Back in my timber-buying days, I was flagging a property line and stepped on something going through some thick stuff that felt funny. It felt like I was standing on a water balloon that didn't bust. I stepped off it, turned and realized that I'd dead centered a healthy timber rattler, and I look again, as see another one lying beside it just a few inches away. I missed the second one by several inches in front of my toe, but I'm fairly certain I hit the first one in the shallow void between my slightly raised heel and ball of the foot on my boots, so I didn't put all my weight on him. He never reacted nor rattled, and both just moseyed on off into the brush.

I don't mind snakes, and have caught my fair share of them, but that was definitely one time that I had my hair stand on end, realizing that I'd actually stepped on one. I did have my knee-high snake gators on that day, so hopefully that would have discouraged a calf bite.. but that scenario was a prime chance to get struck. I still can't believe that they never 'acted up'.