Hunting with human-powered weapons and ingenuity

[riverrat373]

are you fu**ing kidding me what kind of dumb *** liberal idiot comment is that what a fool . so since animals dont have weapons you shouldnt be able to kill them . how in the **** do you stay alive do you just eat veggies or something . but oh wait you would have to kill the plant to eat it . you must just drink water . what a dip bubblegum. waste of air

Wow!

 

[RVTECH]

or using a high-powered rifle with a laser-powered scope to bring down your prey from a safe (read: cowardly?) distance.

This event is actually a very small part of the whole equation. Successful hunting requires several elements such as knowing the area you will be hunting in, having a working knowledge of the habits and movement of the game in the area, off season scouting to determine these areas as well as picking a spot where you will be "opening morning" and hoping you are physically fit enough for a fair amount of leg work if necessary. Couple this with all the pre - hunt planning, IE. camping or day hunting only, putting in for tags (and hoping to get them) equipment and travel expenses and a myriad of other things and sometimes even thinking about the hopeful final shot is just a hazy thought. And then consider the stats that only about 10% of the hunters kill 90% of the game.

 

[pchewn]

(Duplicate weapons removed from post)

 

[Whitman]

This event is actually a very small part of the whole equation. Successful hunting requires several elements such as knowing the area you will be hunting in, having a working knowledge of the habits and movement of the game in the area, off season scouting to determine these areas as well as picking a spot where you will be "opening morning" and hoping you are physically fit enough for a fair amount of leg work if necessary. Couple this with all the pre - hunt planning, IE. camping or day hunting only, putting in for tags (and hoping to get them) equipment and travel expenses and a myriad of other things and sometimes even thinking about the hopeful final shot is just a hazy thought. And then consider the stats that only about 10% of the hunters kill 90% of the game.

Agreed. Good hunting takes a lot of planning and skill, and probably some luck (if there is such a thing). And I will add that I intended no offense by using the term "cowardly." I'm certainly not condemning hunters who use firearms. Just thinking human-powered weapons make for a more interesting and intimate encounter with prey and surroundings.

And I disagree with respect to the compound bow and cross bow not being human-powered: let's redefine the term "human-powered" to mean any weapon where chemical ignition does not play a role. We can include snares and traps (although they are, IMHO, definitely cowardly!).

Having read many of the threads on this forum, it somehow does not surprise me that this one started a spitting match. Note: I do not play video games anymore, and I never watched more than five minutes of Survivor (though I do like the band). Also, I am not advocating actually hunting with these weapons as that might run afoul of the current regulations. But I ain't complaining. I don't care, as long as the list keeps growing.

Here it is now:

Knife
Bow
Spear
Sling
Fishing rod
Boomerang
Bolas
Sword
Crossbow
Slingshot
Blowgun
Atlatl
Snares and traps
Rock
Stick
Throwing axe/francisca/tomahawk/hurlbat/etc.
Club/knobkerrie/maul/quarterstaff/etc.
Dart
Pellet bow
Shuriken
Chakram

 

[trainsktg]

Although the average person with a Western lifestyle couldn't do it, there is a fair amount of documentation of modern day humans in hunter-gatherer societies that merely run down their prey, as long as the prey can be isolated and kept continuously running to exhaustion. It is very well documented that there is no other animal on Earth that can outwalk or outrun a human over extreme long distances. There is an interesting, fairly controversial, bestselling book called 'Born to Run' that covers this tactic in some detail. So, there's 'feet' for the list.

Eskimos use kayaks to hunt whales. Although the kayak doesn't kill the animal, the kill would be impossible without it.

Fishermen the world over use throw nets for fishing. This might be added to the trap and snare category you already have. Birds can be caught by hanging nets, too.

Keith

 

[chemist]

Although the average person with a Western lifestyle couldn't do it, there is a fair amount of documentation of modern day humans in hunter-gatherer societies that merely run down their prey, as long as the prey can be isolated and kept continuously running to exhaustion. It is very well documented that there is no other animal on Earth that can outwalk or outrun a human over extreme long distances. There is an interesting, fairly controversial, bestselling book called 'Born to Run' that covers this tactic in some detail. So, there's 'feet' for the list.

Keith

I heard long ago that the Apache never tied up their horses, because they could 'walk them down' (not run them down) through patience and sheer will. After the first time the horse is recaptured and brought back, it gives up trying.

The wolverine is able to capture much faster prey like deer by 'walking them down' to exhaustion over the course of hours or days. Works well in the Winter, when the prey can't help but leave a trail.