Catapult for hunting post SHTF

[Steve]

(28 February 2016, 16:34)Rocks Wrote: Hmm, I've hunted all sorts of animals, including humans, so I know a little bit. You really seem to have a chip on your shoulder, don't you? I posted a question about catapults, in a sub-forum called 'bows sticks and stones' in a survivalist forum.
Have I stepped on your toes or something?

No chips, no toes, no offence meant.

I'll write why I think the catapault is a bad choice for hunting small game. If you don't want to know then skip now.

You will dedicate considerable time and effort to learning to use a tool that is obsolete for the task. It's your time, of course, but in my opinion it's in the same league as learning to make flint arrowheads.

In a shtf situation you will have much more pressing things to do than spend all day trying to kill a rabbit with a catapault, and make no mistake, when everybody ( and their dog ) is after a rabbit stew those rabbits aren't going to let you get close. If you do manage to get in range, maybe after 15 damp minutes crawling through the grass, you'll be gutted to see your stone fly over the rabbits head because you're firing from an awkward position. Shooting from prone is out, and shooting around cover difficult.

You will have read that the catty was a favourite poachers tool, and it's true that if you want to steal a few stocked pheasants from the local shoot it will do the trick. Pheasants are extremely stupid, used to being fed by humans, and often so preoccupied with courting displays that you can catch them in your hands. 99% of the pheasants you see now might be dead shortly after humans stop rearing them, I think this because I tried to raise them in my own woodland and they seemed to have an uncanny knack of finding a hungry fox. I would often find a pile of feathers on the path, with an appreciative and sizeable fox turd beside them. No matter how many foxes I shot, more would come in for the easy meal.

Give a poacher the choice and he'll choose a crossbow, air rifle or silenced shotgun. I think you would be advised to do the same.