Gear Questions, Blowgun, Pager, and Camera

[Chance09]

Alright Alright, final decision. After several emails and several opinions, the blowgun will be a no go. I might attempt a hidden one in a tent stake of my Hubba, unless I decide to go with the hammock. I've spoken with a NPS ranger and they said its usable on certain portions, but its not worth the hassle. And he mentioned a good point as well, the bones and skin, and the LNT. Unless I could make good use of all 100% its not an efficient way.

Bones = new darts
Skin = new socks???

[SurferNerd]

Bones = new darts
Skin = new socks???

Haha, you'd smell my rotting skin ten miles away on the trail, and i can't imagine shooting more than ribs through a 40mm opening. But good thinking.

[Chance09]

Just curious how would you apply LNT apply to small game?

If an animal dies or is killed by another animal wouldn't whats left, if there is anything, just be laying out on the ground to be picked over by scavengers?
I would imagine that you would bury the rest of skin and bones that are left over. It's not like your really doing anything that doesn't happen in nature already.

[SurferNerd]

Just curious how would you apply LNT apply to small game?

If an animal dies or is killed by another animal wouldn't whats left, if there is anything, just be laying out on the ground to be picked over by scavengers?
I would imagine that you would bury the rest of skin and bones that are left over. It's not like your really doing anything that doesn't happen in nature already.

I have to agree, its not really LNT, but it kinda is. I dunno....

[Flush2wice]

Just get a car iner tube make a good sling shot.Gee don't anybody makes things any more all store bought.

I thought about that too- but they're dangerous against shelter mice due to ricochet. The darts are better in the shelters.

[Flush2wice]

Here's a site about small game hunting with a home made blow gun. This guy even catches fish.
http://www.geocities.com/blowgunhunter/

[mudcap]

wow! Very cool!

[SurferNerd]

Here's a site about small game hunting with a home made blow gun. This guy even catches fish.
http://www.geocities.com/blowgunhunter/

And you people doubted me...haha

[Hikes in Rain]

I used to use (not so well) homemade blowguns. Way fun, and even with my clumsy construction, very surprisingly accurate and powerful enough to stick a dart into a concrete block wall! (Once. Seriously screwed up the point)

Where'd you get the two you have? I'd like to get one.

[Wilson]

When you get near Cherokee, check out the blowgun demo.

http://www.cherokee-nc.com/index.php?page=19

[SurferNerd]

I used to use (not so well) homemade blowguns. Way fun, and even with my clumsy construction, very surprisingly accurate and powerful enough to stick a dart into a concrete block wall! (Once. Seriously screwed up the point)

Where'd you get the two you have? I'd like to get one.

I bought mine at the local arm/navy supply store. The brand of blowguns is called terminator. I've been using them for about 6 years, and found them to be the best at accuracy, warranty, and durability.

[SurferNerd]

When you get near Cherokee, check out the blowgun demo.

http://www.cherokee-nc.com/index.php?page=19

That's who I got my curare poison through. My family has good Cherokee Indian Friends who live in the smokies, and hunt with blowguns. They gave me five ounces of powder poison and explained how to activate and apply it. I think they were the ones who got me into it 10 years ago when we vacationed there, and they showed my parents and I how to work them.

[daibutsu]

Back to the Blow gun; it's a no brainer, if it weren't for me having one I'd never know that a Peregrine Falcon tastes almost like a Spotted Owl!!

[SunnyWalker]

Surfernerd: I know you didn't supply the photo, but its impressive. Does the curae become inactive when the animal is cooked? Looks like fun. come to West Texas and you can hunt rabbits to your hearts content.

[minnesotasmith]

come to West Texas and you can hunt rabbits to your hearts content.

I was on a well there last summer. When I went for walks, I couldn't go 60' half the time without flushing a rabbit. A hunter there with average aim IMO could keep a whole neighborhood in meat, were he so inclined.

Again re the blowgun... I still think that it's a diversion of effort, resources, and time from hiking to bring it along, let alone spend much time trying to hunt with it. There's all the time in the world to hunt before and after your thruhike. I'd advise concentrating during your hike on hiking, presuming doing the whole AT in one walk is part of your criteria for a successful journey.

[rafe]

IMO (not to be mean about it) but folks who inquire about hunting on the AT, particularly in the context of a thru-hike, are woefully ignorant of what the AT, and thru-hiking are about. Caught up in some kind of Daniel Boone fantasy. In short, there are far better places to hunt, fish, or even camp. Seems to me that hunting and thru-hiking are mutually exclusive activities. Nothing in common, except that they're both done in the woods.

[Flush2wice]

Again re the blowgun... I still think that it's a diversion of effort, resources, and time from hiking to bring it along, let alone spend much time trying to hunt with it. There's all the time in the world to hunt before and after your thruhike. I'd advise concentrating during your hike on hiking, presuming doing the whole AT in one walk is part of your criteria for a successful journey.

IMO (not to be mean about it) but folks who inquire about hunting on the AT, particularly in the context of a thru-hike, are woefully ignorant of what the AT, and thru-hiking are about. Caught up in some kind of Daniel Boone fantasy. In short, there are far better places to hunt, fish, or even camp. Seems to me that hunting and thru-hiking are mutually exclusive activities. Nothing in common, except that they're both done in the woods.

Agreed, that's why I suggested his hunting efforts would probably be focused on shelter mice. I caught lot's of them with a cook pot propped up by a stick tied to a length of string with some p-nut butter bait under the pot. I practiced catch and release though.

[Dancer]

On the subject of cameras, I bought one that uses AA because I was thinking the same as you about always having charged batteries. My ex bought one with the rechargable one about the same time. His little rechargable battery lasted loads longer than my AAs. May be just the camera I bought but I went through batteries like candy. One idea for your charger if you go that route, charger for phone or camera battery, if you plan to use a bounce box you could put it in there and send it up the train to the next town.

[minnesotasmith]

...shelter mice. I caught lot's of them with a cook pot propped up by a stick tied to a length of string with some p-nut butter bait under the pot. I practiced catch and release though.

They were "released" into the nearest fast-moving large stream, over a cliff, or some other likely-fatal destination.

[KarenM982]

I have the Canon 720IS which takes AA batteries. I was using generic CVS brand batteries and the battery life was extremely short, but I was also just learning how to use the camera so I would have the display on for a while, turn it off and on a bunch, try out all the different functions, etc. Once I had a good handle on the camera, I turned on all the battery saving options, stuck in 2 new AAs, and the batteries still didnt last that long. I think the issue was using CVS brand AAs...they were cheap and arent great. That said, I'm definitely taking this camera on my thru hike next year. Ive heard that Energizer e2 Lithium batteries are the best, so I'll probably buy a bunch of those and put them in my maildrops. The camera take great photos and has a panoramic option which I really like. It fits perfectly in a MountainSmith camera pouch, which I attach to my pack.