Sunday, November 13, 2005
Real Men Hunt with Spears
There has been a steady movement towards purposeful anachronisms in hunting. Knocking them off with a modern rifle (which I find somewhat challenging) is viewed by many as too easy. To create a greater handicap for the hunters, many use the rifle technology of the century before the last (muzzle loading weapons with percussion cap and even flintlock ignition). Many use bow and arrow and the new trend is towards a plain wooden bow and away from the complicated, high tech compound bows. The next step back is to use a spear.
I've advocated for at least a half decade the use of the atlatl, a wooden throwing board, and spears. It's really not that difficult to get within atlatl assisted spear range with deer, even giant deer. I even had in mind a name for a new organization of atlatl using hunters: SCA, Spear Chuckers of America (although I might have to rethink that due to a history of racial epithet for part of that term). Good to hear that I wasn't just imagining this trend as this story makes clear.
I'm not sure my shoulder will stand the strain of throwing spears and I love my beautiful rifle, but there is no reason not to experiment. Bows are for sissies, after all.
I've advocated for at least a half decade the use of the atlatl, a wooden throwing board, and spears. It's really not that difficult to get within atlatl assisted spear range with deer, even giant deer. I even had in mind a name for a new organization of atlatl using hunters: SCA, Spear Chuckers of America (although I might have to rethink that due to a history of racial epithet for part of that term). Good to hear that I wasn't just imagining this trend as this story makes clear.
I'm not sure my shoulder will stand the strain of throwing spears and I love my beautiful rifle, but there is no reason not to experiment. Bows are for sissies, after all.
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 9:40 AM 
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