I've always found I'm pretty good at stupid, so I figured I orta ask before I do this...

I saw a hornet's nest the other day while I was hunting, am thinking about going back to get it so's I can use the nesting.

I know I'll need to wait until late winter, but is there anything special I need to know before I light into this thing?

Spot

Spot!! According to National Audubon Society Field Guide to N American Insects and Spiders.The young mated females overwinter in leaf litter, old queens,workers and larvae die. I have lots of them around the house and have taken them to school without problem.ADVICE!!!!Look then nest over real close if there are no wasp flying in or out you MIGHT be ok.I was told they are drawn to your breath,that is why you get stung in the face more often than not.The other SPECIAL thing is,They sting!!!!!!!!over and over and..........unlike bees the wasp doesnt lose the stinger he's like that bunnie,just keeps on going and going.See your not as you put it Good at Stupid your a type 3 learner like me,Type 1 are the show learners,type 2 are the tell learners, type 3 are the I have to experiance it to understand it.I am the one jumping up and down shaking my hand with tears in my eyes by the sign that reads HOT!!!! DO NOT TOUCH!!!!!! HAW HAW See you up the trail.

I think it worth considering that when you thaw it out, any hornets left hiding dormant in there will be thankful for the warmth of your home and reward you by flying out to say howdy. I once gathered up big nest, but put it straight into a heavy duty plastic garbage bag, and then "raided" it with wasp spray like crazy and sealed it up for awhile just to be safe.Im just a fraidy cat I suppose, but I never got swarmed....that time...but thats another story.

Always thought Id use the paper for traditional wadding in a trade gun, but I never really did.
T.Albert

It has always worked fine in my .62 fowler. The smoke stinks a tad-bit, though. Shucks, the squrls can get used to that! Here's another thing I've done lots of times---use leaves. Limb bacon will still hit the ground with a plop. I've never been able to tell the difference in hunting situations between leaves and the finest storebought wadding. As for trying them all on a patterning board I never have. Don't see any reason to as long as game tumbles when Ol' She Dog goes "boom!"

Reg'lar wasp nest works just as well as hornet's, by the way.

Fiddlesticks

quote:

Originally posted by T.Albert:
I think it worth considering that when you thaw it out, any hornets left hiding dormant in there will be thankful for the warmth of your home and reward you by flying out to say howdy.

Oh yeah, there's that...

Wadding is what I want the nesting for, always wanted to try that. I never thought about using regular wasp nest, guess I'll need to try that too. I've never used leaves before, was always afeared'a startin' a fire - done that with paper once't but was able ta stomp it out.

Gosh these guns is fun

Spot

That is what most use up around Great Lakes regionin smooth bores. Dry leaves,grass and hornet nest are traditional! One thing about leaves, you can use green or dry but if useing green leaves make sure you do not leave them over night for they are green and have moisture in them and could damp your powder and such. As for starting fires with the spent wadding material,One must use common sense and not be in the dry dry dry woods or gass even with cloth waddding and dicharging a flint lock. Not to big of a fire hazard in normal conditions in the field. So go ahead and try traditional wadding. As for pattering I concure with Fiddle sticks. If it does the job stick to it and if it don't work or do not like the outcome, you can always go back to your modern stuff and guns.
LRN

Hi there L.R.,
I usually use an over-powder card, 1/2" felt cushion wad, shot, overshot card. That has worked well for me in my fowler, but I do enjoy trying new (old) things. That's what makes this sport so interesting, after all.
Have to say, though, I'm pretty particular about what I shoot at critters with - maybe overly so. I don't take to the woods with anything I haven't shot at home - not suggesting that anyone else does, either - I just want to try some of these things out at home (leaves & such) before I do it in the field.
Spot

One thing you can do is put a garbage bag over the nest and then (and your wife will always love this part) put it in your freezer overnight or a day or two to be safe and theyll freeze up. I know one time i pulled a nest in the fall and a hornet never made a sound i put the nest behind the seat of my truck. just so happened the next day on the way to the hospital with my pregnant wife i looked over to see a swarm of hornets starting to crawl over the front seat of my truck! I unlike my wife calmly pulled over and commenced to swatting the 5 or 6 hornets i saw and killed 2 more by stomping them out on the way to the hospital.Mad hornets and pregnant wives mad as a hornet and sober driving dont mix.also i sprayed a ton of raid into a hornets nest that i caught in a garbage bag one time but that got on the nest and soaked some of it and ruined a portion of the nest ,so be careful when you do it that way to avoid damaging your nest.
RegularJoe

t. albert,could not agree with you more have done the same and always worked well,good season to ya!!!!!!!!!

I have a hornets nest that I got many years ago,suppose I should give it a try in my trade gun.

I've found that the red leaves of the sugar maple pattern the best! If your having trouble with fouling build up,use slippery elm leaves!