Watch Where You Step, Eh?

by
posted on October 18, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wilder_ah2015_fs.jpg (35)

undefinedI haven't posted a blog in awhile, and for that I apologize. It was a busy couple of weeks at headquarters, and then I skipped town for a few days to go on a waterfowl/predator hunt in Alberta. While there, I happened into a bit of a Wilder World Outdoors moment of my own.

No matter how careful, coordinated and deliberate you are when hunting, things can always go a bit awry. It's all a part of the greater hunting experience and, at times, just adds to the adventure—or, at the very least, the story. This past Tuesday was one of those days for me.

I was on a predator hunt, accompanied by fellow hunter JJ Reich and our young guide, Nathan. Coyotes were the game of the day, and we'd been sent to a wooded property not far from a lake. As we trekked through the 25-yard cut that we'd selected, looking for a place to set up and call, we noted that the area had been a bit flooded, and conditions were muddy. Not a big deal—at first.

Once we'd gotten about a half-mile from the truck, things had gotten fairly wet. If you stepped in the wrong spot, you could sink a few inches. Still, though, we could traverse the terrain nonetheless. Eventually we came across a spot that seemed perfect—we had a little elevation over the field, and there was a nice, shady spot where we could set up. I whispered that information to my fellow hunters and immediately made for the shade, without stopping to examine my surrounding. Imagine my surprise when I started sinking.

I'd stepped right into what amounted to a bog, or, as the guides called it, muskeg. Before I knew it, I was thigh deep in the stuff and couldn't seem to move my legs. I've seen ATV's that weren't as buried as I was.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. No, that would have been about 15 seconds after I went in, when my boots finally gave way and filled up with mucky water. Cold water.

So, there I am sinking into the earth, and my partners-in-crime are loving every minute of it. JJ couldn't contain his laughter, and Nathan the guide was making jokes like "I should go get the winch, eh?" Not that I blame them—I'd have laughed at myself, too, if I hadn't of been dealing with worries like "Am I really going to lose the only pair of boots I've got with me?"

Long story short, I handed off my gear and began the gradual process of dragging myself out of the bog. I had to bury each leg into the muck three more times before I managed to reach ground that was dry enough to support me, sufficiently drenching everything from my thighs down in muskeg. I'm not even going to mention what I smelled like, by the way.

Once I'd managed to stave off the bog's attempt to drown me, we began the half-mile hike back to the truck—my boots squishing the whole way. I wasn't about to give up on the hunt—we still had time to get a couple of sets in! So I emptied a substantial amount of muck from my boots, wiped my legs down with a towel and climbed back into the truck, intent on nailing a coyote. My socks were a bit of an issue, though—even after being wrung out several times each, they were pretty soaked. So, for the first time in my life, I was the guy riding down the road with his socks hanging out of a closed window. I apologize in advance for not having pictures of that. We never did see a coyote, by the way, but it wound up being a memorable hunt, nonetheless.

Lesson learned: Watch where you step, eh?

Latest

SPD Ptototype
SPD Ptototype

#SundayGunday: Henry Special Products Division HUSH

This week on #SundayGunday, we’re checking out the HUSH Series, from Henry’s new Special Products Division, SPD for short.

New for 2025: Federal’s Personal Defense HST .44 Rem. Mag.

Federal Ammunition has recently added a new HST .44 Remington Magnum “Light Magnum” load featuring a specially designed hollow-point bullet, ideal for those seeking HST performance for self-defense with magnum revolvers.

Utah Wildlife Board Updates

The Utah Wildlife Board approved a few new and updated rules, some of which are necessary after recent legislative changes—including the wildlife management area license requirement for certain counties and the new process for regulating hunting guides and outfitters—along with a few other proposals during a public meeting Thursday.

Member's Hunt: A Tale of Two Moose

This month's Member's Hunt comes from John R. Bean of Tucson, Ariz.

Breeding Duck Numbers Decline Again in ND

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s 78th-annual spring breeding duck survey conducted in May showed an index of about 2.66-million birds, down from 2.9 million in 2024 and 3.4 million in 2023.

2025-26 Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird Seasons Set

Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 migratory game bird seasons have been set. There are two significant changes to waterfowl seasons. The regular season daily bag limit for Canada geese in the Atlantic Population Zone has decreased from three to one, and for northern pintail, there will be a flat daily bag limit of three.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.