How To Hunt Small Game With Hunting Boomerangs/Throwsticks

Is it possible to successfully hunt for game, even small game with hunting boomerangs? The short answer is yes, of course. I grappled with this question as a young teen and tested to see what the answer would be. After trying for a short time I was not disappointed. Many years have passed since then and I have learned some important techniques to increase my chances of hitting game and bringing home a feed. In this article I will share as much as I can on what I’ve discovered about the ancient art of throwstick hunting. 

There are many elements that make hitting game possible with a throwstick. From knowing how to throw your tool properly, to knowing the behavior of the animal you’re throwing at. Firstly though you need a good reliable tool to practice and get familiar with. There are a few good sticks on the market to choose from, but you can also make your own. If you go down that path I would suggest looking up how to make hunting boomerangs/throwsticks and experiment with a design to suits your style and ability. If you go down the purchasing path I would highly recommend the throwsticks from throwsticks.com and find one to suit you from there (make sure it is for your dominant hand). Be careful not to buy or make a returning boomerang, these are different being more of a toy and will not fly straight. You need a straight flying hunting boomerang to hit a target on the ground. Don’t believe the cartoons. 

Now you need to practice the throw. I recommend setting up a small target, like a drink bottle (or something similar to the size of the game you’ll be hunting for), with a backdrop for the boomerang to hit on the follow through. Stand about ten meters from your target and aim right for it. Don’t take your eyes off it until after your throwstick has landed. You need all that feedback to learn for future throws. As your fitness and aim improve you can increase the distance as far as your throwstick is capable of reaching.

As far as the method of throwing goes it’s similar to throwing a rock but your swing must be parallel with the ground. After you wind up for your throw you can do a step forward approach, like you would in tennis, or keep you feet stationary, like you would in golf, but you must have your opposing foot to your hand forward. I like to use the stepping approach not only because I’ve played a lot of tennis but also because, when out hunting for real, I’m often on the move anyway chasing down the game. Keep your knees bent as well and adjust how much you bend them according to how low you want the boomerang to fly. Watch some videos of people throwing hunting boomerangs to help develop your own style from there too. It should go without saying, but always have a good warm up before you start to take care of your body.

In your first few throws for any practice session aim at short distances and don’t try to throw the cover off it. Let your body get into the swing of it again and test yourself without the stress of full power. This will not only help prevent injuries but remind your mind of how to go through the throwing motions properly. 

Once your throws increase in distance you will notice that the boomerang has a point at which it begins to keep ‘flying’. At the distance where you would think it should drop the thing just keeps going. This is the fun side of boomerangs and you must allow for this phenomenon to be a good thrower. At a short distance, usually under twenty meters, it is not there but after that the magic begins to takes place. 

It will do this amazing glide at a height that is dependant on your throw. You need to adjust where to aim your throw to operate in the boomerang altitude you want. Learn how far out to throw to gain a specific height for the boomerang settle into. I have found the closer you aim to the ground in front of you the lower the height of the glide and the further out you aim the higher the glide. Of course, if you aim too close you will hit the ground not far in front of you, but conversely if you aim too far in the distance the boomerang will peel off course to the left or the right quite quickly 

What also affects the height of the gliding is how close your hand is to the ground when you let the throwstick go. I like to keep the glide at the height of small game, like rabbits, so I let it go very low to the ground. But if I was after something like a kangaroo I would be releasing it at around hip or thigh height. This is something that will be honed in on with much experimentation and practice.

Once you are hitting targets regularly at distances over twenty meters you need to practice hitting moving targets. This very important as it is a rare thing to hit an animal that is still. I have never done it. Every time I have tried the animal is alerted by my movement when I throw and it hops or runs away by the time the boomerang gets to it. But when it’s on the run it is distracted and has already picked a path that I’m aiming for, giving it less chance to escape being hit. I like to get a ball and throw it it front of me and just throw my boomerang at it as it’s moving. It is surprising how accurate you can get after just a few sessions. This will teach you how to aim in front of the target, or as the shot gun shooters will say, ‘leading the shot’. How far in front depends on a few factors but you will just do them automatically in time. You need to focus on hitting the target, your body will respond accordingly. Just aim for the target, you will eventually get there.

Now you need to find a population of game and get some experience there (and maybe some beginner’s luck). When I was learning I had a good spot with many low bushes that rabbits darted out from for me to hit. These days I don’t have that luxury and usually have to throw at further distances and with less game around too. But it is what it is. 

There is a lot to the art of hunting in general and the same rules apply to boomerang hunting, but here is a quick overview. There are two main types of hunting styles you can adopt here: flushing and stalking. I like to flush out rabbits out of their squat spots as they are closer and often keep the same line when running away from you. You could also use a dog to flush them out of thickets to give you the advantage but you must be careful not to hit your dog. Stalking is a little more difficult and you must show more patience. It is an effective way to hunt if the game numbers are down or if you’re hunting larger game animals. 

If you really want to increase your chances of a hit you must practice as much as possible. It needs to become the thing that you do when the work is done. To put a figure on it I would say a minimum of twenty minutes three times a week will lead to constant improvement. To be really good at it though you would need to practice five or six days a week two hours a day, just like any sport. At the end of the day this is just a sport and requires hand eye co-ordination, proper technique and dedication. I often bounce a ball to help keep me sharp and even throw rocks at fence posts to make sure I’m keeping my hand eye edge. I practice throwing my boomerang as much as my body allows me and maintain a general level of fitness to keep me tough enough to do it.

I hope this helps your throwstick/hunting boomerang results and you pick up the game you hope to hit. Happy throwing!