Thunderbird Atlatl will be at two places this weekend, October 4 & 5. Stop by if you are in the area of the Second House Museum in Montauk, Long Island or Hammonasset State Park.
The Friends Of Hammonasset State Park will be hosting the Meigs Point Festival on Saturday and Sunday.
In Montauk, check out the Archaeology Fest on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Both events promise a variety of activities and, of course, fun with atlatls. See you there.
Great time at Chimney Point Historic Site in Addison, Vermont (on the shores of Lake Champlain. This weekend is our 19th year here.
It is always a great time. This year there was a special tribute to John and Bette Morris of Vermont. John and Bette were remembered for their giving natures, enthusiasm and strong support of the atlatl.
Thunderbird Atlatl wood darts all come with steel field points that are easy to purchase in the archery market. All our darts are tapered to fit 23/64 diameter field points. We mostly use 125 or 160 grain points. The points are glued on.
Our hunting darts arrive with field points. This makes it possible to practice with the same set of darts that will be used for hunting. Our Thunderbird Atlatl dart tips are tapered to fit almost any traditional broadhead on the market so you are not forced to use a proprietary type of point you can only get from one source. We offer and sell Ace Broadheads but other options can be used. If they break when you hit hard objects like rocks or trees, they usually break off just behind the dart point so you lose only 1/2 inch in re-tipping your darts.
I have hunted a lot of times with atlatls. Over the years, I have hunted mostly wild boar and deer. Many of our customers use our atlatls and hunting darts for hunting deer, elk, bear, boar and other game animals.
A couple of days ago, “Atlatl Bob”, William Robert Perkins, called me to talk. Every few months “Atlatl Bob” calls to make sure that everyone knows that I’m not “Atlatl Bob” and that we continue to enjoy our friendly competition.
Bob Perkins and I often don’t agree on various atlatl theories. We do agree, however, that foreshafts on atlatl darts are just not effective for hunting large animals. We both have done many experiments with atlatl hunting including the use of hunting darts with foreshafts.
Both of us have come to the conclusion that atlatl darts with foreshafts were probably used more for warfare than for hunting. There have been countless examples of darts with foreshafts found in the Southwest. Every time either of us have used darts with foreshafts for hunting, or witnessed someone else using darts with detachable foreshafts, we have found them to be ineffective in penetrating deeper than the connection. Usually the foreshaft breaks off from the main dart shaft when it strikes an animal. If the foreshaft is only five inches long that is how far the dart penetrates.
A dart without a foreshaft has a lot more penetration and is much more effective in killing an animal you are hunting.
Wendel Adams, my good friend who passed away several years ago was a fellow atlatlist who helped in the Great Atlatl Hunting Experiment where we relearned how to use atlatls for hunting big game. Wendel was from Kentucky. He was an amazing machinist and an avid outdoorsman.
The art of atlatl hunting had been lost and after about a decade of experimentation we figured out how to do it again. We also shared atlatl fishing trips in Florida and Kentucky.
Wendel helped me build my first dart tapering machine when he and his wife Bobbi came to visit us in New York. I think it was 2001 or 2002. Not to forget, the many times Bobbi and Wendel helped make my life and my family’s life much more comfortable on the road through their gracious hospitality.
I also remember the late Lou Becker, an atlatlist and boyer from Michigan who was an inspiration for me also in the effort to discover how the atlatl may have been used for hunting. I met Lou in the early 1990s when he was experimenting and making atlatls. Lou was a kind and gentle friend who shared his enthusiasm for hunting and learning with me. Along with his many other responsibilities, Lou served as President of the Michigan Atlatl Association.
