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Post by Village Idiot on Oct 2, 2006 20:45:00 GMT -5
I was surprised last night to read, on another thread, that you have used an atlatle.
My Dad, who is nuts, taught me about those and slings and blowguns and bolos, and all that kind of stuff. I had my nephew, who is 11, in the woods with me this weekend looking for mushrooms, and fashioned a quck throwing stick and he was amazed at how far a spear launched that way would carry. He was also suitably impressed with my sling.
Throwing sticks and slings are impressive in terms of the distance things can be carried, and that's what I've always concentrated on. I'm good at throwing things far, I'm not that good at aiming at a specific target.
I can, however, use a blowgun effectively. But I'm rambling. And comments on primitive weapons might make for an inetersting thread.
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Post by sidheguitarmichael on Oct 2, 2006 21:02:01 GMT -5
When I was a lad in boy scouts, I speared a fish using a hastily-carved atlatl. Of course, the sharpened stick end of things had no fishing line attached, so all I got was a pissed off fish floating away with my stick in it's side...
Ah, misguided youth. -MM
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Post by Village Idiot on Oct 2, 2006 21:07:20 GMT -5
Yes, that's what we don't want to have happen. i'm impressed that you caught a fish that way, though. For all I know, the next step would be to dive into the river and catch the thing. Tough, but primitive. Maybe in another time, that would have been the automatic reaction, no matter how cold the water was.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 2, 2006 21:10:07 GMT -5
When I was a kid I knew how to throw a rock and yell "bang"!
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Post by dradtke on Oct 2, 2006 22:05:27 GMT -5
Todd, I've always wondered how and why a guy from Iowa would pack up his family and move to Africa.
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Post by jdd on Oct 3, 2006 0:45:15 GMT -5
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Post by andrewg on Oct 3, 2006 8:20:18 GMT -5
I would love to know how something as sophisticated as a boomerang came to be developed. I guess a frisbee is too slow.
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Post by Cribbs on Oct 3, 2006 9:20:42 GMT -5
Well, Andrew, slow and impractical. From what I read in The Cribbs Guide to World History, the frisbee was developed originally to be a hunting weapon. Apparently, it floundered when it came to hunting wolves and other members of the canis family, as they would hurl it at the prey, and the wolf would track it down, jump in the air, and catch it in his mouth. It would be another 10,000 years before they thought to whistle and make the dog bring it back. Needless to say, our ancestors weren't the smoothest rocks in the riverbed.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2006 10:15:19 GMT -5
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Post by Gypsy Picker on Oct 3, 2006 10:45:12 GMT -5
I learned how to use an atlatl a few years back from Bill of Pollywogg Holler fame. I too was amazed at the distances and speeds that can be achieved with such a simple weapon. I can see where it would be a viable hunting weapon with regular practice and use.
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Post by lakeside on Oct 3, 2006 10:55:16 GMT -5
I'm attending a boy scout camp this weekend with my son down in the Bitteroot. There is going to be numerous stations, among them: hatchet throwing, black powder rifle shooting, and archery. I went last year and it was a real hoot; the hatchet throwing was my personal fave, great stress relief! I don't know who had more fun, the kids or us Dads.
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Post by ducktrapper on Oct 3, 2006 11:14:59 GMT -5
I'm not sure and don't ask.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2006 11:15:23 GMT -5
I have a friend who makes beautiful, entirely hand-made re curve bows. He is very involved w/rendezvous here and there around the country. His son is and ax thrower and apparently Nationally ranked (didn't know there was such a thing). Oh, did I mention that his son is legally blind?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2006 11:16:02 GMT -5
Duck, we're talking primitive weapons, not what you pack for a date.
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Post by ducktrapper on Oct 3, 2006 11:26:25 GMT -5
I'm thinking new avatar.
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Post by lakeside on Oct 3, 2006 11:45:20 GMT -5
Kook, I've always wanted to learn to shoot a re-curve. When I lived in Colorado I bowhunted quite abit with a compound. Also did a shooting league in the winter alot of fun. Got out of it when I moved up to Montana - kids, job, etc., The kid nationally ranked is legally blind? Wow. THAT is pretty impressive, I couldn't hardly hit the target, let alone stick it, seeing it clear as day.
Anyone here doing any clay pigeon shooting? I've duck hunted alittle too, but never shot at clay pigeons. Sounds like a real hoot. I may have to give it a go this winter.
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Post by dradtke on Oct 3, 2006 12:00:16 GMT -5
I'm attending a boy scout camp this weekend with my son down in the Bitteroot. There is going to be numerous stations, among them: hatchet throwing, black powder rifle shooting, and archery. I went last year and it was a real hoot; the hatchet throwing was my personal fave, great stress relief! I don't know who had more fun, the kids or us Dads. I'm a boy scout leader, and I can answer that for you. The Dads.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2006 12:06:59 GMT -5
Here are my personal favourite primitive weapons. Paul
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Post by Village Idiot on Oct 3, 2006 12:12:01 GMT -5
A person has to have 20/200 vision or worse to be considered legally blind. Because of that, it's quite likely that the kid can see the target, just not see the fine detail of the target, which a person wouldn't need to throw something at it.
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Post by lakeside on Oct 3, 2006 12:21:09 GMT -5
"I'm a boy scout leader, and I can answer that for you. The Dads." No doubt!!
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