Anyone ever kill deer from a treestand w/ a spear?

20 May 2007, 00:45

I am really wanting to use my climber and a spear to take a whitetail. i have had deer in the bottoms come w/i 5 yards of me when i have my climber positioned right so i know distance is not a problem. i am mostly wondering if thier accute senses are gonna let me release a spear w/o them jumping out of the way.

12 October 2007, 20:55

killahog

A whitailed deer with a spear? wheres the sport. Have you considered a chineese throwing star now that would be challenging. Seriously If you are getting deer within 5 yards of you and I belive you are I would suggest a very long spear one like the arficans are throwing but try and set it just right so you dont have to trough but you can just thrust is straight down, Sort of like frog gigging but for goats Here would be a canidate for your spear I took this picture 2 days ago while bowhunting in Ohio http://s142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/killahog/?actio...urrent=cobeygoat.jpg

04 May 2008, 07:51

415sbaird

OK, someone from Alabama help me out.

I'm from Texas, and when visiting Tuscaloosa a few years back, I picked up the state hunting brochure while browsing at the local Woods & Water store. Noticed one of the legal means of taking deer was using a spear. Asked a local how this was done, and he told me this was sort of a traditional means of hunting with the hillbilly folk.

They get a short axle shaft or whatever, sharpen it, and climb a tree. Drop the shaft on the deer as it walks under, and you are deer hunting without firearms or bows. Po folks need the protein, it seems.

04 May 2008, 18:31

DTala

415, I'm a retired GW from Al, 26 years on the job. Alabama spent a good deal of time and money legalizing spear hunting here several years ago. The first year there was a special "spear hunting" license, total of ONE sold! Now you can hunt on a regular hunting license.

To my knowledge there has not been a deer killed with a spear here. It probably COULD be done, just no one tries it. We legalized atlatls about the same time and I personally know of zero atlatl kills either.

The strong, fast, arm thrust to launch either weapon make it hard to hit a wired whitetail that isn't there when the spear lands....

troy

26 June 2008, 06:49

Bug

Sure! They did it all the time... About 11,000 years ago - Clovis people, that is

Seriously, a few years ago a game warden bud had an anecdotal tale about a guy that killed a whitetail with a spear, here in Texas. Poor dude got his deer confiscated, and a stiff fine to boot! Some nonsense about illegal means and methods

We all allowed he should have got a medal indtead of all the grief.

10 August 2008, 21:46

MacD37

quote:
Originally posted by Bug:
a guy that killed a whitetail with a spear, here in Texas. Poor dude got his deer confiscated, and a stiff fine to boot! Some nonsense about illegal means and methods

The key here is illegal means and methods! The guy should have made himself aware of the law before he went hunting, although it was quite a feat, he broke the law! If you can't do the time don't do the crime!

Like most hear, I wish it were legal, but it is not, and so I'll simply use legal means & methods! Others may do as it suits them but don't complain about the fine if you get cought!

14 January 2009, 12:32

Stateline

When I lived in Alabama, I hunted with an atlatl a few times. I just never saw a deer on those days, so I never had the opportunity to use it. The guy who makes Thunderbird Atlatls seems to have taken a variety of game with his.

As far as using a spear from a treestand, I'm sure it could be done. If you try it, make sure you have it all on video though, if you're successful, no one will believe the story without a video.

14 January 2009, 22:25

Swede44mag

My cousin once said he wanted to jump out of a tree land on a bucks back and stab him with his big knife. I told him the buck might stab him back. He never tried as far as I know.

I think if it is legal to use a spear go for it.

31 May 2009, 07:47

mete

There's a guy in this area who fell asleep in a tree stand.When he woke up there was a deer just below him. But his rifle wasn't handy and to get it would make too much noise and movement .Frustrated he threw his thermos down and hit the deer !!

05 June 2009, 09:00

calgarychef1

I suppose if the spear was heavy enough to just drop out of the tree it would work fine. A feller could put a decoy or some feed, salt block etc. in the right place and drop the spear just behind the shoulder blades. Baiting is illegal in Alberta so I'd not be able to try this...although it would be fun and a natural progression from hunting with my longbow.

the chef

06 June 2009, 02:41

TheBigGuy

The key here is silent and unseen deployment of the spear. Even when I've had whitetails ultra close while bowhunting, the "twang" of the bowstring will make them move enough to cause a shift in intended versus actual impact. This can easily amount to a couple inches. If you get busted releasing a much slower spear the effect will be much larger.

I'm not suggesting it cannot be done. Just that it may be extremely difficult.

12 June 2009, 07:16

Roll-Crimp

quote:
Originally posted by calgarychef1:
I suppose if the spear was heavy enough to just drop out of the tree it would work fine. A feller could put a decoy or some feed, salt block etc. in the right place and drop the spear just behind the shoulder blades. Baiting is illegal in Alberta so I'd not be able to try this...although it would be fun and a natural progression from hunting with my longbow.

the chef

Oow - oow,

Idea; INTERNET SPEAR DROPPING Maybe it will catch on?

...well it might...?

15 June 2009, 10:18

calgarychef1

Yea you could set up a camera on a pile of feed and have a spear set up on an "automatic dropper" Just put in your money with your visa card and hit "enter" to drop the spear....the idea should sell very well in Texas!! hammering

the chef

17 June 2009, 04:03

Roll-Crimp

LOL, I guess we trashed this thread. Sorry y'all. Just punchy from too much fish & no hunting. My bad.

06 July 2009, 01:34

N. S. Sherlock

Really, although I no longer recall the source, I have seen several deer kills with an Atlatyl on video. Perhaps you could do a thorough search of something like Deer spear kill/hunt. The Atlatyls entered broadside of the upper chest cavity of 100 pound deer just below and to the rear of the shoulder blade and the flint point completely penstrated the deer. death occurred like a similar 30-30 shot.

14 July 2009, 11:45

IanF

Sounds like a very valid method, however you are going to have to tip the odds in your favour.

I'm guessing that a brushwood 'funnel' or making use of a natural constriction in a deer path would ensure the quarry was directly below the stand. This offers the opportunity for a drop spear as opposed to having tne noise and movement inherent in throwing.

Rgds Ian

20 July 2009, 08:12

calgarychef1

A tall tree with a pile of apples directly under it. The deer wouldn't notice the movement of a spear falling from directly above......darn I'd like to try that!!

20 July 2009, 18:18

frank4570

Back in the day, in some tribes it would go something like this.
A young indian (native american)who was of the right age would go through some rituals before the hunt. Part of that was fasting, which would cut down on the human scent. Then he would follow deer and track deer and pick out the one he wanted. He would follow that deer long enough to pattern him. Then he would pick out a small tree where he knew he could ambush his chosen deer.
When the deer passed underneath he would hop off of his hiding place and "ride" the spear down to its mark.
A person with a low tree stand,that doesn't creek or sway, could do the same thing.
Be warned the ground comes up a lot faster and harder for older guys than it does for a skinny young teen ager.

22 March 2010, 10:38

Idaho Sharpshooter

I accidentally killed a coyote with an atlatl a couple years ago. Dipstick was in the corral eyeballing two doggies and I got him with an atlatl from the barn loft about six am. The kid had been up in the loft the day before throwing it at bales and left it there. I yelled at him (the coyote) and when he looked up I just flung it. I don't know who was more surprised, me or him.

Rich

07 September 2010, 20:26

GAHUNTER

This guy has.

http://www.huntingwithspears.com/

04 October 2010, 03:55

frank4570

quote:
Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
This guy has.

http://www.huntingwithspears.com/

That guy is awfully arrogant. But it is REALLY hard to argue with his scorecard with a spear.

05 October 2010, 05:26

safari-lawyer

I knew this guy existed. I believe at one time he was a member of our AL SCI chapter. For all I know, he still may be a member.

250 plus gators with a spear? Wonder how many of those were hooked on a bait line, pulled to the surface, and dispatched with a spear from the side of the boat?

05 October 2010, 06:49

calgarychef1

In all probability the "greatest spear hunter alive" is some bushman living somewhere who hasn't even heard of the internet. He'll be the guy who hunts with a spear to get food, not for the "glory" this other jerk seeks.

the chef

05 October 2010, 14:10

Caracal

quote:
Originally posted by calgarychef1:
In all probability the "greatest spear hunter alive" is some bushman living somewhere who hasn't even heard of the internet. He'll be the guy who hunts with a spear to get food, not for the "glory" this other jerk seeks.

the chef

I think the pygmees do still hunt forest elephant with (poisend) spears.

06 October 2010, 04:09

Norton

I like where it states that he is now working on throwing 3 spears at the same time while hunting......using his right leg.

06 October 2010, 14:39

frank4570

quote:
Originally posted by Norton:
I like where it states that he is now working on throwing 3 spears at the same time while hunting......using his right leg.

It's really embarrassing what a show boat he is.

I'm going to get some of his videos. I want to see how he goes about some of this. I think the biggest factor is he sits over a bait pile.

29 February 2012, 20:25

Big Game Hunter

Gene was a member of the AL SCI chapter until he died this last fall.

He did a presentation at one of our meetings several years ago. He was very over the top and arrogant but he has killed lots of critters with a sharp stick. I have driven past his museum but I have never went inside.

He isn't the only one that killed a deer with a spear in Alabama. I have a cousin that hunted exclusively with a spear the first year it was legal here and he killed a deer the second season with his spear. I am unsure how many he has killed with it to date.

02 March 2012, 03:03

calgarychef1

When Gene did that presentation did he mention much about his spears? I see one of his ideas is to use a barbed blade, that makes lots of sense to me. If you get the spear into an animal and they run away with it stuck by the barbs and that big heavy handle bouncing away it must do a hell of a lot of damage.

03 March 2012, 02:25

PAPI

Just an " FYI ".

Jared Allen Spears an Elk,from a Tree Stand, using a " Cold Steel Spear ".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfmOzW1KEKA

PAPI

07 March 2015, 07:23

nick_adams

A while back I was at a blackpowder shoot, and afterwards one of the participants, who was a local history professor as well as a buckskinner shot some footage for a local cable access show.

There were a handful of atlatl ethusiasts there, so the prof did a little lecture about the atl atl, and primitive hunting techniques. He suggested that primitive people likely hunted large animals in groups at least some of the time, and all threw at once enhancing the odds of success. For footage, he had about 8 of us throw darts at a 3-D deer archery target at once.

After lots of aiming and positionig and messing aroud, a huge flurry of darts waslaunched, and not a freaking one hit the deer. (None of use were necessarily *good* atl atl ethusiasts!)

He then talked for a while about the development of the bow, and showed a simple primitive short flatbow he had carved. Then with no ado, he shot one quick arrow from the same distance and nailed the deer target right in the lungs.

Even 10,000 years ago, technology was your friend! I kind of took that to heart, and pretty well gave up on the atl atl shortly thereafter...

09 March 2015, 01:07

p dog shooter

quote:
Even 10,000 years ago, technology was your friend! I kind of took that to heart, and pretty well gave up on the atl atl shortly thereafter...

I really found that if one has to really kill some thing a good rifle is hard to beat.

16 March 2015, 05:43

larryshores

I have never tried to kill a deer or anything else with a spear. I have, however , intentionally dropped water bottles on a doe on 2 separate occasions . They never had a clue that anything was up until the bottle hit them. They promptly freaked out.

I would have to conclude that it can be done.

27 March 2015, 00:24

JCS271

quote:
Originally posted by PAPI:
Just an " FYI ".

Jared Allen Spears an Elk,from a Tree Stand, using a " Cold Steel Spear ".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfmOzW1KEKA

After watching this video, I just figured out what I have been doing wrong all these years. I need a pile of hay at the base of my tree. And judging by the tire tracks coming up to his tree, that was probably NOT the first time that elk had eaten there. Go figure!

PAPI

27 September 2015, 04:28

44magLeo

kstephens, I think if you want to try a spear from your tree stand, then you should take your tree stand out in the woods where you plan to hunt, place a 3-d deer target where you have a deer pass by, hang your stand and practice throwing your spear at the target. Once you get to a point where you can hit the target with a killing throw then your ready to leave the target at home and wait for a real deer.
Leo

26 January 2017, 21:45

BuffHunter63

Years back I read an article about a local cowboy who lassoed a whitetail from a tree stand. Unfortunately the rope got caught on the buck's antlers and the cowboy couldn't choke him down, the way you would with a horse or a cow. Drug that poor cowboy all over the woods until the rope finally got caught on some wire and cut through. Would have worked if the cowboy had tried for a spike or forkhorn.

I might carry a short spear to finish off a mule deer this season. In the past, I would just hold down their heads and stick them (I used to work in a slaughterhouse and have stuck many a hog and cow.) They mostly just accept it.

BH63