…And Carry A Big Stick

Of all the crazy things to blog about, a walking stick would seem pretty boring but My stick is anything but.   My walking stick gets thrown into the truck for just about every outing.  It  has 1001 uses and it gives me great comfort just knowing it is there.  I use it for so many things.   It started life as a cedar branch that came off during a storm on top of a ridge overlooking the Little Nemaha River.  It must have had 15-20 good years of watching that old river flow, turkeys walking by, deer roaming underneath it…it may have even seen a mountain lion or bobcat.  It probably witnessed some pretty cool storms and Nebraska skies.  I found it lying on the ground during a turkey hunt a few years ago.  I brought it home and cleaned it up.  I sanded it down to a smooth finish and gave it several  coats of polyurethane stain.  I whittled the tip to make it a bit more narrow and I wrapped the handle in saddle  leather from an old horse saddle (another story).  I found a little device that I attached to the stick to make it a handy gun rest.   This good buddy has helped me many times:

walking stick, checking for snakes, removing webs in the woods, searching for  downed game, shooting rest, fire poke, personal protection (did I mention its a big stick?), and it was pretty instrumental last archery season when I retrieved my deer out of a crick.   At this stage, I can’t imagine life without my walking stick.   Next time your in the woods, find yourself a good walking stick.  I bet the two of you become good friends!

Get Em Out There

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