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Spears (Read 8025 times)
chaosmage
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Spears
Feb 16th, 2006 at 6:58pm
 
Hey, everyone.

I was looking over some primative hunting techniques the other day. I found alot of stuff on the atlatl, but nothing on a simple hunting spear.

By simple hunting spear, I mean a heavier spear meant to actually stab an animal with who has been driven tword you (or an enemy). I've seen an couple movies (one of which was directed by an Eskimo) where they use these for hunting.

I was wondering if any of you had any information. What I've been trying to do here is figure out the reasons people have used what they used and why. Why spear an animal face-to-face if you can kill it from a distance?
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Re: Spears
Reply #1 - Feb 16th, 2006 at 8:14pm
 
It's easier to aim for the vitals if the animal is 2-3 yards in front of you rather than from 20-30. sure, it's more dangerous, but in the long run, you might have to dispatch an animal wounded from a distance with a hand spear.  That, and a hand spear of the non throwing variety is easier and less costly to construct than one that needs to be propelled in some fashion.
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Re: Spears
Reply #2 - Feb 16th, 2006 at 8:27pm
 
I think kings and knights liked spear and even sword hunting because they thought it was more manly or challenging. Its more like a fight then a hunt.
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Re: Spears
Reply #3 - Feb 16th, 2006 at 8:51pm
 
kind of like "chuck norris dosn't go hunting, because that implies a risk of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing."

It's a lot easier to get a fish or frog with a spear than an atlatl.

I think there were some 'coming of age' rituals that involved spear hunting.
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Re: Spears
Reply #4 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 4:15am
 
Ha!  Chuck Norris facts.
  I can only really see spear hunting as being practical either when you are a fantastic trust stalker, or when there is nothing else to hand.  A long spear is presumably a good weapon against big predators, like bears, lions, etc, too.
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Willeke
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Re: Spears
Reply #5 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 10:22am
 
From reading 'the clan of the cave bear', and the rest of the series, I go t the impression that hunting holding a spear came before hunting throwing a spear. I know these are novels and might be wrong.

And if you throw your spear and miss, or do not hit the vitals in such a way that the animal drops down, you may not have a backup ready for a second try if the animal charges you. So it does make sense to have a backup yourself or someone next to you, who holds a spear.

And when fighting people, never throw a weapon to your enemy that they can pick up and use against you.
So pikes instead of javelins.

Willeke
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CanDo
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Re: Spears
Reply #6 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 10:58am
 
about using your own weapons against you. romans had a 'pilum' which you could throw through a person or shield. then the point would bend or break, making it useless for a second.

also, i do remember seeing a documentary where certain tribes in Africa take spears and chase animals (big animals that is) until the animal just lost its will to live and became exhausted (a whole day's worth of constant running under the sun). The animal would just stand there as the men speared it. It was actually pretty sad, but the tribe was just trying to survive.
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Re: Spears
Reply #7 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 1:05pm
 
i made a spear not long ago with a machete blade, here is the spearhead compaired with my 9" blade bowie
...
staff is bamboo covered with PVCfilm (a gardening stuff) and it has a spike on the rear end
...
I have never hunted with it but i think it would be possible to take a boar from short distance, i tried it on a big pork and it got into the chest like a hot knife on butter. accuracy needs only a short training for a boar sized target (i've speared some carps with a frog jig spearhead at 10 yards from my kayak and it wasn't too difficult)
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Re: Spears
Reply #8 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 1:18pm
 
Quote:
also, i do remember seeing a documentary where certain tribes in Africa take spears and chase animals (big animals that is) until the animal just lost its will to live and became exhausted (a whole day's worth of constant running under the sun). The animal would just stand there as the men speared it. It was actually pretty sad, but the tribe was just trying to survive.


I sort of do the same thing at work. If I get called to get a wild bird out of a store, I obviously can't shoot it with a pellet gun or simular. I have to chase it around the store with a super soaker water rifle! The bird gets so tired after a few hours that I can walk up to it and pick it up with my hands. Those are fun.

As for hunting with a spear, I'll over simplify the subject: Predatorary animals can be hunted with a spear because of the fight factor. Veggie animals like a deer or gazelle, which have the flight factor, need to be stalked and shot.  Obviously there are exceptions to this. We've all seen paintings of mammoths being speared. But I think you can see where I was going with this......
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Re: Spears
Reply #9 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 6:03pm
 
Quote:
kind of like "chuck norris dosn't go hunting, because that implies a risk of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing."

It's a lot easier to get a fish or frog with a spear than an atlatl.

I think there were some 'coming of age' rituals that involved spear hunting.


Chuck Norris's tears can cure cancer, but he doesnt cry.
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chaosmage
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Re: Spears
Reply #10 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 9:31pm
 
Quote:
about using your own weapons against you. romans had a 'pilum' which you could throw through a person or shield. then the point would bend or break, making it useless for a second.

also, i do remember seeing a documentary where certain tribes in Africa take spears and chase animals (big animals that is) until the animal just lost its will to live and became exhausted (a whole day's worth of constant running under the sun). The animal would just stand there as the men speared it. It was actually pretty sad, but the tribe was just trying to survive.



I saw that documentary, too! Incredible stuff. The secret seems to be that a human, while slower and plodding compared to the animal, can simply keep at the trail long enough that the animal can't get a break in the shade. I didn't feel too bad for the animal. As far as I'm concerned, that guy earned it!!
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Re: Spears
Reply #11 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 10:30pm
 
"I sort of do the same thing at work. If I get called to get a wild bird out of a store, I obviously can't shoot it with a pellet gun or simular. I have to chase it around the store with a super soaker water rifle! The bird gets so tired after a few hours that I can walk up to it and pick it up with my hands. Those are fun.  " 


what do you do man ! 
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Re: Spears
Reply #12 - Feb 17th, 2006 at 10:59pm
 
Quote:
what do you do man !  


Ha! Critter control. Bugs, rodents, birds, snakes, you name it.  As long as it's not domesticated and a nusiance, it's fair game.
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Re: Spears
Reply #13 - Feb 19th, 2006 at 1:13pm
 
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=496702650726155532 try watching this the spears on www.primitivesupply look good to sorry iv not been on in a while
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Re: Spears
Reply #14 - Feb 19th, 2006 at 1:20pm
 
Welcome back, nice to see you here once in a while.

Willeke
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