Five years ago, an article entitled "Primitive Man" appeared in the pages of THE POST.
The article was about Kris Tuomala, a young man from the Splitlog area in McDonald County who was very interested in primitive weapons. He was especially interested in an ancient weapon which is called an "atlatl."
This weapon, used by very early man, is a device which allows a man to throw a spear with more power and thrust.
Kris Tuomala took such an interest in the weapon that he wrote a book explaining how to make and use it.
In that 2005 article, written by Russell Hively, Tuomala told how he had learned to hunt with his dad.
Then, while in junior high school in Goodman, he found "My Side of the Mountain," a book by Jean Craighead George. Young Tuomala was taken with that book and dreamed of running away and having a wilderness experience as the boy in the story had done.
Years later, Kris Tuomala learned about a primitive weapon, the atlatl, and became as devoted to it as he was to the book he had read many years ago. Soon he became known for his knowledge and expertise with the weapon. He was asked to write articles and give demonstrations and classes on the atlatl and on his knowledge about using darts as a weapon.
As his knowledge and respect for the weapon increased, Kris dreamed of the day when the atlatl would be accepted as a suitable weapon for hunting in Missouri.
The POST article, published on September 7, 2005, ended with these lines:
If things go as Tuomala and the national atlatl organization would like, soon you will see men and women carrying what looks like sticks and spears into the fields during deer season. If this does occur, Kris Tuomala will be right there with his atlatl and darts—hunting like the primitive men he read about as a kid.
And now a dream has come true.
The 2010 regulations for deer hunting in Missouri reads, in part, "To provide more hunting opportunities, the Conservation Department now allows hunters to use the atlatl to take deer during all portions of the firearms season except the muzzleloader portion. This historic method has been used to take small game and nongame fish in Missouri since 2007. By adding deer to the list of species that can be taken by atlatl, Missouri hunters who enjoy primitive hunting methods will have an additional way to enjoy the outdoors."
But Kris Tuomala died on January 13, 2008. He will not be going into the fields this deer season with his atlatl. There's no doubt, however, that his many outdoor and hunting friends will know, when they read their deer hunting regulations this year, that a fine young man opened a new door for deer hunters. No doubt, as they sit quietly in their deer stands waiting and watching, many will remember Kris Tuomala—a special person who was proud to be called "Primitive Man."
