Although many people appreciate wildlife and in fact, encourage it in many regions, there are areas where certain animals can be considered nuisance.  They could be harming vegetation, destroying property, threatening pets and/or livestock or are simply overrunning your area.  In these cases, controlling wildlife might be required, usually with the use of blow guns.  But how effective are these weapons and are they safe for use?

What is a blow gun?
A blow gun is a weapon made from a long but narrow tube.  It is loaded with darts, pellets or light projectiles and is fired by blowing through one end.  It’s a very simple tool and may often be fashioned from available materials, although there are many models that are manufactured professionally.

The blow gun actually has a long history.  The first blow guns appeared in the regions of Southeast Asia and South America, where many tribes used them efficiently, primarily to hunt.  Blow guns were also used as assault weapons, employed for self-defense or for attacks.

Today, blow guns are still being used, often for hunting, wildlife control and for sport.

Uses of blow guns
Blow guns are widely utilized for wildlife control.  Propulsions are usually sufficient to hit a target from several feet away.  Most of the time, harmless plastic pellets are used to stun and scare away wildlife and discourage them from entering or grazing a specific area.  Used in this manner, blowguns can effectively control wildlife without killing, maiming or physically harming them.

Blow guns can also be deadly to wildlife.  Used with poisoned darts, they can hurt or even kill.  In some cases, though, you can choose to simply stun or use tranquilizer darts in order to stop an animal and allow you to transfer it to a safer place.

Legal issues
There are certain countries where the use of the blow gun is either regulated or restricted.  In the U.S., however, blow guns are considered legal, which means you could own one, keep it or use it.  In Canada, blow guns are considered as ‘prohibited weapons’.

There are also certain restrictions in place when using blow guns to control wildlife.  It’s important to try to determine the type of wildlife you want to drive away.  If the animal is a protected specie or worse, endangered, you will be violating certain environmental conservation laws and could be fined or prosecuted for it.

When using blow guns to control wildlife, be aware of any possibilities that protected or endangered wildlife may be present.  Some regions may also even require a license, such as an NWCO or nuisance wildlife control license.

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