The throwing stick is one of Man’s earliest weapons and was found throughout nearly all primitive cultures. Many people are familiar with the throwing club in the form of the returning boomerang used by the aboriginal peoples of Australia.
The throwing club is intended to to be used as a method of acquiring small game and water fowl. Thrown at the target with the intention of killing or maiming, the throwing club tends to be weighted heavily at the top to carry momentum through the target. Curved throwing sticks may be weighted or unweighted with the intentions of the curve to allow the throwing stick to bounce and skip across the ground at its target.
Easily one of the most simple weapons to make or acquire in the bush, the throwing club could present the wielder an opportunity to actively hunt small game in a survival situation. A stick may be used as a club as is, but to optimize the effectiveness of the club it needs to be shaped and weighted.
First is to acquire the piece of wood that is wanted. For my purposes, I wanted a straight stick to use as a club
Next is to begin shaping it. I take off the limbs of the branch and cut it to around two and one-half to three feet.
Next is to begin shaping the throwing club. To make it the most effective weapon possible, the top of it should be weighted. I begin to shape the shaft and the portion where I will hold the club. I also add a pommel at the end for some flare as well as to prevent unintended slipping when using the club in a final blow.
Beginning to shape up
To make the throwing club more comfortable, the wood may be sanded to smooth it out and prevent slivers entering the hand. A coarse rock or a rock and some sand may be used for this. Some sand is sprinkled on the throwing club
Any number of carvings could be done in the stick to turn it from a tool to a work of primitive art. Here is the final and primitively sanded throwing club.
When it comes down to it in primitive hunting, we don’t care how it looks but how it works. Having a few carved throwing sticks at the ready will greatly increase the chances of hitting the target as well as giving the chance for a followup shot.
Happy Hunting!
