I went fishing with some guys from church about 4 or 5 years ago. We were cat fishing where the Palouse River meets the Snake in southeast WA. We had fished most of the day and I was walking back to camp. I had to traverse through some high grass that was about 5'-7' tall. Reminded me of that scene in Jurasic Park. I was following a trail that teed towards the camp. I took one step into the T and heard this rattle.[:@][:@] I stopped dead in my tracks and started looking all around. Once I determined I wasn't in immediate danger I started looking around. I took a step back and looked further up the trail that I had cut off of and there he was. One more step foward up the trail and he would have nailed me. Luckily I had turned. He was (notice I said was) a small rattler coiled up and ready to strike. Luckily I had turned. I know I've already said that but hey...I was lucky that I had turned. I had a small .25 cal pistol in my pack. Nuff said.

Watch your step.
Reid