Man uses a spear to save girlfriend from a mountain lion

I've been charged by wild hogs plenty, My brother and I would circle a momma sow and get her attention and then the other would charge in with a croaker sack and grab a young small one while the sow was chasing the other one. We were to stupid to care + we sold the pigglets for 5.00 each. That bought a lot of cokes and candy plus pinball games were only 10 cents back then.

 

In the NC mountains there is a knife/spear club. You have to take an animal with one to qualify.

 

I'm not aware of a local chapter, but i went out with a friend when I was in my late teens or early 20's and we hunted rabbits with a spear, just to see if it could be done. scared up dozens of rabbits through out the day, but I only got one all day. A man could starve to death that way. we use small spears now, and use a bent stick to throw them faster and farther. Works much better. Who knows? it might just catch on....

 

We call it "Archery"

 

@ghrit Atlatl's are cool! Well so are "small spears and bent wood"... :0)

 

"Atlatl's are cool!"

Certainly are, I once did a paper on them in College.

Strange how every chipped flint projectile point is called an arrow head. Time in rank of the Atlatl exceeds the Bow and Arrow by many eons. This suggest that many chipped flint projectile points are from the Atlatl system.

 

Yup... @HK_User I seem to recall reading somewhere that it was the first "distance multiplier" pointy object... and that in many cultures it was used quite effectively to bring down dangerous and large game... great concept... and IMHO much easier to craft than a bow...

It's a very good skill to learn how to create your own projective points... learning how to break spalls from large rocks... then how to get flakes from the spalls... and then how to make projectiles, cutting and scraping tools from the flakes and spall is a handy thing to learn... much like fire making :0) Practicing on local rocks that are not as hard and don't break quite as sharp as flint/chert... but will do the job quite well... I can now identify and use a hammer stone... and break spalls and flakes... pretty handy... every time I am out and see a rock... if I have time.. I pick it up and try to break it :0)... sort of appropriate since I live on a big rock in the middle of the ocean :0)

Bear

 

Same here in various ways.

Knowing where I can come up with a strong staff on short notice may one day be important.

Hope not, but who can say?

 

hophornbeam and yew are my favorites for a strong staff

 

True, but very unlikely to ever find in the wild. Those are for those who went prepared in the first place.

 

Get mine from guys who harvest their own and know where to find them... hophornbeam... midwest... yew... pacific northwest... good strong staffs .... suppose you just need to know where to get them .... look around on the next outing and take note on where they might be :0) hickory and osage orange are great as well... and don't forget bamboo :0)

 

I'm in Ohio. Hickory is a possibility, or ash, oak, black walnut, but osage orange, or bamboo, would be pretty rare. (unless a fight broke out in a Chinese buffet) (hey, it could happen) The only Yew bows I know of came from overseas, and I have never even held a piece of Hophornbeam or would know it if I did.

I like a staff for walking, and for defense (two legged, four legged, and snakes) but I must work within the realm or probability. Or make my own luck by preparing my choice ahead of time. i could have nearly any wood, in any style, with time and money. But not with only minutes notice, or a misstep in the wild. There, I must take what I can get.

 

@ghrit yup... your NM will help with that... and hickory is great stuff... :0) I like my walking/hiking staffs at my height or ideally taller... great for poking at things at distance... and when crossing rivers, tide pools or channels... I like the extra length for stability in case the current or tide is flowing :0)

 

But for two-legged varmints, it should come up to your armpit. any longer, slows you down, and gets in your own way.

 

@kellory all good choices as well... as long as it is stout enough to lean your body weight on... yeah... none of those woods here... have to get them from all over... got a bunch that have been "seasoning" for years... waiting for a scraper and sand paper :0) one of mine went to Church for a lesson on Moses with the children... they all wanted to hold the staff :0) it's a curved gnarled staff with lots of character... and my favorite so far :0)

IMHO... always have a stick or staff when you are "out there"... not just the ones that spit projectiles :0)

Bear

 

Agree... although with a bit of training... :0)