Short shaft

[Geoff]

Hi everyone, Here's a spear "Bolt", that I made for my converted "Band" gun. (See my photo's, under "Conversion to band gun"). I made this, because when I was last out hunting, I came across a big "Moray". Now, when I say big, I mean "HUGE"!. This son of a bitch, had a head as big as an Orange!. It was just sitting there, looking straight at me, bareing it's teeth at me, thinking, "You make the wrong move son, & I'll take a "Chunk" out of you". I really was tempted to shoot it, but I've heard that these "Monster's" are dangerous!, if you miss a "Head Shot", or only slightly injure it, it may well attack you, (only fair, I suppose) & there "Bite" is poisonous!. So, as I was using only a 6.5mm shaft, I didn't want to risk it, no real punch, you see, & they are so incredibly tough!. So, I let it sleek off. When I got back, I made this!. It's 8mm X 174mm Long. Next time I see anything as "Big", I'll load this baby, & blow it's frigging head off!. Keep safe, Geoff. PS: I only ever shoot, what I intend to eat.

 

[blaiz]

Dont know if they are the same moray eels we have in Hawaii but I dont see much sense in killing them. We have a bunch of different species here and the biggest of them can get up to and over 150lbs. Imagine sticking your head in a cave and seeing a head the size of a volleyball with two beady little eyes! Enough to make you have to wash you wetsuit. But that being said they are just doing what nature intended. Unless you really plan on cleaning them and eating them, dont think they are great for eating, I dont see any need to kill them..?..

They also look a lot scarier than they are. the whole barred teeth, mouth moving thing is just the way they breath. they dont have gill flaps so they have to pump water in and out of their bodies through their mouths in order to breath.

Ive been surprised by many large eels but Ive never been bothered by one or threatened by one. I could see if you were wearing a belt kui (stringer) or grabbing a dead fish out of a hole that could be a problem. Just be weary not to stick your extremities where you cant see them.

Just my two cents

 

[willloomy]

I agree i see no reason to kill such an amassing example of life. I cant think of a reason to shoot one at all the only time anyone i know has been bitten has been stiking hands into holes without cheeking whats in them. my friend tried to eat one and said he just felt bad for killing it because it went to waste (tastes awful) in short don't kill them. also I've been bitten a few times and they are not poisin.
Cool build though dont know how accurate it will be though.

 

[Geoff]

Hi blaiz, hi willoomy. Well, I can assure you both, that the specie's of Moray Ell that live here, in Spain, taste, "Delicious". I have shot, & eaten just one, after asking at the fish market if they were good to eat. They told me "Yes" but to be careful, because if I was bitten, I would need to get a "Jab" at the hospital, as there blood, & saliva are poisonous, but is rendered "safe", after Cooking. I can also assure you that, as I said, I only kill what I intend to eat. These creature's are awesome! I respect them, but they are a source of "Food", after all. Thanks for the explanation for the "teeth baring". 150 Kg!, I wouldn't mess with that, not without a "Bazooka", anyway. About accuracy, this "Bolt" would only be used at very close rang, no more than half a Mtr, or so. Thanks for you responce, ...Geoff.

 

[blaiz]

a wee bit of a clerical misunderstanding there..... 150lbs (pounds) not kilograms.... :blackeye

Thats good to hear. I dont think the ones we have here are any good to eat. We do have a speciese of conger eel here that is supposed to be pretty good. Ive only used it for fishing bait and it smells of all things awful so I dont think I will be eating it anytime soon.

Let us know how the hunt goes.
:friday

 

[Geoff]

Hi blaiz, 150 lb's that's better!, though I still would'nt chance it. I will post result's, good or bad.

 

[pvilela]

morays are good to be eaten and aren´t poison, the problem is that they have some bacterias on the teeth , and that is the reason of poisoning dome injuries
in Portugal the typical way is to dry the meat in the air , and after some drying days we slice it and fry it
is good , but is becoming less and less commom to eat it

 

[spaghetti]

Our Murena Haelena are different from tropical moray eels: ours are good to eat (deep fried, stewed or even grilled).

Geoff I understand that a big one may look scary, but they're not agrressive. It wasn't tickling the teeth at you: they almost always look like they're showing the teeth, but it's not an aggressive behaviour. I'ts just the way they act.

My advise: don't shoot it with a single tip flopper shaft. Shoot it only with a trident or 5 pronger, one inch behind the eyes, from a side or from above. It must be a paralyzing shot (and only a trident or 5 pronger in the neck can give a paralyzing effect on them), otherwise you actually risk to experience their bite. Normally they don't attack you, but of course if you wound them they'll react very violently. This is why you need a paralyzing shot.

Your bolt looks like a good idea (sort of slip tip) but I don't think it's the best option for moray eels: after you shoot them you must hold them firmly so that they can't make any move.

Use a 5 pronger, not a single tip flopper spear. With a normal flopper spear you may obtain a paralyzing shot ONLY if you shoot straight into their mouth. But it's a difficult shot: if you miss it's a mess.

 

[Bill McIntyre]

Use a 5 pronger, not a single tip flopper spear. With a normal flopper spear you may obtain a paralyzing shot ONLY if you shoot straight into their mouth. But it's a difficult shot: if you miss it's a mess.

I'm not proud of it, but I shot a big one in Hawaii in 1961, and I gave a lot of thought to the way I did it. I used a gun with an enclosed muzzle and a double barbed shaft. When I took the shot, I made sure that there was reef right behind the head of the eel so that the shaft would be stopped. Then I grabbed the shaft and pulled the head back against the muzzle of the gun so that it couldn't come around to bite me.

As long as I'm confessing shooting one, I might as well tell the entire story. I was a Marine Second Lieutenant living in the bachelor officer's quarters, and there was another Lieutenant in my unit who was from Brooklyn, New York. This guy missed the concrete jungle, and was afraid of going to the field because of shakes, even though they don't have snakes in Hawaii.

So I brought this eel back to the BOQ, went into his room and coiled it on the floor of his shower stall with the head propped up on something.

Unfortunately, I was on the other side of the island when he pulled back that shower curtain, but I understand that everyone on his side heard the scream.

 

[Geoff]

Hi all, My thinking behind the "Bolt" was that if I shot it in it's head, it would "blow it's brain's out"!, but I don't know how accurate I would have to be, (do they have small brain's ?) The 5 pronger, sound's like it would sever it's spine, so that might work better. I have to admit, that I'm a bit apprehensive of them, they do look so frigging awesome! but they are so "tasty"!. Sound's as though the guy in the shower had a Heart Attack!.

 

[willloomy]

sorry about the misunderstanding
i'm interested to see how it works. but what if you don't kill it i would want a little distance between me and a big eel i've been bitten by a small one and it sucks. my friend got bitten by one in his hand. he needed 53 stiches and still has a bit of loss of feeling in his fingers

my freind who shot one said it was almost impossible to kill it. they took is on the land and stabed it about ten times in the head and it never died they finally knocked it out with a big stick

 

[willloomy]

Hi blaiz, 150 lb's that's better!, though I still would'nt chance it. I will post result's, good or bad.

neither would i

Hawaii State Records - Detail

 

[Geoff]

53 stiches!, Christ, he must have nearly lost his hand!. Have you seen the vid on the guy that had his thumb bitten clean off, by a "Moray"?. Really interesting, as he had it replaced by his toe.

 

[willloomy]

yeah i saw that one pretty crazy my friend had stitches down his thumb up his pointer down the pointer and up the middle finger. the toe replace thing is pretty amazing