Site Selection - Directional Reminders

My son and I are working the AT this summer. We're typically pretty spent by the end of the day, but still do our best to focus during site selection. Here are shots from a few days back at Ten Mile River lean-to as gentle directional reminders for your site selection: 1) look up for widow makers, and 2) look down/sideways for critters. Fail on the latter! :eek: :blush:

Enjoy,
Dirk

http://techsteward.com/at/P1000282.jpg
http://techsteward.com/at/P1000283-annotated.jpg
http://techsteward.com/at/P1000281.jpg

Nice camp set-up. I can't tell what animal that is. I'm reading this off my iPhone, while laying in my hammock. I'm waiting for my buddy to wake up. Guess he likes his first night in his hammock since he is still asleep!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bat

I can't tell what animal that is.

---

I'm guessing hornet's nest from the look of it.:scared:

Sure looks like a hornet's nest to me. Hope you had a peaceful night....

Great looking site ... I see why the hornet's picked it to hang! ;)

Yikes!!!!!!!!

Oops! That sure was a tactical error however it was a nice looking site otherwise.

I''l ask - what is the red circle in the second picture indicating?

Doesn't look like it is circling the hornet nest.

You must have a lot of faith in your bug net :D

The tree circled in red is the one with the hornet's nest.

takes out the epi pen:scared::scared: that would have been a no-no for me....

Actually my experience is that if you don't disturb them they won't get aggressive, but if they do, watch out. They are nasty. They often hang on limbs that hang out over the river. Along with spiders they provide yet another reason not to crash your canoe into overhanging limbs and brush. :scared:

They hate chainsaws. Ask me how I know.

Good cautionary reminder for us all! On one trip, my friend found a good spot, set up camp the hammock and after others had tried it, went to sit in it and KABLAM! A branch from the tree he was attached to came falling down on him. Turns out just because you see green up above you, doesn't mean the green is from the tree you are attached to! It was a "nice" reminder for us all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by oldgringo

They hate chainsaws. Ask me how I know.

---

They also hate people using hammers on shingles of the roof when they nest under the soffit. Ask me as well!!:scared: Going down a ladder two rungs at a time with your head covered with the beasts is no fun at all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by canoebie

Going down a ladder two rungs at a time with your head covered with the beasts is no fun at all.

---

EEEEEEEE!
(runs away screaming and waving...)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KerMegan

EEEEEEEE!
(runs away screaming and waving...)

---

Beats jumping to a 30 foot sudden stop!:scared:

Eternal truth.

They hate me period.

We camped at Stone Mountain last year and there was a huge nest about 100 feet away from us. They never bothered us at all.

In some (red neck) homes they are shellacked & hung as decorations. The optimal time is when the hive is abandoned, often at the end of the year when it gets cold. Sadly, I is a red neck, at least by heritage (yes, I laugh at Foxworthy, cause I know these people, they is my family).
Anyway: uncle decided to "harvest" an abandoned nest after the first cold snap. Brought it in the house, went to get / mix the shellac leaving it set on his workbench (the kitchen table), in the half hour it took him to get stuff together, the not-dead-just-dormant wasps woke up & decided summer was back lets go a gathering. Then my uncle began to paint the shellac on the nest, moving it around to get all the spots. Oddly enough, the wasps did not much like this & showed my uncle their displeasure at his paint job. :scared:
I wasn't there, but the description / mental image of my very macho uncle running around the kitchen screaming like a little girl is etched into my mind. 10 year old's are so impressionable. My cousin (3 months older than I) told me the story the next day. I'm not sure, but I think uncle Bob grounded cousin for letting that little secret out.

If mine isn't shellacked dose that still make me a redneck:). I have one at the bottom of steps turning into the den room. Newcomers always give a whoa as they turn the corner and its in their face. If you find one you want I'll give ya a hint. GENTLY cover the nest with a clear bag at night. Make sure ends are sealed good. GENTLY cut off limb. Pinch hornets or yellow jacket with gloves. The bigger the nest and the later in the year the meaner they get. I usually leave them be but sometimes they just have to go. I get a can of woop a$$ put on me by a nest or two a year on my property that I don't see till its too late. Locals around here say the higher off the ground they are the harder the winter will be. Lore would say the area you hung at should have a mild winter.