What is a throwing stick and how can you use this as a weapon? Learn more about this impromptu weapon here!
How the Throwing Stick Becomes Your Weapon
A throwing stick is a simple but versatile tool that dates back centuries. They were used by the ancient Egyptians and by Aborigines in Australia, who later developed the tool into modern boomerangs. In its most simple form, it is a hardwood stick about the width of your wrist, but can be used to hunt, dig, cut, club, fight, clear brush, climb, tend a fire, start a fire, and signal.
While a piece of a small tree can be broken to become a rudimentary throwing stick, the most useful ones will have a curvature to the end that allows it to be a multi-use tool.
What Makes Ideal Throwing Sticks
If you are crafting your own throwing stick in a hurry, look for a small hardwood tree or large branch, ideally already dead. Ripping a live tree apart will waste your energy. Break the stick to about the length of your arm, and keep it handy for when you’re ready to use it. Storing the stick on your back is the preferred method, resting it on your shoulder immediately prior to throwing the stick.
If you are able and willing to invest more time and effort into your throwing stick, you can carve one end into a weighted baton to make it more effective for hunting and self-defense.
Carving one end of a throwing stick into a blunt point can make for an even more deadly weapon.
Return boomerangs require more precise carving and a specific curve but can be extremely useful if throwing is practiced.
Methods for Throwing
You can throw your throwing stick on a diagonal, vertical, or horizontal course. It is easiest to become proficient with a diagonal course, but a vertical throw is useful to practice to keep your stick from hitting trees or vegetation in its path. A horizontal throw can be useful for taking out animals that are floating on water.
Benefits of Throwing Sticks
While throwing sticks are one of the most primitive and simple tools available, they still have a place in your tool kit and are worth practicing with.
- Can be instantly deployed when you carry the stick on your shoulder in the ready position
- Ability to take opportunities as they arise, including moving targets
- Effective at long ranges and against a wide variety of game, both on land or in-flight
- Makes for a basic shovel and machete substitute, able to dig and clear brush
- Never runs out of ammunition, no moving parts to fail, tough and resilient tool
- Is an effective, powerful, blunt force, close range, hand-to-hand combat weapon
- Extremely versatile, dependable, raw, and primal hunting tool
- Allows you to maintain silence leading up to the deployment of hunting stick
This Stick May Save You
There are many survival situations in which total silence and a reliable tool with no moving parts are both invaluable. If the day comes that you run out of ammunition, you will need to be well-versed in secondary forms of hunting and self-defense.
Especially in survival situations, small game is a reliable and available source of calories. Throwing sticks are extremely effective at taking out squirrels, rabbits, ducks, and geese.
Have you ever tried using a throwing stick? If you have, please do share your experience with us in the comments section!
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