Practical Prepper

The Original Weapon: The Kylie/Rabbit/Throwing Stick

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Impromptu Weapon: The Throwing Stick

Whether you call it a Kylie, a Rabbit Stick, or simply a Throwing Stick, this rudementary, primitive weapon can still be highly effective at getting game in today's survival situations.  The easiest weapon to fashion in the woods can often times be the most effective and deadly because it means you can start producing food for yourself right away and replace the calories you burn surviving.

How the Throwing Stick Becomes Your Weapon

A throwing stick is a simple but versatile tool that dates back centuries. They were used by the ancient Egyptians and by Aborigines in Australia, who later developed the tool into modern boomerangs. In its most simple form, it is a hardwood stick about the width of your wrist, but can be used to hunt, dig, cut, club, fight, clear brush, climb, tend a fire, start a fire, and signal.

While a piece of a small tree can be broken to become a rudimentary throwing stick, the most useful ones will have a curvature to the end that allows it to be a multi-use tool.

What Makes Ideal Throwing Sticks

If you are crafting your own throwing stick in a hurry, look for a small hardwood tree or large branch, ideally already dead. Ripping a live tree apart will waste your energy. Break the stick to about the length of your arm, and keep it handy for when you’re ready to use it. Storing the stick on your back is the preferred method, resting it on your shoulder immediately prior to throwing the stick.

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If you are able and willing to invest more time and effort into your throwing stick, you can carve one end into a weighted baton to make it more effective for hunting and self-defense.

Carving one end of a throwing stick into a blunt point can make for an even more deadly weapon.

If you don't want to carve one yourself, We recommend the Cold Steel Boomerang as an effective choice of commercially made throwing sticks!

Methods for Throwing

Methods for Throwing | Impromptu Weapon: The Throwing Stick

You can throw your throwing stick on a diagonal, vertical, or horizontal course. It is easiest to become proficient with a diagonal course, but a vertical throw is useful to practice to keep your stick from hitting trees or vegetation in its path. A horizontal throw can be useful for taking out animals that are floating on water.

Benefits of Throwing Sticks

While throwing sticks are one of the most primitive and simple tools available, they still have a place in your tool kit and are worth practicing with.

  • Can be instantly deployed when you carry the stick on your shoulder in the ready position​​
  • Ability to take opportunities as they arise, including moving targets​​
  • Effective at long ranges and against a wide variety of game, both on land or in-flight​​
  • Makes for a basic shovel and machete substitute, able to dig and clear brush
  • Never runs out of ammunition, no moving parts to fail, tough and resilient tool
  • Is an effective, powerful, blunt force, close range, hand-to-hand combat weapon​​
  • Extremely versatile, dependable, raw, and primal hunting tool
  • Allows you to maintain silence leading up to the deployment of hunting stick

This Stick May Save You

There are many survival situations in which total silence and a reliable tool with no moving parts are both invaluable. If the day comes that you run out of ammunition, you will need to be well-versed in secondary forms of hunting and self-defense.

Especially in survival situations, small game is a reliable and available source of calories. Throwing sticks are extremely effective at taking out squirrels, rabbits, ducks, and geese.

Have you ever tried using a throwing stick? If you have, please do share your experience with us in the comments section!

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