How to Make a Hunting Spear for Small Game

Real hunters rely on cunning and tracking skills for success. When you make your own hunting spear, you become one with nature and recreate the feel that early humans must have had. Pumped adrenalin and a good weapon were all that they relied on.

Things You'll Need

• Wooden dowels 3/4 inch in diameter and 3/8 inch in diameter
• Sinew or artificial sinew found in craft shops
• Sander or knife to whittle
• Sandpaper
• Leather straps, 1 inch wide
• Leather wrapping
• Glue

Instructions

1. Create an ancient atlatl, one of the original spears. Begin with a wooden dowel that's at least 22 inches long and 3/4 inch in diameter. Designate one end as the handle end and mark a spot 7 inches from the end. Start tapering it down using a knife, if you want the true ancient feel, or a power sander. Taper it down so the other end is 1/2 inch in diameter.

2. Make an angle cut in the narrow end. Cut the end to a 45-degree angle. In the center of that surface created by the angle, notch out a triangular groove or valley. Make the valley 1/8 inch deep and 3/8 inch wide on the angled face of the surface.

3. Sand the area as smooth as possible. At this point, a sander sounds really good. Consider that the ancient hunters didn't even have sandpaper when they made hunting spear. You can use a rough surface if you want to get the true effort required of early humans.

4. Get a 3/8-inch by 1 1/2 inch dowel and taper one end by sanding. Make the point sharp and fit the dowel in the groove with the tapered end sticking out of the base closest to the handle 1/4 inch. Glue when you are satisfied. Wrap the tip in sinew and then coat with glue.

5. Take two 1-by-8 inch pieces of leather. Form a loop on each and glue them on the side of the atlatl, one end of each strap on each side and the loop laying on the atlatl toward the top. Using 3 inches of the handle straps, form a loop on either side. Lay the remaining lengths along the side of the atlatl, and cover it with the handle strap, wrapping all the way to the bottom. Glue it in place.

6. Begin to wrap 6 inches from the handle end and use 1-inch wide and 28-inch long leather strips. Wrap the handle all the way down. When you after the first two inches, make an X over the two handle straps and create two distinct handles from the leather. As you get closer to the base leave a space where there's no wrap for finger braces.

7. Glue the ends of the leather in place. You can make a design on the hunting spear if you choose.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of a wooden dowel, you can substitute an animal bone to create a different look.