Backwoods: Primitive Hunting For Survival

In a backwoods survival saturation food is the last thing you should worry about. Shelter, fire, water and signaling for help are far more important. Remember the rule of 3's... You can die from exposure to the elements in 3 hours, you can die from lack of water in 3 days, but it takes 3 weeks or more to die of starvation. 3 weeks is a long time, so plan for your essentials first. If you have your other bases covered, then you can start planning for food. Snaring and fishing are your best bets, as they allow for you to "set and forget", which means that you conserve energy. All hunting should be done with as little energy expenditure as possible. Find a comfortable spot and wait for dinner to come to you.
The Hunting and snaring skills that I will cover are very different from what most people might be thinking. There are no spring steel bear traps or scoped hunting rifles discussed here. All of the tips and tricks involve primitive weapons and snares. Primitive hunting tools are often the most effective. One could spend a lot of time building a bow and some arrows, but unless your arrows are masterfully crafted, they will fly everywhere except where you intend them to go. Even a modern bow with modern arrows requires a modicum of skill and a lot of practice to be an effective hunting weapon. .

Throwing Stick

One of the most ancient, yet effective tools for hunting small game is the throwing stick. A throwing stick is thrown sidearm so that it spins The stick is typically 2 to 3 feet long depending on the size and strength of the user. It is also very thick (about as big around as the wrist of the user) and heavy (typically made of hardwood). The ends can be either blunt or sharpened. I prefer to put a very slight point (a skull crusher or pommel point, as it is known). The whole point to the throwing stick is that (thrown sideways) you only have to be within 2 or 3 feet of your target to actually hit it. This is a very effective tool for hunting rabbits and other small ground critters.

Caveman Throwing Star

An ancient, yet effective tool for hunting small game is the throwing stick. An improvement on that tool is to effectively double it up for a heavier tool with more points. It probably had a name (something like Grunt, Ugh), but I call it the Caveman Throwing Star. Like the throwing stick, the Caveman Throwing Star is thrown sidearm so that it spins. He whole point to the Caveman Throwing Star is that you only have to be within 2 or 3 feet of your target to actually hit it. You have 4 bone crushing tips, and the chances of one hitting it's target is high. This is a very effective tool for hunting rabbits and other small ground critters

Spear Weapons

Spears are what you typically think of when you consider primitive weapons. They are very primitive as far as weapons go, but they do have the unique advantage over a knife of allowing you to keep a distance from quarry or as a defense against predators. A good spear might be something to consider making if you are lost in bear country! As far as using a spear as a survival tool for hunting, I would strongly recommend against it unless you are lost with a bunch of your friends, and plan to drive bison over cliffs with spears and torches... not bloody likely. As I mentioned above, it might not be a bad idea to have a spear/walking stick as a defensive tool depending on where you are, and what critters may be about. In that case, do not make it super long. About as tall as you and heavy hardwood is what I'd recommend. A nice fire hardened tip is fine. Don't waste your time trying to whittle flint spearheads, .