Make a Survival Sling Stick Stone-Thrower with Dug North

Comments · 769

• DU

  @DugNorth · 1 year ago · pinned

  Though Rowlands only called it a "sling stick", it seems only fair to call it a "Tibeash sling stick" because it was Chief Tibeash who showed it to him.

  64

• TH

  @theoldmanandthesea6380 · 1 year ago

  Told my dog about this.  He was so excited, he asked when someone will invent a fuzzy neon yellow ball…

  46

• MI

  @michaelanderson2166 · 1 year ago

  That dimple in the fat end is easy to make by drilling it with another stick (in the method of making fire). It burnishes it while forming.

  62

• DU

  @dustbunny3824 · 1 year ago

  Reminds me of the cupped handles used to throw a dog's tennis ball.

  10

• RI

  @rickb1973 · 1 year ago

  It also seems convenient to already have a light club in your hand.....if the bunny/squirrel/groundhog/goose is still flopping when you run up to it.

  131

• JU

  @justdoingitjim7095 · 1 year ago

  When I was a teenager in the 60's I was working as a carpenter's helper during the summer. One day it started raining and we had to stop working and go sit in the truck. Somehow we started talking about rabbit hunting and my boss said he grew up poor, so he hunted rabbits with mud balls when he was my age. He explained that he'd get a stick about 3 feet long and an inch in diameter and sharpen one end. Then he'd either gather some stiff mud or make some with water and make a 3 inch ball which he'd stick on the end of his pointed stick. Then he'd take it off to dry some. After it dried he could put the ball back on the stick and using both hands, throw the ball of mud at a stationary rabbit. To show us, after the rain stopped he got a stick and sharpened it while we made mud balls. He put each one on the end to make the hole and then set them all aside to dry. After working about two more hours he told me to go set up some soda bottles while he got the mud balls. From a distance of about 50 feet, with five mud balls he hit two of those soda bottles and broke one of the bottles! I could see how something the size of a baseball going that fast could disable or kill a rabbit! Note: I remember one of the balls coming apart as he threw it and was thinking if he had some grass in the mud mix it would make it stronger. This was long before I ever knew about our ancestors using straw in mud to make wattle and daub.

  107

• JO

  @johnulmer6715 · 1 year ago

  The father of a friend of mine growing up, was the World Atlatl Association president for a time. Troy Helmick from Townsend MT used to give demonstrations on how they were used in hunting. Very interesting stuff. Amazing how accurate he was with the ancient weapon.

  11

• EL

  @electricAB · 1 year ago

  Used to make sling sticks as a kid in the 70’s.. only we used lumps of local clay instead of stones.<br>Had some wicked battles with the other local kids and could get some wicked range..

  72

• BI

  @Bikewer · 1 year ago

  Well, yes. &nbsp;For many years. &nbsp; &nbsp;When I was just a kid, in the mid-60s, I had a book called simply “Weapons” by a historian named Tunis. &nbsp; It was a big illustrated book of all kinds of weapons, and he showed a sling-stick. &nbsp;There are several variations. &nbsp; Naturally I had to make one….

  8

• PH

  @philipmartin2622 · 1 year ago

  The sling was the most awesome weapon in ancient times and not appreciated as it should be. The staff sling could also be used for larger projectiles. Forerunner of the catapult.

  8

• MA

  @MarquisVonLion · 1 year ago

  As a kid in France, in summer camps we used to make something similar to these , we called them &quot; flèches Polynésienne&quot;

  3

• TI

  @tim7527 · 10 months ago

  When I was a kid (I;m 70 now) our grandpa showed us how to take a half a &nbsp;green corn stalk , put a rock in it and use it just like you are doing. We didn&apos;t need a strap to hold the rock because we used a sharp rock that we could stick into the stalk and it was pretty accurate .

  11