How would you equip a dinosaur poacher? - Page 3

Polydamas · 06-10-2015, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony

Based on the evidence of elephants, an M16 or AK-47 would work fine but might not give as pretty a trophy as you'd want.

de Camp wrote before the flood of Eastern European arms into Africa and when it was assumed that dinosaurs had the vitality of modern reptiles (and he set things up so that saving weight was a concern), but with the hot blood/cold blood debate I am not sure what modern paleontologists think. It would be good to know how they put down komodo dragons: one big shot or a lot of little holes?

Poachers might find that buying a cheap automatic rifle was less conspicuous than buying an elephant gun.

Anthony · 06-10-2015, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polydamas

It would be good to know how they put down komodo dragons: one big shot or a lot of little holes?

Most probably, they use whatever gun is at hand. A komodo dragon is comparable in weight to a human, and is presumably vulnerable to the same things.

Polydamas · 06-10-2015, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony

Most probably, they use whatever gun is at hand. A komodo dragon is comparable in weight to a human, and is presumably vulnerable to the same things.

I don't think that follows between biological classes at all.

Anthony · 06-10-2015, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polydamas

I don't think that follows between biological classes at all.

Bone and muscle are bone and muscle. It's typically a lot harder to shoot the brain of a reptile, since it's much smaller, and the mechanics of going into shock might be extremely different, but gross tissue damage just won't vary that much.

DangerousThing · 06-10-2015, 05:13 AM

How are TL 8 people going to run into dinosaurs? This matters because you asked about poaching, which is illegal hunting.

What form do you need the body in? Are you only looking for one particular body part, for example rhino horn for "medicinal" purposes? Do you need to sneak an entire body out?

And how do you conceal your operation from the government?

As others have pointed out, hunting a dinosaur is probably easy, but watch out for the scavengers and even the equivalent of body lice and fleas.

Anders · 06-10-2015, 06:28 AM

Let's narrow it doen. We're hunting Triceratopses for the horns. They make men mighty! They can be up to three feet long, so any Holdout thing that works for elephant tusks should work for this.

benz72 · 06-10-2015, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anders

What would be good equipment for a TL8 party out to hunt the really big game - brachiosaurs?

I'd start with a time machine.

More seriously, I'd want to know what my goal was. Am I trying to clear an area of predators to establish a village? Am I hunting for meat? Am I looking to capture one for a breeding program? Do I need something to accent my enormous foyer?

Those various goals will provide very different answers to the question about gear.

Fred Brackin · 06-10-2015, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polydamas

), but with the hot blood/cold blood debate .

Ignore the "hot blood/cold blood debate". The cold blood side doesn't have a leg to stand on. Mostly because dinosaurs have legs like mammals or terrestrial birds rather than lizards

A critter that runs like an ostrich needs a metabolism like an 0ostrich and a creature that spends all day on its' feet eating trees like an elephant needs a metabolism like an elephant. A creature that spends most of its' day flopped on its' belly like a reptile doing nothing is the candidate for a reptile metabolism.

What the cold blood argument actually stands on is conservatism and a simplistic "dinosaurs are like reptiles" argument. It's really only dinosaur skulls that are like reptile skulls.

Kalzazz · 06-10-2015, 07:34 AM

Given that a triceratops is in the same weight class as an African elephant, the same techniques will work fine

Fred Brackin · 06-10-2015, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Given that a triceratops is in the same weight class as an African elephant, the same techniques will work fine

In a very general sense, yes but the best aiming point for an elephant is a side shot using the upper ear as a marker for the brain. You probably can't do that with a triceratops.

Frontal head shots at an elephant are actually quite hard and they might be even worse with a triceratops.

06-10-2015, 05:13 AM	#25
DangerousThing Join Date: Mar 2013	Re: How would you equip a dinosaur poacher? How are TL 8 people going to run into dinosaurs? This matters because you asked about poaching, which is illegal hunting. What form do you need the body in? Are you only looking for one particular body part, for example rhino horn for "medicinal" purposes? Do you need to sneak an entire body out? And how do you conceal your operation from the government? As others have pointed out, hunting a dinosaur is probably easy, but watch out for the scavengers and even the equivalent of body lice and fleas. __________________ A little learning is a dangerous thing. Warning: Invertebrate Punnster - Spinelessly Unable to Resist a Pun Dangerous Thoughts, my blog about GURPS and life.

06-10-2015, 06:28 AM	#26
Anders Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden	Re: How would you equip a dinosaur poacher? Let's narrow it doen. We're hunting Triceratopses for the horns. They make men mighty! They can be up to three feet long, so any Holdout thing that works for elephant tusks should work for this. __________________ “When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius

06-10-2015, 07:34 AM	#29
Kalzazz Join Date: Feb 2009	Re: How would you equip a dinosaur poacher? Given that a triceratops is in the same weight class as an African elephant, the same techniques will work fine