While very few people actually die of starvation out in the wilderness, loss of energy from an empty stomach can quickly make other methods of death much more likely. To alleviate this hunger, try out the split tip gig at the nearest water hole. Learn how to make it below.

One of the best primitive-made multi-use small game hunting tools is what’s known as a split tip gig. Split tip gigs are still used in remote parts of the world to put food on the table every day. They are easy to make with limited tools and very effective at up-close and short-range distances.

How to Make a Primitive Split Tip Small Game Gig

You want to start with a green sapling (small tree) that’s about 1-1.5 inches in diameter and 6-8 feet long. Bamboo makes an exceptional split tip gig, but most of us don’t have access to it. I like to use willow. Willow is very common in places where you’ll get the most use out of a gig like this – near water.

Next, you’ll want to trim away all of the branches and chop off the top where it starts to taper to smaller than 1 inch in diameter.

The business end of the gig is made from the bottom of the sapling (the fatter end). You’ll start by holding your knife or sharp rock directly across the bottom of the sapling. It must be as perfectly aligned in the center as you can get. Drive your knife down the sapling about 10 inches or so using a stout stick or rock. I prefer a stick so as to not damage my knife. It’s important to split the gig shaft directly in half.
Now, rotate the sapling 90 degrees and baton again. This will split the base of your gig into four equal quarters about 10 inches deep.

From the branches you trimmed off in the previous steps, cut two pieces of branch that are about the diameter of a pencil and two inches long.

One at a time, push these down into the splits you just made.
This spreads the tines of your split tip gig. You can now see the gig starting to take shape. Your gig tines should have about a 4-6 inch diameter spread. The benefit of a gig like this versus just one sharp tip is that it increases surface area; improving your chances of a successful strike. The tines also form wedges that help to trap and pin potential prey.

Now it’s time to sharpen your tine tips to a sharp point.

If you only plan on using the gig a few times, lashings aren’t necessary. However, lashing the base of the splits makes the gig more durable and prevents it from splitting out.

Tips for Hunting with a Gig

Survivors are opportunists. Split tip gigs are perfect weapons of opportunity. Whether happening upon a quail hidden in a tuft of grass or spotting a frog on the bank of a muddy swamp, a gig is easy to use and quick to deploy. Gigging can also be a waiting man’s game. Either way, it’s a tool that works well as one goes about daily survival chores or while actively hunting and gathering. It can also be used as a self-defense weapon, hiking staff, and cooking skewer.

Gigs are most effective for game in and around water. Fish and frogs are primary targets. The American bullfrog is nocturnal and comes out at night during the spring and summer months. Shining a light into the eyes will prevent them from seeing you approach. Frog legs are nutritious, hearty, and an ideal survival food. Primitive tribes all over the world have used versions of the split tip gig for many thousands of years to put food on the table. From freshwater trout and salmon to sea urchins and coconut crabs, the split tip gig is one of the best marine hunting tools available.

This method of fishing has been around for thousands of years and is still in use in a great many places in the world. Why? Because it works! The large surface area of the prongs helps make up for the refraction that occurs when light hits the water, making capturing your prey a much less daunting prospect.

Still, practice makes perfect, and you may need some patience to get this method of fishing to work well for you. Keep at it, but make sure you aren't spending more energy than you'll be gaining from the fish!

For more projects and builds like this one, check out the original article at Art of Manliness.

Featured Image via Art of Manliness / Creek Stewart