The use of Weapons One obvious way of killing or injuring animals is by using weapons to do so. The most common weapon used by Aborigines in the past were spears, clubs and boomerangs, but other types of weapons were also used. For instance, birds were often knocked down with expertly thrown stones. These weapons are often replaced by rifles and shot guns in more recent times. The use of Fire and Poison Another way of immobilising animals is to suffocate or poison them.
Smoke is used to suffocate wombats in their burrows and possums in their hollows.
Fires are also lit under trees at night to suffocate roosting birds with the smoke. Poisons were once widely used by Aboriginal peole to catch fish. These poisons came from certain parts of plants which were placed in the water to kill the fish or bring them to the surface. The third most common method of immobilising animals is to use devices that hold them in place. Some Aborigines use hooks for catching fish.