Yesterday I explored a local creek for flint. Well, I know it has flint but hoped new stuff had been exposed. Where I parked along the road, there was some bamboo looking stuff cut and laying on the ground. I thought somebody tossed it there as trash from yard cleanup. I took a couple pieces for possible arrow shafts or atlatl dart shafts.
Then I collected 60 pounds of rock from the creek bed and 15-20 straight honeysuckle shoots for arrows. As I lugged this stuff back to the truck I came upon a stand of the “bamboo”. It is actually river cane! There were only about 20 plants but it’s cool stuff. Most of it was too large but I gathered 4 shafts with potential. I will mark that spot for next spring’s smaller growth. It is still green so it’s easy to find.
When I got back to the truck with the rocks I set them down beside a dead goose. What? Yes, there was a dead goose within 10 feet of my truck, within 20 feet of the cane. I pulled all the flight feathers for use on arrows.
Shafts, feathers, and flint, all in one day. Guess I should be able to make arrows!
