Thunderbird Atlatl will be at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine, Friday, July 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the museum’s “Fantastic Friday” program.
Participants will have the opportunity to build their own atlatl and darts in a workshop with Bob Berg. Bob will also be giving a demonstration on flax and cordage making. Visitors to the museum will have an opportunity to try using the atlatl in the museum’s backyard. For further information check out the museum’s website at: http://www.abbemuseum.org or call our toll free number: 1-800-836-4520.
Due to the heavy flooding in the Equinunk, Pa. and Hancock, NY areas, the atlatl presentation has been cancelled. We hope to be able to reschedule in the future.
Bob Berg of Thunderbird Atlatl will be presenting a program on the atlatl along with a demonstration on Sunday, July 2, at 1 p.m. at the Calder House Museum in Equinunk, Pa.
The museum is located on the corner of Route 191 and Pine Mill Road in Equinunk, Pa. Check out our event calendar for contact information.
The Bureau of Land Management staff and the Outdoors Writer Association provided Thunderbird Atatl will a warm reception June 19, 2006.
Unfortunately the outdoor demonstrations for Shooting Day had to be cancelled because Lake Charles, La. managed to get a lot of the same rain that flooded Houston last week.
The Bureau of Land Management staff did a wonderful job setting up indoor display tables for all the exhibitors. Thanks to all who made the event a success.
Thunderbird Atlatl will be attending “Shooting Day” at the Outdoor Writers Association of America Conference in Louisiana on Monday, June 19.
We will be demonstrating the atlatl and giving writers and other interested folks an opportunity a chance to try the atlatl.
The US Department of Interior is coordinating Shooting Day.
On June 22, Bob Berg is offering a fishing line workshop – showing how to make fishing line out of flax at the Home Textile Museum in Orwell, Pa. For further information contact the Home Textile Museum at www.hometextiletoolmuseum.org or (607) 648-4146.
Russ Guthrie of Pennsylvania who is relatively new to the atlatl community has come on board to help get the atlatl legalized as a hunting implement in Pennsylvania. He has expressed a willingness to tackle the difficult part of working out the complex political kinks. He met with the Pennsylvania Game Commission on Monday, June 5th and made a well thought out presentation which included a handout and a video on CD. He also met with Jack Rowe and Bob Berg and mapped out a plan and strategy to move forward.
Russ has done a fantastic job of researching this project. He has not only researched the atlatl but also the stated goals of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. He discovered that the goals of the Commission are parallel with the goals of the atlatl community. Some of the commission’s goals are extending the use of Pennsylvania’s outdoors to include small interest groups, encouraging youth hunting and fishing activities and educating people about the heritage of Pennsylvania’s hunting and fishing history.
I applaud Russ for getting involved at this critical juncture and keeping us moving in a positive direction.
This is Russ’ contact information:
Russell W. Guthrie
Guthrie Strategy & Technology, LLC
1101 Central Manor Road
Lancaster, PA 17603
717-871-9763
717-871-9764 Fax
I just got back from an atlatl fishing expedition out in western Kentucky. The first night out, we went with Joe Ewing on his Super Galactic Chronosynclastic Magnatronic Fan Boat. It was a great experience mixing the high tech fishing boat with the atlatl. We went both forward and backward in time to capture living creatures of the deep in the Cumberland River.
Joe piloted the boat over the rippled surface of the dark water then would give us the signal: “ready?” When the lights went on, darts plunged into the water usually creating a piscatorial eruption and an instant tightening of the retrieval lines.
Soon there was only the little round red and white float attached to the end of the line in my left hand. When the fish was large enough or strong enough sometimes I had to release the float and retrieve it later after the fish was out of fight. The line made a zinging sound as the fish attempted to make a retreat for the bottom but the barbs of the harpoon did not release the hold until the catch was safely in the boat.
We landed Spoonbill Catfish, Asian Carp, and Buffalo Fish all edible species of top feeding, plankton nourished fish. The Spoonbill Catfish isn’t a catfish at all but an ancient fish probably more related to the shark than anything else. It has cartilage vertebrae and no bones. The slimy smooth skin like a catfish and lack of bones makes the Spoonbill far easier than a catfish to clean and prepare for the table. After gutting and removing the head, I sliced the meaty body like a fishy loaf of bread in pieces about an inch thick each. I grilled some of the steaks and deep fried some in olive oil. My favorite Cajon seasonings and a garnish of lemon brought dinner up to kingly status. Glasses of chardonnay rang like small bells over the table as we retold our hunting and fishing stories for the umpteenth time.
I reminisce with great satisfaction the many atlatl hunting and fishing trips I’ve gone on over the years with my friends from Kentucky. The Adams Family and Leggs White who survive my good friend Wendell (better known as Big Wooly) who passed on a couple of years ago form the core of the people I enjoy spending the weekend of the Kentucky Derby with. It’s a tradition I hate to miss.
Bob Berg
