Thunderbird Atlatl is ready for your holiday orders! You may order through the website and we will email you a confirmation within 24 hours. If you do not hear from us, please call in the event your order did not go through – 1-800-836-4520.
We have some new t-shirts in stock and will be posting pictures in the next few days. We will also post a running list of what we have in stock so you can place your orders.
If you have any special order needs, just write them in the comments area of the order form.
We will be updating our website in January but are still working with the current one through the holiday season. Please note when you place an order, you need to go through the “check cart” link to make sure your order has been added. The system does not go there automatically. If you have any problems give us a call at 1-800-836-4520 for assistance.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Russ Guthrie’s 7 year old grandson assisted him on a research project to determine the effectiveness of the atlatl and dart for the purpose of deer hunting. They are both from Pennsylvania. The research was conducted on a deer farm which is a legal venue for this kind of thing. I am leaving the youngster’s name out of this for privacy reasons.

The purpose of the project is to show to a skeptical public that deer hunting with an atlatl and dart is effective. Russ worked with his grandson over time to help him become proficient with the atlatl. Practice was an essential part of the process.

The equipment used was made by Thunderbird Atlatl. The grandson’s gear consisted of a 22” Kanakadea atlatl and 1/2” x 6 foot ash dart weighing 6 ounces and an Ace broadhead of 160 grains. Russ’ gear was a 26” Kanakadea atlatl and 9/16” x 7 foot dart weighing 8 ounces with a 200 grain broadhead. The reason for the lighter gear for the youngster was so he could manage it easier.

The youngster made a good shot hitting just behind the diaphragm in the liver area. The deer went down after only 15 yards according to Russ. Russ then shot the deer with a second dart to finish the deer off quickly. Either shot would have been fatal by itself. There is a report of this experiment posted at Paleo Planet:

http://p081.ezboard.com/Russ-Guthries-7-Year-Old-Grandson-Nails-Deer-With-Atlatl/fpaleoplanet69529frm68.showMessage?topicID=684.topic

And YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaEWhGHfCJA

The results are self explanatory.

Bob Berg

Thunderbird Atlatl is getting busy for the upcoming holiday season. We finished the last of our travels and we are looking forward to home and workshop time in Candor, NY.
Our shop is open for a visit if you happen to be in the area, 20 miles south of Ithaca, New York or just 15 minutes off of Route 17/I-86 between Binghamton and Elmira, New York. Give our 800 number a call if you are planning on stopping in 1-800-836-4520.
We are setting up next year’s schedules and shows. If you are interested in having Thunderbird Atlatl at a workshop in 2008, give us a call and we will see if we can make arrangements.
There are still a few atlatl events scheduled for the remainder of the year, check out the World Atlatl Association and International Atlatl Society web pages for updated schedule.

Jack Rowe of Sayre, Pa. is the Grand Champion for the 2007 Candor Fall Festival Atlatl Contest with a total of 187 points!
The local contest included animal targets at varying distances, closest to the pin shots, and a pumpkin penetration contest (to see whose dart could penetrate the pumpkin the deepest)!
Second place went to Douglas Bassett of Warsaw, NY and third to Gary Fogelman of Tubotville, Pa. Congratulations to all and thanks for all the help and participation!
Thunderbird Atlatl will be in Maine this weekend and then Bob Berg will be teaching a class to Mercyhurst College students the following week.

News Articles from October 2007.
Click here to return to the News Archive.

October 22, 2007
Fall Update!
Thunderbird Atlatl is getting busy for the upcoming holiday season. We finished the last of our travels and we are looking forward to home and workshop time in Candor, NY.
Our shop is open for a visit if you happen to be in the area, 20 miles south of Ithaca, New York or just 15 minutes off of Route 17/I-86 between Binghamton and Elmira, New York. Give our 800 number a call if you are planning on stopping in 1-800-836-4520.
We are setting up next year’s schedules and shows. If you are interested in having Thunderbird Atlatl at a workshop in 2008, give us a call and we will see if we can make arrangements.
There are still a few atlatl events scheduled for the remainder of the year, check out the World Atlatl Association and International Atlatl Society web pages for updated schedule.

Posted by thunder
October 12, 2007

Thunderbird Atlatl will be close to home this weekend, Saturday Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct. 7, as we will host atlatl contests and demonstrations during the 10th annual Candor Fall Festival in Candor, New York. Candor, our homebase, is located about 20 miles south of Ithaca, New York. The contests will take place at the Side Hill Acres Goat Dairy on Route 96/Spencer Road in Candor. Follow signs to Spencer as you leave the Village of Candor. The Goat Dairy will be less than mile outside the Village of Candor on your left.
Along with the atlatl demonstrations including ISACS and IAS contests, there will be tours of the goat farm and other vendors at Side Hill Acres. In other parts of the Village and Town of Candor, there will be the annual Woodcarvers Show, Quilt Display and more. The event will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days at Side Hill Acres.
The following weekend, Oct. 12 to 14, Thunderbird Atlatl will be a the Maine Primitive Gathering in Bowdoin, Maine. The program begins at 8 p.m. Oct. 12 and concludes Sunday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m.
Bob Berg of Thunderbird Atlatl will present two workshops over the weekend. On Saturday afternoon, Bob will host a Primitive Fishing Class. There is a $2 fee for the class for materials.
On Sunday morning, Bob will present an atlatl making workshop. There is a $35 materials fee for the class. Students will make an atlatl and three darts.
To find out more about the Maine Primitive School, its programs and other events scheduled for the weekend, check out the school’s web page at http://maineprimitivegathering.blogspot.com Directions and more information are available at the web site.