Talkin’ and walkin’

By Mac Arnold
Editor-In-Chief

Many thoughts are swirling about in my head lately.

This hunting season has already been a trial by fire with my troublesome left ankle.

I’ve been out four times since mid-September in three different versions — early firearms for doe, fall turkey and, of course, deer archery — all in Michigan and it’s been a real struggle getting around.

Walking on the hard-packed drive is not an issue, but get me looking for blood or hair in an dry, crusty soybean field or hobbling along a squishy two-track, and I’m barely able to stay upright.

However, that all could change with the modern miracle of this new brace I finally got around to putting on and giving a whirl. 

The first test came Sunday on the awful foot-breaking and mole-ladened yard while mowing.

Outcome? It was a success. I really was surprised at how much better I could maneuver around.

For hunting all I needed was a way to get both foot and brace into a boot. 

I’ve already bought one pair of rubber boots with the same result of intense pain after pulling my foot out of a tight muck-style boot. (Believe me, this bone-on-bone arthritis in a joint that is gone is extremely painful.)

Then there they were on the TSC shelf: rubber overboots! Perfect! 

You know the ones. The old-buckled black ones that would get you teased by other kids when you wore them in grade school.

But for my purposes I think they’ll be just what I need to stay upright while walking across a mushy cut cornfield. 

Anyway, so sadly, this blog has turned from an exciting see how the self-taught suburban kid hunter slams big game is now like a former challenging NASCAR champion relegated to riding around in 35th-place never really getting in position to vie for first place.

So all I can say is I guess tune in to see how this gimpy graybeard does with this improved outlook. At least I may have staved off ankle surgery, which is probably a good thing for now.

RTWO Photo by Mac Arnold

So here it is: the Breg wonder brace helping me along to mow Sunday.