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  #31  
Old 03-10-2014, 07:43 AM
calgarychef calgarychef is offline
 
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Default Atlatl

A lot of the stone "arrow heads" that folks find were actually too big for arrows and are Atlatl dart points. Something else about these contraptions, the Atlatl is actually the thrower that's held in the hand. There's a huge Atlatl following world wide with shoots and get togetherness just like we have for archery. I've never thrown one but they look like nothing but fun.
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  #32  
Old 03-10-2014, 08:06 AM
Boots270 Boots270 is offline
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Extremely impressive hunting accomplishment.
It must be quite the workout to practice with it and very rewarding to actually harvest a big game animal.

Well done sir
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  #33  
Old 03-10-2014, 10:16 AM
brother1 brother1 is offline
 
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It doesn't get much closer to a true hunting experience than that! You need to hone your skills to hunt with that method! Nice job, very impressive.
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  #34  
Old 03-10-2014, 10:33 AM
Bigmountainrider Bigmountainrider is offline
 
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Originally Posted by albertaatlatl View Post
The dicovery channel was "I Caveman". The fello cast a dart at 40 yards and took a huge bull Elk. That's when I was convinced theses were lethal. My search for the egality of hunting here started with that episode. I know the man who was there, Billy Berger is his name. Check him out.
I remeber that show, He got the bull right in the throat. Put him down in less than a minute. Neat stuff. Can you give us any information on building one yourself?
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  #35  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:00 AM
bergman bergman is offline
 
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Default Mammoth!

People used to hunt mammoths with atlatls. No Joke: MAMMOTHS. And they did so very effectively, even in Alberta (St. Mary's lake, near Lethbridge has mammoth kill sites with atlatl points found)

There is no question that they are indeed lethal hunting tools. Good on you! I have only ever thrown a few times, and not very well, but it is definitely a very enjoyable and thrilling activity.

I can't believe the ABA is trying to ban these - why should a bowhunters association have any say at all over other styles of hunting? Next they might as well try to ban shotgun zones because they are too savage for the general public and might decrease public opinion of the noble bowhunter.

(For what its worth, I also am a bowhunter, and a rifle hunter; I am in favour of any legal means of hunting and have this silly idea that no group of hunters should be able to outright ban a different style of hunting just because they have a "strong" opinion on the subject. If that continues to its philosophical end, hunting will be no more. Because you cannot please everyone. Someone will always "take offense". I am allowed to offend people. It is my right. They have the right to be offended. Offending someone is not morally wrong, nor is it a crime, although our 'politically correct' society tries its best to make it that way.)
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  #36  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:10 AM
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Well I've got to eat some crow. My apologies to you albertaatlatl, I thought you were trolling us for sure.
Congratulations on an awesome feat. That is truly an accomplishment to be proud of and my hat is off to you..
Thanks for sharing.
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  #37  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:31 AM
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Originally Posted by CBintheNorth View Post
Well I've got to eat some crow. My apologies to you albertaatlatl, I thought you were trolling us for sure.
Congratulations on an awesome feat. That is truly an accomplishment to be proud of and my hat is off to you..
Thanks for sharing.
Thumbs up! Pretty stand up for you to admit.

I was also leaning as you were CB....was hoping it was legit and it was!

LC
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  #38  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:50 AM
nof60 nof60 is offline
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Pretty cool stuff. I tip my hat to you sir. At the beringia center here in town you can try out an atlatl and I will check it out this summer.
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  #39  
Old 03-10-2014, 12:17 PM
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Yep I thought the ABA abducted you for the use of such a primitive weapon that outdates the bow...great job now we got some serious hunting going on there!
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  #40  
Old 03-10-2014, 12:44 PM
J D J D is offline
 
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A well deserved congrats on getting it done with an atlatl
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  #41  
Old 03-10-2014, 01:21 PM
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Nicely done... You'll be in Calgary again this spring? I got some more questions for you..
Thanks Leroy
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  #42  
Old 03-10-2014, 07:52 PM
petew petew is offline
 
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Hope to see you at the Calgary Archers traditional shoot this year. Great job on the deer too.
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  #43  
Old 03-10-2014, 09:13 PM
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Not likely.............
Likely!!

I was pretty pessimistic due to the timing of your thread, but congrats!
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  #44  
Old 03-10-2014, 09:19 PM
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Originally Posted by albertaatlatl View Post
Wow! Here is one of the pics!
Cool ... just chucker on the BBQ !!!
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  #45  
Old 03-10-2014, 09:27 PM
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Very interesting stuff. I suppose with a formula you could figure out the kinetic energy of the spear. What do you call the projectile?
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  #46  
Old 03-10-2014, 10:33 PM
albertaatlatl albertaatlatl is offline
 
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Here's two of my most popular styles.
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  #47  
Old 03-10-2014, 10:36 PM
albertaatlatl albertaatlatl is offline
 
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I'll be at the ATBA GM next weekend, as well as the Calgary Archers Traditional shoot. We'll bring a few extra for anyone who wants to to try out. If you need info on handcrafting an Atlatl, check out primitiveways.com.
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  #48  
Old 03-10-2014, 10:39 PM
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Interesting to see the success stories. Congrats. But it makes me wonder... makes me think that at some point, a person needs to be very highly skilled to make a clean kill with certain types of weapons... I don't have a perfectly formed opinion on this so don't jump on me, but shooting a deer with a center fire is reaonable easy... harder with a bow, probably harder still with an atlatl. Is there a point a which we draw a line and say the odds are that most people won't make a clean kill with a certain weapon? Just throwing it out there, troll-like
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  #49  
Old 03-10-2014, 10:44 PM
albertaatlatl albertaatlatl is offline
 
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Daryl Hrdlicka published a research paper on the hitting power of an Atlatl Dart in Oct. 2004. The darts I throw weigh in at just under 6 oz, with a speed average of 90mph. With the Kinetic formula 1/2xMassxVelocity^2, my kinetic energy is in the neighborhood of 60ft lbs. My longbow shooting a 500gr arrow at 165fps has a kinetic energy of 58ft lbs. Anyone who wishes to read the document, the site is www.thudscave.com. Proving without a doubt that Atlatl hunting is atleast equal to primitive archery.
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  #50  
Old 03-10-2014, 10:56 PM
albertaatlatl albertaatlatl is offline
 
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Most people shoot with a centerfire rifle. A large portion of these hunters spend very little time in practise, and rely on their weapon being sited in from the manufacturer. The odds being that not MOST, but a certain small percentage will not make a clean kill with ANY weapon. The effective range of an Atlatl is about 30 yards, the same as a traditional bow. The choice of weapon makes no difference, in the hands of an experienced and practised user, ANY weapon of choice is effective. Not to jump on you, but the truth is the truth. I hunt with a .308, compound,Longbow, and Atlatl. Not in that order. I choose to hunt primarily with an Atlatl, my reason is that I believe it is a fair chase weapon. I know my range, and am confident that I can harvest an animal with this weapon up to 40 yards. My chances of harvest are VERY slim, I've hunted two years with one deer to show for it. So the chances of a lot of Atlatl hunters hitting the bush is extremely low. Reason: too hard, too primitive, not new technology, and the like. I would urge you to try your hand at throwing, you may be amazed.
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  #51  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Okotokian View Post
Interesting to see the success stories. Congrats. But it makes me wonder... makes me think that at some point, a person needs to be very highly skilled to make a clean kill with certain types of weapons... I don't have a perfectly formed opinion on this so don't jump on me, but shooting a deer with a center fire is reaonable easy... harder with a bow, probably harder still with an atlatl. Is there a point a which we draw a line and say the odds are that most people won't make a clean kill with a certain weapon? Just throwing it out there, troll-like
That is why most people don't use atlatls. If you don't condone an atlatl because in some instances you do may not get humane kills then rifles are right behind it. If you have trained and competent, why not? There are plenty of "hunters" I have met / know that shouldn't hunt with a center-fire. You know its tough (mentally and spiritually) helping them skin a deer with 5 different gut shots in it; trying to feign support.

Even more people that shouldn't have driver's licenses either, but we don't ban automobiles. However that is an entirely different rant.
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  #52  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:04 PM
albertaatlatl albertaatlatl is offline
 
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The business end of our Darts. 6 ft of heat treated Ash, 6oz and 240 gr heads
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  #53  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:13 PM
Boots270 Boots270 is offline
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That's neat stuff.
I just got into trad bows.
Might be nice to get an atlatl now.
Oh boy....will getting new toys ever end?
Where could I go to see and try one?

Last edited by Boots270; 03-10-2014 at 11:20 PM.
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  #54  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HyperMOA View Post
There are plenty of "hunters" I have met / know that shouldn't hunt with a center-fire.
LOL no doubt. I believe in certain Scandanavian countries you have to prove your skill with a weapon (rifle) to get a hunting license, don't you? Now don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating that bureaucratic nightmare. I'm fine how it is now, but it makes you think.... People should be their own demanding evaluator.
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  #55  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:31 PM
Pudelpointer Pudelpointer is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Okotokian View Post
LOL no doubt. I believe in certain Scandanavian countries you have to prove your skill with a weapon (rifle) to get a hunting license, don't you? Now don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating that bureaucratic nightmare. I'm fine how it is now, but it makes you think.... People should be their own demanding evaluator.
That is the key point Oko. No need for ESRD (or the ABA for that matter) to describe to anyone how far they can shoot, with whatever weapon someone deems appropriate.
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  #56  
Old 03-10-2014, 11:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Pudelpointer View Post
That is the key point Oko. No need for ESRD (or the ABA for that matter) to describe to anyone how far they can shoot, with whatever weapon someone deems appropriate.
Yup. It's why I don't bow hunt, even though I potentially have access to a lot of land in 212. I couldn't put in enough time with a bow at a range to ethically do it. Maybe someday I will, especially if my son marries that girl LOL
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  #57  
Old 03-11-2014, 12:18 AM
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Originally Posted by KBF View Post
Very interesting stuff. I suppose with a formula you could figure out the kinetic energy of the spear. What do you call the projectile?

Here is the study that Albertaatlatl, (maybe should we just call him AA) is talking about.

http://www.thudscave.com/npaa/articles/howhard.htm
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  #58  
Old 03-11-2014, 12:28 AM
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Originally Posted by walking buffalo View Post
Here is the study that Albertaatlatl, (maybe should we just call him AA) is talking about.

http://www.thudscave.com/npaa/articles/howhard.htm
Perhaps it would be appropriate to refer to him as, The Man.
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  #59  
Old 03-11-2014, 12:30 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Okotokian View Post
Is there a point a which we draw a line and say the odds are that most people won't make a clean kill with a certain weapon? Just throwing it out there, troll-like

Obviously there is such a line. The ABA and ESRD have drawn this line without even considering the odds. A real troll could learn a thing or two from these guys.
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  #60  
Old 03-11-2014, 12:36 AM
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Now that is some cool stuff. I suck at throwing with aim. That's far beyond me. But i love to see how traditional hunting can be. And even more so to see the success! Thats true hunting.

I think I'll stick to my boomsticks for now. Lol. I'm still struggling with a compound. Gettin there!

Those are pretty impressive stats being compared to a long bow. Its amazing how such primitive technology can produce such force. It never fails to astonish me how in such primitive times, the human mind is still a powerful thing.

Congratulations on your deer and proving that if it worked then, it still works today! Odd how something can suddenly be "inadequate "
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