Blowguns as a survival tool?

M

Mike Turber

Joined
Oct 2, 1998
Messages
5,461
I sent Ron a couple of blowguns I made to use while traveling to South America. I know he had fun with them and even gave one to a village headman.
jronapu.jpg
Ron is holding the one I gave him and the headman Apu Basha is holding one he most likely made.

What I would like to know is how effective is the blowgun as a hunting tool. I know how accurate they are but how effective are they.


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[This message has been edited by Mike Turber (edited 30 November 1999).]
 
Folks around here mostly use them for getting frogs, but we've got enough frogs that you could make a living at it.

I prefer clubbing or spearing the buggers personaly.

I'd wager that they'd work good on most any little critter like mice or rats too. If you've got some poison, you could even take larger game. I don't know enough about poison to fee; comfortable with that, but I've seen those guys on t.v. kill monkeys with poisoned darts.

Personaly I'd rather have a slingshot with a bunch of extra bands, or a bow. The slingshot can shoot arrows too.
 
I would also be interested in what length is generally the most efficient? If long, is two piece OK?
Caliber or diameter?
Teflon coated bore?

Any particular brands?

The MT (Mike Turber) method of construction?
 
I can only tell you about my experiences with them and not much about comparisons.

The one Mike sent me was a real surprise to Chief Basha (apu). He had no idea that outsiders used the things much less were effective with them. He had me shoot a chicken with mine. After awhile the chicken died. No knock down shot... a 1 gram dart ain't got much whack!

He let me use his... in fact he gave me his (the one in the photo). The thing is about ten feet long and hand made. (We videoed the process for making a blowgun... it's in our jungle video) His shot darts about the same weight and oddly, almost the same bore as Mike's. The big difference was the length of the dart and the stabilizer. The darts average a foot long, are made of wood and are stabilized with kapok that is held to the dart by saliva. The wooden tube and the ball hold the darts and the kapok. The darts are pre-poisoned at the village.

About one inch behind the tip of the poisoned dart they cut some fine lines with a piranah jaw. This is done just before shooting. The target, usually a monkey, feels the dart go in. When it tries to sweep the dart off, the dart tail breaks off leaving behind the poisoned tip. Within a few moments the monkey gets dizzy and falls to the ground.

Pretty effective stuff.

I gave the Apu my blow gun when we left. The next year when we returned he still had it in it's honored place. He'd already made another to use. One to show, one to use.

Ron


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Hey Guys!
I have a blowgun (close to 30" in length).
With practice i have been able to hit squirrels and birds from 30 to 40 feet away.

I would consider them more for fun than for survival. I say that from the standpoint of "Just how much stuff will i want to carry with me in a survival situation?" A blowgun is not high on my list of priorities. I will say that they can be very effective.
 
Hi Guys....

I've used my blowgun for several years now,, just picking off items for fun,, have never hunted with them. With the right placed shot I could see it taking small game..

I've tried making darts out of shish-ka-bob sticks, and they work pretty good,, but you don't get the speed as you do with a steel dart..
I think back on Ron's board, many months ago someone said they hammer the tip flat and sharpen it to make a broadhead of sorts...

My son and I have fun with ours, but since the patio door incident they have been banned from being used in the house... LMAO

I was showing a friend of my wife how accurate they are,, missed and went through the patio door...LOL
Boy was she pissed!! LMAO...
Needless to say,, be very careful with them...

ttyle Eric...

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel

 
I used to hunt rats,mice,birds,squirrels,frogs with a 5' blow gun the darts were approximately 4" with a machined aluminum cone. the shaft was of thicker stock than the new darts as well.I do not remember what the weight was on these they probably were at least twice the weight of the ones today. I got to the point that I could hit a stationary dime at 30 feet with no problem a moving mouse 9 times out of ten at around 18 feet. I have used both Curare and Nicotine for poison. Both work OK. I do not consider a blow gun to be a primary harvesting tool but have heard that the Cherokee Indians at one time hunted game as large as deer with them.

They are fun to play with and amaze your friends. I consider the skill a hobby like throwing knives. SOmething that is fun and someday might be handy.

Cheers,

ts

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Guns are for show. Knifes are for Pros.
 
The Southeastern Indians made blowguns from river cane straightened over a fire, and sanded smooth with a bore rod (stick) and river sand.

Usually the darts were fletched with thistle, fur, or other soft materials and held on by cordage and dried pine resin. The darts themselves were made from cane, hickory, and a whole host of other materials. They had a unique way of twisting the dart into a spiral for accuracy.

Compared to the Amazonian blowguns the darts are much thicker, longer and heavier. The bores on the river cane 'guns are also a little bigger than what I've seen and used in the Amazon. - Jeff

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Randall's Adventure & Training
jeff@jungletraining.com

 
Ron's (hood) jungle video covers how the natives in Peru construct their very accurate and deadly blowgun. It's becoming a lost art...

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Geez, Will
Canada sounds just like Australia...your granny is in charge, too ?

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BrianWE
ICQ #21525343


 
Has anyone read the book:

Sporting Chance by Don Mantrix (last name may be s.p.)

It has a section on blowguns and his hunting experiences with it.

Will
 
Here it the Great Golden State of California Blowguns have been totally banned for many years do to the high incidence of bank robberies, armed robberies, assasinations, duels, train robberies, carjacking, drive-by shootings and gang-wars using this extremely deadly weapon
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