The tools of hunting, as everything else in life, have adapted and changed over time. Over the years technology has dramatically affected the way people hunted. From the early days of the spear to present day firearms equipped with modern optics the challenge of the hunt is still the same.
Early weapons were developed long ago in the days of the cave man with invention of the spear. This tool , despite being crude was very effective when placed in a skilled hand. With a hand made broad head made from stone, the Spear paved the early road for modern weapons to build on.
The next major adaption in the sport echoed in the days of the Native American with the development of the bow and arrow. This weapon took the spear, which was still utilized in that day, and improved on it. The arrow was a nock off of the spear made smaller. The arrow utilized the same wooden stick and rock broad head as the spear, but it also had new technology added to it. A nock was added on the other end of the arrow and fletching made of feathers were added to help the arrow fly truer. Where the real change took place was the way in which the arrow was flung. Rather than throwing it a string was tied to a curved stick which when drawn and released which sent the arrow with a velocity and accuracy unmatched by the spear.
The next innovation came with the invention of the Black Powder Rifle. This was a change that really was a huge leap from the bow and arrow. This rifle used black powder as a fuel to fire a lead projectile out the steal barrel and at the target at speed, distance,efficiency that put the bow and arrow to shame.
The next adaption in the tools of hunting occurred with a change in the existing black powder rifle. The change was the creation of the Inline Black powder Rifle. The new gun was much more dependable and user friendly than its relative.
The next major change that occurred was the invention of the cartridge. Before the development of the cartridge the task of reloading a black powder rifle was very time consuming. The cartridge on the other hand took all the components necessary to fire the ball in the black powder rifle and put it in a individual shell that could be loaded and unloaded with ease.
With the development of the cartridge came the invention of the carbine repeater, or a many shots gun as they were called in Fools Crow. The repeater provided a weapon that had capabilities of firing multiple rounds of ammunition in a few seconds without reloading. This adaption gave birth to the rifles and pistols of today. These modern weapons would have been unimaginable by our hunting ancestors.
Other changes have occurred over the years as well. The bow and arrow of yesteryear has been changed with technology also. Todays bows utilize cams, energy wheels and other materials that greatly enhances the performance of the tool. The arrow itself has also changed, wooden arrows and stone broad heads have been substituted with aluminum, carbon, and steal compounds to make a much more versatile product.
Some may say that with todays modern technology hunting has become to easy. To that I say "Whatever." As I see it the tools used by modern hunters does not make it easier to harvest game but makes it much more ethical and humane to do so.
