|
|
When did Pennsylvania become part of the "Upper Midwest"??? |
Posted on 01/11/2006 6:30:36 PM PST by SJackson
When it comes to deer hunting, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials prefer the atlatl to remain part of ancient history.
That's the position agency staffers are taking with a proposal that would allow hunters to pursue whitetails with atlatls, prehistoric weapons that use a wooden frame to propel 6-foot-long darts at speeds up to 80 mph.
Atlatl use dates back more than 8,000 years in Pennsylvania and far longer elsewhere in North America and Europe. The name, usually pronounced AT-lad-ul, is derived from an Aztec word for ''throwing board.''
For years, atlatl hunters in Pennsylvania have had to hone their skills in obscurity, hurling the darts at paper targets on private property and at competitions.
Their quest for legitimacy has generated a flood of interest. ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' traveled to Pennsylvania for an amusing look at the sport that aired last week.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcall.com ...
Many sources have documented the chilling effect that the atlatl had on the conquistadors who accompanied Cortez on his trek through Mexico in 1520 A.D. The Spanish felt they were the better equipped, state of the art, military machine. The height of armored splendor and firearm technology for the times. And they were in a position to show the natives just what that machine could do. But they met with a terrifying stone-age technology. In the hands of an expert the atlatl could hit a target from up to a hundred yards away. Bad enough in itself but this weapon had the ability to pierce their armor and plow right on through and into their chests, effectively pinning them inside where they could die a slow and agonizing death. Points on the six-foot-long darts were barbed so that they had to be drawn out the other side in order to be removed. You can imagine the terror these things exacted on these men. The records they left vividly told of it. But hundreds of years later atlatls were a mystery and many scholars were doubtful that the stories told by the conquistadors could be true. Those who tried to make atlatls were somewhat disappointed in the performance and the secrets of the atlatl seemed lost in the past.
http://www.onagocag.com/atlatl.html
Um, sure.
But only if you could catch one close to the surface.
Yes, I had to look that one up.
It's been a long time since my DnD days.
I fear I am notorious for making obscure literary references, but I daresay I outdid myself this time.... :-)
Kill Bambi, is all I got to say.
Thank you. I was confused because of the description in the article. It sounded like a wooden "frame" of some sort. I've seen the throwing sticks but didn't know the name Atlatl.
I'd prefer a system by which the animals are herded to the edge of a cliff, forced over the edge and then finished off by dropping a heavy object, like Ted Kennedy's liver or Hilary Clinton, on top of them.
Crikey, I've been mispronouncing the thing for forty years. (Of course, that only amounts to about twice.)
I'm guessing the spear (like every other spear from that era) was tipped with a stone head of some sort. The atlatl is for real and was used for hunting. That info I posted on it's use against conquistadors was the first I've ever heard of it's use as a weapon. Could be wrong, could be right. Don't shoot the messenger.
I hit an antlered buck with my Citation some twenty years ago. The front of my car looked like an accordian, all smashed in. (Totalled, of course.) The buck heaved himself up and staggered down a hillside. (The cops came and shot him.)
I curious about that. I've read Prescott, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, the letters Cortez wrote to Charles V, and the "Unknown Conquistador", and I don't recall the atlatal mentioned even once.
Use spears, guns, bazookas, baseball bats, grenades, golf clubs, arrows, spitballs...I DON'T CARE
There are too many FREEKIN deer in PA
I hope you aren't serious, do you have any idea how many Indian's Cortez slaughtered in one day and how many of his fighter's he lost, excluding the few Indians helping him??? Look it up, you might learn something.
Got better things to do than argue about ancient tech See ya
|
|
When did Pennsylvania become part of the "Upper Midwest"??? |
The latter two weapons require more skill, and are more likely to allow the animal to escape wounded and die slowly. I have no problem with a skilled hunter using any weapon for a clean kill, but I have a problem with leaving a wounded animal to suffer.
I can't think of a good way to address this with regulation, but if I were going to bow hunt, I'd want to have a gun along to finish the job if necessary.
Odd to me that PA is considered a midwestern state. No matter.
I happen to like deer. We had two this morning who found their way home to our backyard. We used to have a family of 5 deer visit - now down to 2.
I guess friends harvested some. They share, though!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
