Thanks, very nice explanation and breakdown of the important parts in the action. I've been practicing with a braided jute sling and am just starting to become less of a menace using a sidearm throw. I'll be giving this a try. Have attempted this method before but after watching the demo I believe I was putting too much movement into it when bringing my hand up from the initial drop.
I've been trying to get a little better with my slinging since the last backpacking trip with my kids. Not long after sundown we heard a dog barking on the hillside about 100 yrds out, a little off the trail but not too far. I grabbed my mutt to keep him from running after, as coyote are mighty common and I was on edge. He and the stranger passed a few barks back and forth, I was expecting to see a head lamp or flashlight bob into view- is not uncommon for some folks to stay on the trail after sundown. Then the "dog" revealed his true colors and let out a very coyote-like howl, now circling around to the area where my food bag was hung. No danger of it coming in close, and my chow was high up and about 200 yrds out, but I would have felt a lot better if I could have passed a stone close enough to be taken seriously.
Coyote are to be expected on every hike now at some point, and it would be nice to use my sling for one of its oldest known applications - the running off of smaller 4 legged predators.
Martin
