Many people have asked if we carry poison to be used with the darts we sell. So as not to get caught up in any legal issues regarding poison and the possibility of you being poisoned when using poison, we do not and will not carry poison of any type. However, due to the large request for poison for darts, I thought it might be helpful to write something about it for those of you with an interest in it.

In researching some information on this subject, I've compiled a number of interesting pieces taken from various articles. We hope you find this information useful.

Traditional blowgun poisons are all based on some form of strychnine. In some countries, curare, prepared from the wourali vine, is the poison of choice. The sap from this plant is boiled until it becomes thick and gluey. Most recipes also include exotic ingredients such as red and black ants, snake venom, and magical herbs. This does not do a thing for increasing the deadliness of the basic poison though. Curare kills by paralytic effects, arresting the motor nerves and literally relaxing the victim to death. Strychnine poisons produce symptoms of stiffening and convulsions. Curare is only toxic if it enters the bloodstream. This is beneficial in that the meat of the animal killed by the curare-coated dart can be eaten without fear. If you are using other poisons, the flesh in the area hit by the dart must be cut away immediately to prevent the spread of the poison through the meat. Curare is not for sale to the general public.

There has been documentation that a steel dart coated with curare shot from a blowgun, killed a deer when shot at 20 yards. This was a special case and not likely to be duplicated by the average blowgun hunter. The question you are probably asking yourself now is, “What poison can I use or how can I obtain some?” There are literally thousands of traditional poisons that can be used. Most of the substances surrounding us everyday are toxic. What we don’t stop to think about are the effects they might have if administered directly into the bloodstream. The list of toxic substances that are readily available over the counter is nearly endless. Some of the most obvious ones are rat poisons, many of which contain strychnine and cyanide. Many of the warning labels on most products identify them clearly as dangerous substances of potential interest to the blowgun hunter.

Once you’ve identified a poisonous substance, all you have to do is put it in a form that is easily delivered by a dart. There is a very interesting book out called the Poisoner’s Handbook, by Maxwell Hutchkinson, published by Lompanics Unlimited that makes for some very good reading.

CAUTION: If you should decide to experiment with poisonous darts, take extreme caution as not to prick yourself or use poison in or around the mouthpiece. Make sure that you clean the mouthpiece with warm, soapy water to get rid of any poison residue.

We have a very informative 81 page book about blowguns. This book contains a great deal of information on the blowgun. This book is available for sale at special request. Please ask your Blowguns Northwest Representative when placing your order.