, inner child, wonder of nature, mindset and maintain a safe distance.