It was a great weekend, as always, at the Green Flats Atlatl Rattle in Hancock, NY. Hosts Ray Turner and Chris Pappas put on a great program. Ray’s eel business sustained a lot of damage in recent flooding but he is open for business again. It is certainly worth a stop if you are in the area.
People showed up in traditional modes of transportaion for the event but there was even a group rafting down the Delaware who stopped in when they saw atlatls being cast along the river bank! All were welcomed. The knap-in, atlatl contests, great food, auction, swimming and great camraderie made for a fantastic weekend.
Estimated 135,000,000 Deer Killed In Pennsylvania With Atlatls, While Modern Hunting Implements Kill Only 23 Million
There is a rock shelter in southwestern Pennsylvania called Meadowcroft. There is evidence there of continuous habitation for at least 15,000 years. Let’s conservatively estimate the average amount of hunter/gatherers living in Pennsylvania at say 1000 people. If these people averaged 10 deer killed per person per year that would mean 135 million deer killed over the last 14, 500 years with atlatls.
The bow came into existence in PA about 1200 years ago. I’m going to estimate Native Americans may have killed 5 million deer during the next seven hundred years with bows and arrows. Five hundred years ago the first Europeans laid their eyes on what would become Pennsylvania but when William Penn got here in the late 1600s his people started to hunt and kill deer regularly. In 1721 the first game laws were promulgated. Deer became rare in PA by 1900 and hunting them trailed off until 1915 when deer started coming back into PA. I’m going to estimate that during that time another five million deer were taken.
It took a half century to harvest the first million deer using modern weapons.
Then from 1950 to 1970 another million and a half deer were killed. From 1970 to 1990 another 4 million deer were killed. Since 1990 another six and a half million deer were killed. A grand total of 23 million deer have been taken with bows and arrows and guns. By these extremely conservative figures, the atlatl is only ahead by 110 million deer kills in the state of Pennsylvania.
I got these figures from the Pennsylvania Game Commission and estimates of prehistoric habitation in Pennsylvania from a talk by Dr Adivasio at the Meadowcroft Rock shelter in 2003. So tell me now that the atlatl is not lethal enough to kill a deer.
Bob Berg
Summer Musings – Green Flats Atlatl Rattle; Atlatl Hunting
The Green Flats Atlatl Rattle is still scheduled July 27 to 30 in Hancock, NY along the banks of the Delaware River.
Host Ray Turner says the event is still on but he will need some extra help this year as the very scenic Delaware River was not so scenic just a few weeks ago when it devastated the area with flood waters. Ray and Chris Pappas set up this very popular event for atlatlists each year. Ray had a lot of losses in the flood this year and any help we can give him will be appreciated.
After talking to Ray, Scott_Van_Arsdale posted the following on Community Zero, Ray “took a big financial hit in the flood, so we will have to raise funds to pay for the hay, porta-johns and any rented tents. He wants everybody to do what they normally do (have lots of fun!), but be prepared to do some more work than just the usual stoning of the eel weir.”
For further information, you can contact Thunderbird Atlatl or contact a World Atlatl Association member.
ATLATL HUNTING
Ron Mertz of Missouri reports that the Regulations Committee of the Missouri Department of Conservation unanimously approved proposed regulations that will legalize the atlatl for hunting and fishing in Missouri, excluding deer and turkey. While we would like to have had deer included, I think the Department has taken an important step since the regulations (and our Code Book) will now specifically refer to atlatls and should help to build awareness. Their proposal will go the the Commissioners in August and the Department staff do not feel there will be any problems in it being approved. After approval, they will become effective in March 2007.” Thanks Ron for the update and yor efforts!
In Pennsylvania, the ongoing effort to get the atlatl approved for deer hunting continues. It is moving forward thanks to the dedicated efforts of many including Russ Guthrie, Jack Rowe, George Miller, Gary Fogelman, Dennis Lantz, Bob Berg and others. A meeting with the Pennsylvania Game Commission staff is scheduled for August 23 in Harrisburg.
Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine
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.
http://www.abbemuseum.org/index.php
Calder House Museum Program Cancelled
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.
Posted by Cheryll Berg