- Joined
- Oct 19, 2005
- Messages
- 296
With a winter storm coming on, I went hiking along a deserted stretch of the Platte River today. I had the dog, lead grey skies, and several miles all to myself, excepting some bald eagles.
I cut two throwing sticks, one out of Russian Olive and the other out of tamerisk, both invasive plants that are choking out native trees throughout the west. Both sticks were approximately three feet long, heavily curved in a boomrang style shape, and weighted towards one end. I'd estimate that the sticks weighed about 2.5 pounds each.
It took me about four minutes to cut both sticks, using the saw on my leatherman TI, and I spent about another minute trimming some thorns off the Russian Olive.
I then walked for several miles, playing "bounders" with the sticks. I would throw at a target, such as a particular hunk of blue gamma grass or a dead limb on a cottonwood tree. I would then throw at a another target, moving through the brush as I walked to retireve the sticks.
I got pretty accurate, even with the cold numbing my hands. Thrown spinning at the target, parallel with the ground, the sticks have a good sweep reach and pack quite a whallop. I could , eventually, hit about any stationary target I choose at 25-30 yards. They were far more effective, accurate, and damaging than the rocks I threw as a comparision.
However, I feel that as a practical mattter they would be worthless as a survivial hunting method in most North American situations. The sticks are much to slow to reliably hunt squirrels, wild rabbits, marmets, or most small rodents. They are also not going to get you most birds, unless by chance.
I can see the throwing sticks having some value if you were throwing into flocks of birds, like ducks or geese, particularly if you were throwing from a suprise posistion into the flock as they were leaving or coming down into the water. This would be a rare and illegal situation, however, where I live.
Suburban rabbits, conditioned to freeze when they see people, would fall easily to the sticks. Ditto for porcupines.
I found the caloric expenditure to be enormous. I am athletic and train quite a bit, yet I found my shoulders getting fairly tired after just a few hundred throws. Doubtless, after a few days of trying this in a food challenged scenario and sleeping in less than ideal conditions, I would begin to risk injury with every throw.
I also think that hunting with these sticks would be next to impossible if I was hurt at all. I was making "full bodied" throws. A hurt leg, shoulder or even off arm would drastically reduce the power that I could muster.
Based on all this, I will generally rule throwing sticks out as a survivial non-firearm hunting technique. I think that snaring or a highpower slingshots, (both techniques I have sucessfully used in the past) are far more likely to result in one eating regularly.
Take Care,
Jeff
I cut two throwing sticks, one out of Russian Olive and the other out of tamerisk, both invasive plants that are choking out native trees throughout the west. Both sticks were approximately three feet long, heavily curved in a boomrang style shape, and weighted towards one end. I'd estimate that the sticks weighed about 2.5 pounds each.
It took me about four minutes to cut both sticks, using the saw on my leatherman TI, and I spent about another minute trimming some thorns off the Russian Olive.
I then walked for several miles, playing "bounders" with the sticks. I would throw at a target, such as a particular hunk of blue gamma grass or a dead limb on a cottonwood tree. I would then throw at a another target, moving through the brush as I walked to retireve the sticks.
I got pretty accurate, even with the cold numbing my hands. Thrown spinning at the target, parallel with the ground, the sticks have a good sweep reach and pack quite a whallop. I could , eventually, hit about any stationary target I choose at 25-30 yards. They were far more effective, accurate, and damaging than the rocks I threw as a comparision.
However, I feel that as a practical mattter they would be worthless as a survivial hunting method in most North American situations. The sticks are much to slow to reliably hunt squirrels, wild rabbits, marmets, or most small rodents. They are also not going to get you most birds, unless by chance.
I can see the throwing sticks having some value if you were throwing into flocks of birds, like ducks or geese, particularly if you were throwing from a suprise posistion into the flock as they were leaving or coming down into the water. This would be a rare and illegal situation, however, where I live.
Suburban rabbits, conditioned to freeze when they see people, would fall easily to the sticks. Ditto for porcupines.
I found the caloric expenditure to be enormous. I am athletic and train quite a bit, yet I found my shoulders getting fairly tired after just a few hundred throws. Doubtless, after a few days of trying this in a food challenged scenario and sleeping in less than ideal conditions, I would begin to risk injury with every throw.
I also think that hunting with these sticks would be next to impossible if I was hurt at all. I was making "full bodied" throws. A hurt leg, shoulder or even off arm would drastically reduce the power that I could muster.
Based on all this, I will generally rule throwing sticks out as a survivial non-firearm hunting technique. I think that snaring or a highpower slingshots, (both techniques I have sucessfully used in the past) are far more likely to result in one eating regularly.
Take Care,
Jeff
)than the Hopi throwing sticks (aka rabbit sticks) that I've seen. Easy to understand how a lot of throwing them made your shoulder sore.
:thumbup: