A young Hmong hunter with home-made 'flintlock' gun.

These hunting weapons are a common sight throughout the mountainous areas of Vietnam, although sometimes (apparently) it's an AK47.

I had a chance to use one when we met a hunter along the way, and quickly realised what a hit-and-miss affair hunting must be with these weapons: it was only on the third attempt that the gun fired, leaving me with powder burns on my face, and ringing ears. Any self-respecting (and not deaf) animal would have been long gone.