Hi Everyone!

I had an interesting cavegirl experience this weekend I wanted to
share. I
took my kids to a Fallow Deer farm, and a group of folks were having
an
Atlatl competition on the premises, to be followed by a hunt of fallow
deer.

What is an atlatl, you might ask?  Well, its an ancient hunting device
used
to throw spears.  The name comes from the Aztec word meaning spear
thrower.
The atlatl preceeded the bow and arrow, and offered the hunter a vast
improvement over throwing a spear by hand.  It is simply a thin piece
of
wood with a hook, groove or indentation that works as an extension of
the
arm so that more force can be put into the shot. This allowed the
hunter to
take down bigger game such as mammoth, elk, bison from greater
distance and
with greater strike force.  Atlatls (pronounced AHT-LAH-TEEL, with the
emphasis on the second syllable) were used by most cultures worldwide,
and
are still popular among hunter/gatherer societies today.  The
Aborigines
call them woomera, the Eskimos had a throwing board...

Anyway, these folks included the 5th ranking national champ, were
super
friendly, and offered me and the kids ample opportunities to practice
and
learn the art of being an atlatlist (say that with a mouthful of
pemmican!!!).  I really felt like a cavegirl. It was really beautiful
to
watch the men & women hit the targets with grace & accuracy. Anytime
one
member got a bullseye, they all joined in a circle and rubbed their
atlats
together and chanted Ooga Booga.  It was great fun!!!!  They told me
that if
they got a fallow deer, they usually butcher it with primitive stone
cutting
tools.  One of the high points of their gatherings is to go to a
nearby
Russian Boar preserve and kill  a boar with an atlatl, and do the
primitive
butcher thing, and then have a communal feast.  I guess a little
different
atmosphere than Fogo de Chayo, huh?

Strangely (?), the group of spear throwers were munching on Doritos
while
they were waiting turns to throw.  Meanwhile, I was munching on a
newly
purchased bag of Fallow Deer liver jerky, labelled "Dog Treats" on the
bag.
My 9 year old couldn't believe his human mom was eating "dog food". (
He
gobbled up the other bag of plain deer jerky once we got into the
car).

So, I might just get into this. I think I understand what Ray means
when he
says that since changing his diet, his whole life sorta took on a new
direction.  (not a direct quote, obviously, but I think you all get
the
picture...) However, I don't think I will grow a beard ;-

If anyone wants more info on ordering the supplies to build their own
atlatl
and spear, let me know. I should mention, however, that hunting with
an
atlatl is against the law in all but a couple of states - Arkansas is
o.k,
but here in New York, this group mainly relies on preserves.  The bow
hunters apparantly lobby heavily against the issuance of atlatl
permits,
according to the information I received at this competition.  Last
year, 46
atlatl permits were issued, and one animal was reported in Arkansas -
the
head of the clan was trying to impress upon me that atlatlists were
clearly
hunters with integrity.  However, the 7 year old daughter of the Deer
Farm
told me that yesterday, the same group got one Fallow Deer with an
atlatl &
spear, and only wounded him.  They finished him off with a big rock to
his
head. I figure this might open up some lively debate on our paleo
list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy hunting,

Judy Genova, cavegirl