10 Silent Hunting Weapons To Maintain Concealment

Hunting
is
the
primal
pursuit
of
food,
and
today
remains
a
greatly
beloved
pastime
as
well
as
a
rite
of
passage
and
a
legitimate
survival
skill.

Accordingly,
preppers
are
well
served
to
become
at
least
serviceable
hunters,
and
if
you
want
to
bag
game
you’ll
need
to
become
familiar
with
the
tools
of
the
trade.
I’m
talking
about
hunting
weapons.

The
vast
majority
of
hunters
today
depend
on
firearms
to
bag
their
quarry,
whatever
it
is.
Small
game,
including
rodents,
are
brought
down
by
.17
and
.22
caliber
rim
fires
while
larger
game
is
the
province
of
intermediate
and
larger
rifle
cartridges
or
shotguns.
You
can
even
hunt
birds
or
delicate
pray
with
small,
light
birdshot
or
even
an
air
rifle.

However,
one
of
the
major
shortcomings
of
firearms
is
the
dramatic
amount
of
noise
they
generate,
even
when
suppressed.

Sometimes
circumstances
dictate
that
you
maintain
a
low
profile,
a
very
low
profile,
when
hunting
and
that
means
you’ll
need
to
choose
a
weapon
that
is
as
quiet
as
possible
so
you
can
maintain
concealment
while
getting
the
job
done.

We
will
tell
you
about
several
such
weapons
in
this
article
to
give
you
more
tools
in
your
hunting
toolbox
when
it
is
time
to
be
discreet.

Why
Should
You
Care
About
Noise
When
Hunting?

If
you
do
not
care
much
about
hunting
as
a
pastime,
or
even
as
a
survival
skill
or
adding
to
your
repertoire,
you
might
wonder
why
one
should
be
concerned
about
the
noise
generated
by
the
hunting
weapon.
What
difference
does
it
make
if
you
are
touching
off
some
noisy
gun
so
long
as
you
get
the
game?

There
are
many
such
reasons
why.
Purely
concerning
the
outcome
of
the
hunt
itself,
the
loud,
booming
noise
of
a
firearm
will
easily
spook
and
scatter
game
far
and
wide,
sending
them
to
ground
to
hide.

This
is
especially
common
among
game
that
experience
frequent
hunting
pressure.
One
discharge
and
they
know
that
they’re
lives
are
officially
at
stake.

This
means
bagging
follow
up
animals
will
be
even
more
difficult,
say
nothing
of
how
hard
you’re
going
to
make
it
on
your
fellow
hunters.

Perhaps
more
germane
to
the
purposes
of
survival,
making
noise
is
a
great
way
to
attract
attention
from
other
human
beings,
attention
you
probably
don’t
want.

Whether
you
have
a
good
patch
that
you
want
to
keep
to
yourself
or
you
just
don’t
want
to
be
found
by
other
people
who
may
or
may
not
be
friendly,
gunfire
can
be
heard
from
miles
and
pretty
much
everybody
knows
what
it
means.

A
quiet
weapon
that
generates
effectively
no
noise
or
has
a
minimal
report
that
cannot
be
heard
beyond
a
few
dozen
yards
will
keep
your
private
comings
and
goings
private.

Lastly,
firearms
are
loud,
incredibly
so,
and
one
of
the
most
common
causes
of
spontaneous
and
permanent
hearing
damage.

Many
hunters
choose
to
hunt
without
hearing
protection
on
so
they
do
not
compromise
their
situational
awareness
when
listening
for
stealthy,
perceptive
prey
animals
and
that
means
that
at
the
moment
they
break
the
shot
their
hearing
is
going
to
suffer
permanently.
A
quiet
weapon
completely
eliminates
this
occupational
hazard.

There’s
no
telling
how
different
your
experience
will
be
when
you
aren’t
worried
about
an
extraordinarily
loud
noise
signature
from
your
weapon.
You’ll
see
more
and
likely
have
more
success
over
the
long
run,
that’s
for
sure.
Now,
let
us
get
on
to
our
list.

10
Quiet
Hunting
Weapons
that
Will
Help
You
Maintain
Concealment

Bow

One
of
mankind’s
oldest
weapon
systems
that
still
remains
entirely
viable
today
for
a
variety
of
purposes
but
particularly
for
the
hunting
of
large
game.

Modern
bows,
especially
compound
bows,
equipped
with
equally
modern
arrows
made
from
high
performance
materials
and
benefiting
from
state-of-the-art
ergonomic
design
and
manufacturing
processes
are
capable
of
feats
of
accuracy
and
power
that
would
leave
our
ancestor
archers
completely
flabbergasted.

But
particularly
relevant
to
our
purposes
today
is
that

bows
are
quiet.
Very
quiet,
although
they
generate
somewhat
more
racket
than
most
popular
media
would
have
you
believe
with
only
the
whispery
thwip
of
a
bowstring
to
indicate
that
an
arrow
has
been
loosed
at
all.

Compound
bows
especially
make
a
noticeable
twang
and
clatter
but
this
is
several
orders
of
magnitude
quieter
than
even
the
quietest
firearm.

Even
traditional
or
improvised
bows
can
prove
to
be
quite
powerful,
certainly
deadly,
and
maybe
even
quieter
still
compared
to
modern
compound
bows.

Bows
of
this
type
also
have
the
advantage
that
manufacturing
them
is
within
the
realm
of
the
average
person’s
skill
set,
as
is
the
creation
of
arrows
using
nothing
more
than
natural
materials,
a
few
tools
and
the
right
know-how.
That’s
the
perfect
complement
to
any
doomsday
survival
toolbox!

Perhaps
the
biggest
shortcoming
with
the
bow
is
how
large
an
investment
of
time
and
effort
is
required
in
order
to
obtain
repeatable,
on
demand
proficiency
with
it.

Shooting
a
bow
well
is
not
easy,
and
shooting
it
under
field
conditions
when
you
are
already
tired
or
fatigued
is
several
notches
harder
still.

Nonetheless,
bows
are
quiet,
deadly
and
relatively
quick
to
deliver
follow-up
shots
if
required,
the
perfect
option
for
a
savvy,
sneaky
prepper.

Crossbow

The
crossbow
is
another
ancient
weapon,
and
one
that
can
be
even
more
powerful
than
a
traditional
bow.

Even
better,
the
crossbow
has
the
advantage
of
remaining
cocked
and
ready
to
fire
with
the
pull
of
a
trigger,
just
like
a
firearm,
and
can
even
benefit
from
modern
sighting
systems
like
telescopic
and
reflex
optics.

To
the
new
arbalest,
this
dramatically
shortens
the
learning
curve
until
practical
accuracy
can
be
achieved.

It
also
makes
the
crossbow
pretty
much
the
ideal
ambush
weapon
since
a
bolt
can
be
prepared
and
the
crossbow
in
hand
before
settling
down
to
weight,
requiring
only
a
press
of
the
trigger
in
order
to
loose
that
fatal
bolt.
This
drastically
reduces
fatigue
and
shooter
error
after
just
a
little
practice.

But
it
isn’t
all
good
news
with
crossbows.
They
are
more
expensive
than
traditional
bows
of
roughly
equivalent
quality,
as
a
rule,
and
also
far
bulkier
and
heavier.
Whereas
a
good
bow
is
light
and
nimble
in
the
hands
and
easily
carried,
a
crossbow
is
a
comparatively
clumsy
contraption.

Whether
or
not
this
is
a
good
bargain
is
likely
dependent
upon
how
much
effort
and
time
you
are
willing
to
invest
in
a
traditional
bow.

Also,
compared
to
traditional
bows
crossbows
are
usually
noisier,
and
by
a
significant
degree.
Although
they
are
nowhere
near
as
loud
as
any
firearm
the
release
of
a
bolt
is
usually
accompanied
by
a
loud,
distinct
clack
that
could
reveal
your
position
to
nearby
animals
or
humans
alike.

On
the
other
hand,
if
something
is
farther
away
than
a
hundred
yards
or
so,
they
may
well
not
know
what
the
noise
is.

For
firearm
hunters
who
are
ready
to
make
the
transition
into
a
quiet
weapon
system,
the
crossbow
is
ideal
because
it
will
make
use
of
several
already
developed
skill
sets
in
operation.

Slingshot

The
slingshot
is
commonly
thought
of
as
the
toy
or
rather
tool
of
choice
for
childhood
miscreants
who
love
nothing
more
than
taking
pot
shots
at
stray
animals
and
knocking
holes
in
every
unattended
pain
of
glass.

And
while
it
is
true
that
many
toy
slingshots
are
capable
of
generating
mischief
and
little
else,
a
properly
made
slingshot
is
a
frighteningly
capable
compact
projectile
weapon.

A
slingshot
relies
upon
an
elastic
band
or
some
other
elastic
material
to
propel
a
small
projectile,
typically
a
pebble,
marble
or
ball
bearing,
to
impressive
velocity
and
with
enough
practice
is
capable
of
generating
equally
impressive
accuracy
even
against
a
moving
target.

Slingshots
are
available
in
a
wide
variety
of
styles,
from
extended
models
featuring
long
forks
and
an
arm
brace,
colloquially
called
starships,
to
the
most
stereotypical
and
compact
y-shaped
models
made
from
surgical
tubing
and
a
sturdy
branch.

Any
can
do
the
job
if
you
have
a
good
shot
with
the
right
ammo
and
the
skills
to
make
it
happen
–
with
a
typical

shooting
range
of
30
to
50
feet.

Slingshots
are
quiet,
with
any
given
shot
generating
only
a
gentle
snap
from
the
accelerating
elastic
bands,
but
they
are
greatly
limited
by
range
and
what
size
game
they
can
take
depending
on
the
ammunition.

A
slingshot
that
is
truly
designed
for
hunting
with
appropriate
ammo
like
a
ceramic
marble
or
perhaps
a
smaller
ball
bearing
can
bring
down
small
and
medium
mammalian
game
reliably
with
a
precise
hit
but
only
at
close
range.

Extended
ranges
might
stun
or
wound
the
animal
and
allow
you
to
close
in
and
dispatch
it,
however.

Blowgun

The
blow
gun
is
yet
another
primitive
weapon,
and
one
that
is
optimized
for
bringing
down
small
game
though
with
a
few
adaptations
it
might
work
just
as
well
on
larger
game
also.
A
blow
gun
is
a
little
more
than
a
pipe
that
is
specially
adapted
to
fire
small
darts
that
fit
inside
the
bore.

Depending
on
the
length
and
bore
of
the
blow
gun,
along
with
the
skill
and
power
of
the
user’s
lungs,
you
can
get
more
or
less
range
out
of
a
blowgun
and
there
is
definitely
a
trick
to
using
these
well.

Aiming
with
both
eyes
open
and
practicing
holding
the
blow
gun
at
the
correct
angle
and
elevation
to
put
a
dart
on
target
takes
practice
but
is
largely
intuitive.

Primitive
cultures
around
the
world
but
particularly
those
living
in
jungle
and
rainforest
regions
have
relied
on
blow
guns
with
handcrafted
darts
both
as
weapons
of
war
and
as
hunting
implements
for
ages.

Although
the
range
and
accuracy
of
a
blowgun
are
both
comparatively
limited,
even
compared
to
a
slingshot,
they
are
more
than
capable
of
bringing
down
small
game,
particularly
delicate
creatures
like
birds
and
reptiles.
In
operation,
blow
guns
are
very
nearly
silent,
emitting
only
a
muffled
shush
sound
when
the
wielder
expels
their
breath
into
it.

However,
when
put
to
purposes
of
war
or
against
larger
game,
the
darts
fired
by
a
blowgun
are
quite
infamously
tipped
or
coated
with
toxic
compounds,
typically
attained
from
endemic
poisonous
or
venomous
wildlife
living
in
the
region.

Making
use
of
this
insidious
skill
set
yourself
may
or
may
not
be
viable
depending
on
the
resources
you
have
at
hand
and
how
much
call
you
have
for
that
kind
of
capability,
but
it
is
nice
to
know
that
it
can
be
done.

As
always,
if
you
bring
down
any
animal
using
poison
in
any
way
you
must
know
exactly
what
you
are
dealing
with
when
harvesting,
cleaning
and
then
preparing
the
animal
if
you
don’t
want
to
poison
yourself
and
anyone
else
who
partakes
of
the
animal’s
meat.

Spear

The
spear
is
yet
another
fundamental
battlefield
and
hunting
weapon,
one
that
has
been
with
mankind
pretty
much
since
the
beginning.

Long
called
the
king
of
battle
in
the
era
of
rank
and
file
close
combat,
the
spear
has
also
long
been
a
viable
hunting
weapon
capable
of
being
used
directly
or
thrown
to
bring
down
game
at
a
distance.

To
say
that
the
spear
is
little
more
than
a
blade
on
a
stick
is
not
an
insult
but
neither
is
it
inaccurate.

Although
either
component
can
be
as
refined
or
as
primitive
as
time,
resources
and
skill
allow
the
end
result
is
largely
the
same.
It
allows
the
user
better
reach
while
hopefully
staying
safe
from
a
counter-attack.

As
you
might
expect,
the
use
of
a
spear
generates
no
noise
on
its
own
unless
it
impacts
a
hard
surface
or
the
user
makes
noise
when
it
is
being
wielded
or
thrown.
A
throne
spear
especially
makes
nary
a
whisper
as
it
glides
through
the
air
before
hopefully
impaling
its
target.

You
might
not
believe
it,
but
spears
remain
surprisingly
popular
hunting
weapons
in
North
America,
Europe
and
throughout
the
rest
of
the
world
today,
and
not
just
in
use
by
primitive
peoples
and
low
technology
societies.

For
hunting
sturdy,
dangerous
game
in
dense
territory,
the
spear
has
much
to
commend
it
and
they
are
seen
increasingly
used
by
hunters
who
want
to
dispatch
wild
pigs.

Atlatl

The
atlatl
is
a
sort
of
spear
launching
weapon
used
in
Central
and
South
America
for
millennia
and
consists
of
a
nocked
or
semi
tubular
spear
holder
and
a
long,
slender
dart
that
looks
for
the
entire
world
like
a
miniature
spear.

In
use,
the
atlatl
relies
upon
mechanical
advantage
to
greatly
accelerate
and
hurl
a
dart
or
short
spear
with
far
more
power
and
could
be
generated
by
the
user
hurling
the
spear
out
of
hand
alone.

This
is
a
weapon
that
is
very
much
unknown
to
most
people
today,
although
it
is
still
entirely
viable
especially
because
it
is
an
easy
one
to
craft
with
a
little
practice
out
of
scavenged
or
natural
materials.

An
atlatl
with
a
bundle
of
spears
or
darts
could
prove
to
be
a
formidable
weapon
indeed
and
just
like
launching
a
spear
out
of
hand
generates
virtually
no
noise
until
the
spear
strikes
an
obstacle
or
the
wielder
generates
noise
in
the
process.

If
the
spear
alone
sounds
like
a
great
weapon
for
your
purposes,
consider
investing
the
time
and
energy
needed
to
develop
proficiency
with
the
atlatl
and
you’ll
be
able
to
dramatically
extend
your
range
and
striking
power
very
easily.

Bolas

The
bolas
is
a
weapon
consisting
of
two,
usually
three
or
sometimes
more
stones
or
weights
connected
by
some
sort
of
cordage
and
historically
have
been
intended
to
tangle
or
ensnare
a
target
to
bring
it
down
or
hinder
it
for
subsequent
dispatching.

Some
of
these
weapons
are
designed
to
kill
on
impact,
but
all
require
less
accuracy
than
traditional
throne
weapons
because
the
weights
revolve
around
each
other
in
flight,
increasing
the
beaten
zone
where
the
weapon
might
be
effective
upon
an
impact.

This
is
yet
another
weapon
that
is
entirely
silent
in
flight
until
it
impacts
and
considering
how
easy
they
are
to
create
and
easy
they
are
to
throw
this
is
definitely
a
weapon
that
every
prepper
will
want
in
their
arsenal.

The
bolas
can
serve
as
the
first
part
of
a
dedicated
one
two
punch
against
larger
game,
first
entangling
or
immobilizing
prior
to
the
hunter
closing
in
for
the
coup
de
grace.

Ultimately
it
can
be
utilized
as
a
primary
weapon
against
small
or
delicate
game
since
it
is
still
highly
likely
to
kill
on
impact.

You
can
create
your
own
version
of
this
weapon
utilizing
multiple
weights
that
are
roughly
the
same
size
and
heft.
You
might
consider
the
use
of
round
stones,
ball
bearings,
even
billiard
balls.

Lighter
objects
might
be
used
to
increase
range
if
the
bolas
is
made
larger
and
will
rely
on
tangling
the
limbs
of
the
target
animal
to
bring
them
down.

This
is
a
weapon
where
experimentation
is
key.
The
number
of
weights,
the
length
of
cordage
between
them
and
the
positioning
of
the
weights
in
the
hand
prior
to
release
all
affect
the
flight
characteristics
of
the
bolas
and
can
adapt
the
weapon
to
different
situations
somewhat.

Throwing
Club

The
throwing
club
is
another
weapon
with
global
provenance.
used
by
many
cultures
in
civilizations
around
the
world
in
one
form
or
another,
a
throwing
club
can
be
as
simple
as
a
hefty
stick
or
as
advanced
as
a
multi-part,
carefully
refined
and
crafted
club
capable
of
generating
substantial
power
on
impact.

As
you
were
probably
expecting,
a
throwing
club
is
another
weapon
that
is
silent
or
nearly
so
until
it
makes
impact,
but
it
will
raise
quite
a
racket
should
it
strike
a
hard
surface
like
a
tree,
rock
face
or
something
else.

Some
of
the
best
throwing
clubs
are
broader
and
heavier
on
one
side
to
maximize
impact
and
flight
characteristics
while
being
narrow
and
skinny
on
the
other
to
serve
as
a
functional
handle
and
provide
better
leverage
upon
release.

Still
other
specialized
throwing
clubs
can
increase
the
margin
of
success
in
a
manner
similar
to
a
bolas
above.

The
windmill
star
or
cross
boomerang
at
its
simplest
is
nothing
more
than
two
staves
connected
in
the
middle
and
forming
a
cross
with
members
of
equal
length.

Easily
thrown
via
any
one
of
these
arms,
the
rotational
force
stabilizes
the
flight
of
the
club,
increasing
its
range
while
also
providing
a
greater
surface
area
for
impact
and
a
higher
chance
of
success
owing
to
the
four
staves
protruding
from
the
central
axis.

Considering
that
a
usable
throwing
club
can
be
found
simply
lying
on
the
ground
and
later
improved
or
you
can
start
out
building
a
good
one
as
a
simple
fieldcraft
project,
this
is
another
good
silent
weapon
to
add
to
your
hunting
arsenal.

Net

Some
folks
might
not
consider
a
net
a
weapon,
but
considering
it
is
a
tool
designed
to
immobilize
and
allow
the
captured
quarry
to
be
subsequently
killed,
I
believe
it
definitely
warrants
inclusion
on
this
list.

Nets
have
been
used
for
ages
to
capture
prey
in
the
water,
what
we
typically
associate
them
with,
but
also
on
land.

Nets
may
be
dropped,
thrown
or
otherwise
launched
on
to
animals
in
order
to
foul
up
their
limbs
and
reduce
their
range
of
movement,
dramatically
reducing
the
chances
in
which
they
can
fight
back
or
attempt
escape.

However,
the
net
will
serve
as
a
minor
impediment
if
one
at
all
to
a
follow-up
strike
from
a
club,
spear,
bow
or
any
other
weapon.

In
use
today,
on
land
the
net
is
just
about
as
silent
as
it
gets,
and
there
have
been
more
than
one
or
two
crafty
hunters
who
waited
up
in
a
tree
or
on
a
high
perch
for
prey
to
wander
beneath
a
pre-emplaced
or
hand
casted
net
which
can
be
dropped
silently
onto
them.

Weaving
a
net
by
hand,
even
using
high
quality
cordage,
is
difficult
and
time
consuming
but
they
are
comparatively
lightweight
and
compact
when
premade
and
folded
up.

Traps

Traps
come
in
all
shapes,
sizes
and
forms,
and
can
range
from
the
bewilderingly
complex
to
the
sublimely
simple.
But
all
are
designed
to
capture
or
kill
prey
without
any
direct
action
by
the
trapper.

Traps
may
be
remotely
activated
or
victim
activated,
but
compared
to
firearms
traps
all
as
a
rule
are
pretty
quiet
in
operation.

An
errant
clang,
rattle
or
commotion
is
likely
all
that
will
come
out
of
a
trap
that
has
been
sprung,
except
of
course
the
cries
of
pain
and
anguish
coming
from
your
wounded
or
cornered
quarry.

The
trap
makers
art
is
a
complex
one
that
could
command
several
articles
all
on
its
own,
but
suffice
it
to
say
for
now
that
most
traps
are
designed
around
the
prey
that
you
want
to
catch
and
the
environment
that
you
find
them,
and
yourself,
in.
you
might
say
that
there
is
a
shoe
for
every
foot,
and
there
is
also
a
trap
for
every
animal.

Compared
to
the
other
weapons
on
this
list,
traps
are
the
most
complex
to
employ
successfully
but
have
the
advantage
of
being
ready
and
able
to
work
on
your
behalf
even
when
you
are
not
around,
and
the
smart
trapper
will
set
up
a
field
or
patch
of
traps
to
cover
multiple
approaches
and
contingencies.

Used
in
this
way,
these
sneaky
tools
can
bag
game
with
very
little
noise
and
fanfare
and
even
less
work
on
your
part.

Which
One
Do
You
Choose?

The
stereotypical
image
of
hunting
today
involves
shooting
an
animal
with
a
gun
of
some
kind,
but
the
noise
generated
by
the
report
of
a
firearm,
even
a
suppressed
one,
could
prove
to
be
a
severe
liability
in
the
short
or
the
long
term
in
a
survival
situation.

The
stress
and
pressure
this
will
put
on
remaining
animals
is
likely
to
see
them
flee
towards
quieter
and
safer
areas
whereas
the
noise
will
signal
to
everyone
far
and
wide
that
another
human
is
in
the
area
and
is
similarly
armed.

Equipping
yourself
with
an
alternate,
silent
or
quiet
option
for
hunting
is
a
great
way
to
reduce
your
overall
signature
and
keep
your
presence
a
secret.