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Wilderness Survival - Hunting
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Making a Stone Age Sling
by Storm
Text and Photos copyright by
Storm
View this article as a
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| I have made a few of slings over the years and
had become moderately proficient with this device while living in the dense
temperate rainforests of Washington. About 60% of the time I could land a
stone within a basketball-sized target area within 30 feet. On more than a
few occasions, I tried my hand at procuring Douglas squirrels, but, there
being no basketball-sized individuals of that species in the area, I never
got to sample the flesh of that critter. I recently discovered the
Slinging.org website, which contains articles, videos, and even a discussion
forum devoted to the art of delivering a projectile to a target via a corded
pouch. That site has inspired me to illustrate how easily one can craft a
sling in a Stone Age manner. |
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Here are the tools I use to construct
a sling: buckskin, a broken javelina tooth that I found in southern
Arizona, unidentified thin bones I collected from a deer carcass,
and a wooden mallet. |
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That javelina tooth cuts through
buckskin, even the thicker skin around the deer’s neck, very
quickly. It definitely rivals the proficiency of an obsidian flake
(although the tooth required some sharpening on a piece of sandstone
after this project was finished). Here I am cutting out the sling’s
pouch. |
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The shape of the pouch can vary
amongst users. You can visit the slinging website mentioned above to
view different styles. Here is a pouch I had cut and pierced earlier
in the day. |
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Piercing the buckskin, in order to
attach the cords, can be challenging. A sharp, strong implement is
required. I use a small bone and a wooden mallet. If you know the
name or placement of this deer bone, please let me know (Email
Storm). I collected three of them from a mostly-intact, totally
clean deer carcass. |
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There are many ways to attach the
pouch to the cords. I chose a three-point method in order to draw
the edges of the pouch together and secure the projectile within the
buckskin. The next sling I make will sport a simpler one-point
attachment so that I can test the potential differences.
It is said that the cords should be as long as the distance between
your hand and heart when your slinging hand is extended to your
side. Being a beginner, I have made the cords slightly shorter. This
ought to give me more control and accuracy over shorter distances. |
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After having attached one cord to each
end of the pouch, I knotted one end and made a loop on the other. |
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Holding the
knot and loop as one would when operating the sling. |
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Aim, sling, and
devour your kill! |
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