Hi!! This is a neat place, which I intend to explore thoroughly for my own pleasure.
Right off, you guys seem so well-informed I thought I'd take a stab at asking this question here.
DO you think it would be possible to take down something the size of a deer.. with a hand thrown rock?

Looking up information, I'm guessing a hand thrown rock goes about like a baseball.. 100mph at best.  With a sling, the speed goes up to 240+mph... but is the 240+mph enough to kill a deer?  Because if it's not, then there's no chance at a hand thrown rock, which won't get to even half that.

BTW, I've had an atl atl, and tried once or twice with a staff-sling.  I intend to get back into some of the primative weapons this summer.
Thanks loads!!!
Wolfy

That's all that's necessary, it's possibilty.  I know *I* have gotten well closer than that stalking deer, so the closeness isn't an issue too much.  I'm far from a great stalker, you just gotta have dumb deer I guess.
I didn't think of upping the size of the rock, I was thinking more of smaller rocks. Hmmmm....
Thinking is,
Wolfy

Here in Wyoming (we're less than an hour outside of Yellowstone on 40 acres - nearest town is 10 miles away) we have deer grazing on our land almost every day and about three times during the winter they are right up under the windows of the house.  We have had mothers birth their fawns on the land and they are so tame (I don't harass them much and we have no other animals on the land competing for their space) I am extremely confident that using my sling I could either kill outright or stun one sufficiently to finish it off with a spear or something like that.  If you stun (we've nailed a few with the car during the winters) you have to be extremely cautious approaching them as even down they will lash out with very sharp hooves.  I would not recommend a large knife as a result but a spear of some kind (longer than they can reach with their hooves) for finishing the kill.  I try to have a firearm (usually a handgun) in the vehicle during the winter to finish off any road strikes.  The game wardens don't want them moved past getting them out of the middle of the road but most have no problem with us putting them out of their misery.  We then usually call the warden to remove the carcass.  Poor Bambi and his mama...
I would really like to try to bring down an elk with sling and spear.  I think it very plausible once I'm tuned up with the sling (a head shot would likely be required).  Usually around 500 pounds of meat in one of those critters and its good eatin'.

The anti-poaching community is very (aka "religiously") pro-active around here including the game wardens.  I agree it makes no sense at all but it's the way it is and I have no desire of risking doing anything not completely legal because of it.  My last lethal strike was a doe who was running cross country came out from a neighbors windbreak trees and landed right in front of the car on a snow-packed road.  No time for any veering of any kind but she died overnight from cold and maybe the injuries but I wasn't sure of the laws and their relative levels of enforcement so let nature take its course with her.  I really, really wanted to take a handgun out and put her out of her misery but I have a disabled wife who I care for and absolutely need to stay free for that.   I have since tallked extensively with the wardens and know what I can and can't do with impunity.

The elk around here kill occasional drivers in the same way the moose do in BC and Alberta and the territories.   

Sadly around here the meat isn't bled, usually sits through a warm spell, spoils and is hauled off to a burial pit by the state Game & Fish Dept. (there're really no rendering plants out here in the sticks).  It really is aggravating.  In the area I grew up in in Montana the Highway Patrol would respond, bleed and gut them and take them to an area orphanage but I guess everyone got too busy for such "nonsense".