Sling shots are great tools for hunting and stress relief. Shooting almost anything is empowering and just fun. BB guns, bows and arrows, spitballs, or rubber bands are always a great way to pass the time.

Every acorn that was not eaten by squirrels has ended up in my backyard. At first, I was thinking about gathering them up and using them to bait my tree stands. Baiting is legal in Maryland and deer love acorns. The only problem is that they love White Oak acorns best and my yard is full of Chestnut Oak acorns. The picky deer will not eat them!

I found my old wrist rocket and sling shot and started to remove the acorns from my yard. At first, I picked a target such as a tree or my neighbor’s fence. That was too easy. Now it was time to place several cans along a fence and send them flying. Playing “Chicken” is also fun. Shoot an acorn straight up into the air and see if it smacks you in the head. It won’t kill you but it will make you smarter.

Acorns are the perfect ammo for a sling shot! Their size and shape fit perfectly into the pocket of the sling shot. They are heavy enough to have great trajectory and range. Please be careful when shooting at siblings, children and pets. It is amazing how well your hand-eye coordination will improve from shooting a sling shot.

Shooting at floating targets in a lake are great fun. Trajectory, elevation, windage, and shot adjustment are similar to shooting any gun or bow. You can see exactly where each shot lands and adjust. It is great hunting or fishing camp fun!

Slingshots are also great tools for hunting and fishing. One day during a mule deer hunt in Montana, I saw a huge Mulie go into a thicket. I was on a ridgeline and had a perfect shot no matter how the buck exited the brush. After sitting for a long while, I realized that I had to do something to move the great buck. I remembered my sling shot! After loading a few nearby rocks, I began shooting at the thicket. Suddenly, the mulie came out of the thicket and presented me with a perfect shot!

I love when a plan comes together. Now my only problem was to drag a 300 lb. dressed mule deer up a steep hill! Sadly, my sling shot was of no help!

Sling shots are also great fishing tools as well. Chumming is an often used practice to motivate and invite fish to bite. Free food motivates us all. Sometimes the fish we are trying to catch are just a tad out of throwing range. I was watching a fishing show where European fishermen were catching carp in a fishing competition. They were using sling shots to shoot corn toward the spot they were casting.

As I have aged, my rotator cuff in my shoulder simply is not what it used to be. Sling shots help me to shoot chum as far as I can cast but a little further than I can throw. Simple tools are always the best. Several times I have launched corn to a remote location where trout were holed up. A couple free corn kernels can go a long way to inspire them to bite. The sling shot will not work for fly fishing purists but…

I have yet to injure any living thing, break a window, injure a pet or child, or anger a neighbor. I have removed bushels of acorns from my yard, shot a few deer, and caught some fish using sling shots! Sounds like a plan to me!

Shoot straight and true!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant visit his website at www.montanagrantfishing.com