Blowgun hunting?

[SAFalconer]

Hi guys does any have any info on this subject? I've seen videos of guys hunting with blowguns in the States but not anything in South Africa. Is it legal to hunt with one in SA? And what can you hunt with it? I would imagine only small game. Any info with be much appreciated.

 

[Patrick R]

SAFalconer,

It is already a challenge to hunt with a rifle, cross bow, bow and arrow, spear and knife, why with blowguns?

 

[SAFalconer]

I am simply curious and want to know more. As I'm very interested in all things hunting. And secondly how do you hunt with a knife? I would assume you throw it. I'm very interested to hear your reply Bushwack

 

[lcq]

good thing you aren't in Canada. as asinine as it sounds blowguns are prohibited weapons in Canada. Political stupidity never ends

 

[cmc]

Check around the web for Tim Wells blow gun hunting, if I remember right he shot an impala or something with a blow gun and poison dart. I know I've seen him shoot rabbits in Texas.

 

[SAFalconer]

Thanks cmc. I have seen those videos when I was looking for info on blowgun hunting.

 

[Velo Dog]

I am simply curious and want to know more. As I'm very interested in all things hunting. And secondly how do you hunt with a knife? I would assume you throw it. I'm very interested to hear your reply Bushwack

Hello SAFalconer,

When I was a wee lad, it was popular in my neighborhood to fashion blowguns from copper water/gas pipe.
Today's plastic, or "PVC", pipe was unknown to us yet.
For projectiles, we would cut about 2" sections of nylon rope (braided type, not the twisted type) and wrap the center (about 1") tightly with tape or wire and flail the open ends until they were "fluffy".

For target practice and for "blow gun wars" we would use them like that.
For hunting, just prior to the taping or wire wrapping process, we would run a long, thin nail or carpet needle through these "rope darts", so that a couple inches of point was situated out past the main body of the "dart".

I do not recall any of us ever actually bagging a bird, squirrel or rabbit, etc., but it was not for lack of trying and had any little hunter actually hit a small bird or rodent with those things, I suspect it would have been effective.
They surely did stick into wood fence boards and such things, with a satisfying "thump" sound.

I have a hand made blowgun, quiver and darts, that I bought from a villager, at a little open-air market, in the town of Tena, on El Rio Napo (headwaters of the Amazon, down in eastern Ecuador).
I have successfully bagged one pineapple with it (which also I had purchased from the same person).

As for hunting with a knife, I have hunted on Hawaii with a rifle only a couple times.
However, the locals described to me; hunting boar there with two, or three dogs and a long, sturdy knife.
When the dogs had taken hold of a pig, (a good pack of Hawaii boar dogs will grab hold at both ends of him simultaneously), the hunter would then wade into the ruckus and pierce the pigs heart with the long knife.
Not anything I am interested in trying but it does not matter because I have never been invited to do that any way.
I like rifles, especially vintage ones or reasonable copies of them.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[SAFalconer]

Thanks Velo Dog

 

[spoonieduck]

The problem is that a blowgun, as fun as it is, has almost no shock. Some darts come with small blades but the blades are, indeed, small and produce tiny wound channels. Most small animals and birds shot at close range simply depart with the dart. One time I did get a large Norway rat climbing up a wall. It spined him and killed him instantly.

Howard Hill, the father of American hunting archery, was so good with a bow that he became rather bored. He picked up the blow gun but used, I think, curare or strychnine. He reported killing a Mexican deer with it. I think strychnine would be a terrible idea. Get a little in your mouth and it's all she wrote.

 

[spoonieduck]

The problem is that a blowgun, as fun as it is, has almost no shock. Some darts come with small blades but the blades are, indeed, small and produce tiny wound channels. Most small animals and birds shot at close range simply depart with the dart. One time I did get a large Norway rat climbing up a wall. It spined him and killed him instantly.

Howard Hill, the father of American hunting archery, was so good with a bow that he became rather bored. He picked up the blow gun but used, I think, curare or strychnine. He reported killing a Mexican deer with it. I think strychnine would be a terrible idea. Get a little in your mouth and it's all she wrote.

Can you recall the book where Howard Hill recorded killing the Mexican deer? It's the same book in which he reports killing a swimming duck at 500 yards with his longbow in Canada. I read the book as a kid and recall the blowgun story. If I can recall rightly, Hill stated that he went to the blowgun because he got a little tired of his efficiency with a longbow. Also, as an 8 y.o. child I saw a movie of Hill in Africa. I remember his killing a croc and a bull elephant. If I can recall rightly, the elephant kill was made with extraordinarily long arrows. The elephant didn't even seem too concerned. He'd swat the arrows away but finally went down, hit through the heart with the first arrow. After the film was over, Hill actually came out on the movie stage and did a lot of trick shooting--things tossed in the air, etc. He was good but, of course, an 8 y.o. is easily impressed.

I have some experience with blowguns and, as you stated, the darts have no shock. As a kid I shot a number of sparrows clean through the middle and had them fly away with my dart. Once, however, I got lucky. A very large, fat rat was climbing up a wall in my barn. I hit him at about 25 feet [well maybe 15 feet]. Right in the middle of the back, in the middle of his spine. He was paralyzed, pinned to the wall so I have one kill to my credit.

Blowguns, at close range, in the right hands, are extremely accurate. You let your eyes go a little out of focus so that you see two blow gun pipes in front of you. Put the target directly between the two pipes and puff! You can routinely hit fairly small targets out to 30 feet or maybe more if you calculate for drop. And, no, strychnine would be a very bad choice.