The blizzard in the Northeast is over and now we’re looking forward to Valentine’s Day! Spring and more atlatl events are also just around the corner- we hope!
We have a Valentine special for the next few days! Order any atlatl items totaling $175 or more, excluding shipping and receive a free Nanticoke Atlatl Kit. Hurry, your order must be in by midnight Pacific Standard Time on February 14, 2013! Happy Valentine’s Day.
As you get ready for the atlatl season, make sure you get your darts in good order. If they need straightening, holding them over a heat source will soften the wood fibers and you will be able to straighten them easier. Once they cool down, they should be straight and ready to go.
We thought the “heart” shape made by two Tioga Atlatls was perfect for Valentine’s Day. The second picture is our Nanticoke Kit.
The atlatl season is starting and Thunderbird Atlatl will be heading south in a few weeks to attend shows in Florida.
We will be at the Stone Age and Primitive Arts Festival at Ocholockonee River State Park on Friday, Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 24, from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m.
Ochlockonee River State Park’s sixth annual Stone Age and Primitive Arts Festival is designed to introduce visitors to primitive arts through family interaction. Participants and their families will experience demonstrations in flint knapping and the art of projectile point fashioning, along with deer hide tanning and bone, wood and antler carving. Observe old world and new world bow and arrow construction, basket weaving, and early pottery. Competitions in Atlatl throwing and primitive archery are scheduled. An auction will be held on Saturday to auction off donated artwork. Admission for event is free with paid regular park entrance fee. For further information, contact Ochlockonee River Stat Park at (850) 962-2771. Ochlockonee River State Park is located four miles south of Sopchoppy on U.S. 319 in Florida.
The next stop is Silver River State Park for the third annual stone tool and primitive arts festival from Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3 from 9 a.m to 4 p.m.
This weekend event will feature flint knappers from across the Southeast making stone tools like Native Americans did thousands of years ago. Visitors can watch as stone tools are created from various flints by expert “knappers.” Other artists and crafters will demonstrate how bows and arrows are made, hide tanning, pottery manufacture and firing, tomahawk throwing and other skills. Vendors will sell replica stone tools and other creations. Archery and atlatl dart (spear) throwing demonstrations will take place each day. Tram tours through the Silver River State Park will also be offered. Fees: Park entry fees & museum entry fees are waived for if attending the event. Admission to the event on museum grounds is $5 per person.
Silver River State Park is located east of Ocala, 1 mile south of S.R. 40 on S.R. 35. From Interstate 75, take exit 352 onto SR 40 east, about 9 miles to SR 35. From Interstate 95 take exit 268 to Route 40 west, about 60 miles to SR 35. (352) 236-5401
.
Thunderbird Atlatl will be displaying and demonstrating atlatls on Saturday at Sportsman’s Day in Spencer, NY. The event is hosted by the Spencer-Van Etten Sportsman’s Club from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Spencer Van Etten High School on Darts Crossroad in Spencer.
There will be a variety of displays and demonstrations throughout the day. Some of the day’s activities are listed below:
*the Roosevelt Lucky Buck (the largest buck ever taken in NY) will be the guest of honor.
*Cornell’s “Birds of Prey” will be swooping in from 1 till 2PM in the
auditorium.
*Cornell’s Director of Deer Research Jay Boulanger PHD, along with
Director of Operations at Arnot Forest Gary Goff will be on hand at the
Cornell booth and from 2:30 till 3:30 in the auditorium to talk about
how their “Earn a Buck” program gives hunters access to hundreds of
acres to hunt.
*Matt Swayze, Forester for the D.E.C. will be speaking in the auditorium
about forestry services for private individuals offered through his office
and the impact the Emerald Ash Bore is having on our forests from
noon till 1PM.
*Other displays/demonstrations: ATV’s by Rider Sport Honda, Wildlife Carvings by Jean, Wildlife Photography by Lori Lesh, nationally know wildlife artist Ron Kleiber, hunting advisor of Mountain Hollow Calls and Mossy Oak Camo, Jeff Sayre, Scoring antlers for anyone, Pope and Young and NY State Big Buck Club Scorers, Merritt Compton and John Heuther, fly fishingaficionado Donnie Lesh of internationally known, “Lesh Rods”, willbe demonstrating different techniques in the gym, Spencer Van Etten’s Archery In Schools Instructor Mrs. Zech will be running the archery range in the gym along with Bow Jen Archery, Four Seasons Archery, Arnot
Archery, and Tri County Bowhunters, Master Hunter Safety Instructor Gary Argetsinger will be taking signups for 2013 hunter safety courses, Bryans Meats will have samples of what they can do with your venison, Joe Sears, Colorado Elk Guide, will be on hand to talk about planning the hunt of a lifetime, Hunting Sika deer in Maryland and turkeys in Nebraska with Tom and Austin Sharpe, Bass Pro hunting advisors Tony and Trish D’Agostino, “Women that fill their own tags!”, “Dogs That Hunt”: Kenny Decker, water fowler, John Wild, Deer Recovery and Shed Hunting and “Stan” of The Cayuga Beagle Club, hunting rabbits with
Beagles.
Thunderbird Atlatl will be at the Sportsman’s Show in Spencer this weekend. Below some of Thunderbird Atlatls traditional atlatls and darts.
Beat the winter blahs by improving your atlatl sets! Through January 25th, anyone ordering a set of six Ash atlatl darts will receive a complimentary seventh dart. Orders should be made through our online catalog.
This offer applies only to orders of five foot Ash darts, six foot Ash darts and seven foot Ash darts. It does not apply to our specialty hunting darts.
Another great way to spend those long January days is to build your own atlatl kits. Check out our additions of the Wyalusing, Catatonk Hunter and Catatonk kits to our atlatl kit inventories. They will be in the online catalog by Monday, January 14. Thunderbird Atlatl’s kits have been featured in Make Magazine. They have been used by hundreds of adults and youths both individually and in group workshops.
We are working on our 2013 schedule and will be posting it shortly in our calendar. If you haven’t already and are a Facebook user, please connect to us on Facebook. You can search for us under Thunderbird Atlatl.
Order a set of six darts today! For every six atlatl darts ordered (five, six or seven foot darts), we will include one complimentary dart of the same size through January 25, 2013. Orders must be made through our online catalog.
Pictured below are some of Thunderbird Atlatls’ darts.
