Pa. May Let Hunters Use Prehistoric Weapon

Yahoo News ^ | MARK SCOLFORO

[DarkSavant]

[indcons]

Ancient weapon ping

[BipolarBob]

I have always had an affinity for the catapult myself. I will lobby for the inclusion of that device for deer hunting as well. Lobbing 150lb boulders is not as easy as it sounds. One miscue and you could mess up a deer camp easily.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Alter Kaker]

Is it legal to hunt with your teeth? For me, there is nothing more satisfying that to pounce onto the back of a wild animal, plunging my incisors into its jugular. And that's how my ancestors did it.

[OSHA]

It can be argued that it was when the Bow and Arrow was developed and subsequently replaced the Atlatl that we humans began to deviate from our natural condition and take more from the environment than the environment could naturally replace itself. The Bow and Arrow was a more efficient technology for what we felt at the time to be a better life, but it in fact turned into the never-ending arms race, which continues today. For thousands of years when humans used the Atlatl we were in harmony with nature; what would our environment be like today if we had never progressed beyond that technology?

LOL From http://www.atlatl.com/

[ecurbh]

Thought you guys might be interested in this...

[null and void]

Kewl!

[Rudder]

If the atatl catches on maybe this will become a common sight.

[martin_fierro]

The state Game Commission is currently drafting proposed regulations to allow hunters to use the atlatl

Them Pittsburgh jagoffs ain't even gonna try to pronounce that.

They'll just rename it sumpin' in Polish, 'n'at.

'Burgh

Ping

Thing

[CommandoFrank]

While out exploring the Utah desert with my wife one day, I had to stop and change a flat tire. My wife decided to explore the desert floor looking for arrowheads. She found an atlatl head. Very interesting.

Of course being the good law abiding citizens that we are, we left it there for others to enjoy. Yea, right!

[No Blue States]

I thought of you when reading this.

Aluminum arrows? Heck if they want to be like the ancients
they need to knapp a clovis and make their spears from straight tree limbs.

More power to them, it sounds fun.

Ps: All ive found lately are broken pieces.

A handful of my best Texas artifacts:

[Alter Kaker]

That's utter garbage. Native Americans wiped out most large Western Hemisphere mammals 20,000 years ago, burned down most of the forests of North America, and created enormous cities and civilizations -- Tenochtitlan being the largest city in the world in 1492. Pretending that Indians "lived in harmony with nature" denies them history and humanity.

[Tribune7]

ping

[CommandoFrank]

Looks like a drum majorette leading a parade into the lake...

[No Blue States]

Ping to #7. thought you might enjoy the pic.

[Boundless]

> It's unclear which animals atlatlists may be allowed to hunt, ...

I vote for PETA members, and anyone seen hugging a tree.

[JRandomFreeper]

I have always thought that the toughest thing we would ever have to explain to an alien civilization, is the habit of keeping large, dangerous predators as pets. A 250lb mastiff can easily eat that 30 lb child that it protects. Humans are THE most kick-butt predator on the planet.

What does my dog think when I leave the house, and come back 30 minutes later with a couple of chickens, and parts of a cow? He's very respectful.;>)

/john

[ASA Vet]

Atlatl use goes back far as 12,000 years elsewhere in North America and far longer in Europe.

Why would the Atlatl be found in North America and Europe but not in Asia?
Or have they been found in Asia and this is just poor reporting?

[TXnMA]

That's an interesting and atractive graphic -- but it is not exactly right.

The shaft of the atlatl dart does, indeed, flex as shown, but it typically straightens out before it detaches from the atlatl. This compression and straightening of the shaft adds considerably to the force with which the dart departs the atlatl.

BTW, The world record for long distance with the atlatl currently stands at 848.56 feet.

(I'm no great shakes at throwing with the Atlatl, but I can knap pretty effective points for the darts...)