and then I had this idea...

BobW · August 13, 2009, 09:24:00 AM

better you than me - I'm alergic....

Stinger · August 13, 2009, 09:29:00 AM

Be careful about wandering around any of the ranges on Quantico (which is pretty much all of the woods there) with a bow in hand without going to range control first. Also you should stop by the game warden hut and talk with them. As innocent as what you are doing, if you get caught out there you can get in real trouble.

John Krause · August 13, 2009, 09:54:00 AM

hehehehe.....

Everyone has a good bee story just like everyone has a good rat story

Nice visual image

time for some counter surveillance on 'em

George D. Stout · August 13, 2009, 10:15:00 AM

Bees are part of growing-up. Anyone who lived in or near the woods has bee stories to tell.

As Killy said, the white faced hornets were more interested in flies than us, and my dad taught us to respect them; peaceful coexistence. I had one take a fly off my arm once...amazing.
Now Yellow Jackets, that's a whole nother' story.

amicus · August 13, 2009, 10:17:00 AM

Those are great story's. Thanks guys. I really enjoyed them.

Have a great day

Gilbert

Blasterjdh · August 13, 2009, 10:24:00 AM

I really enjoyed the stories - Thanks Folks

Brad_Gentry · August 13, 2009, 10:25:00 AM

Waders on your arms... I bet those Marines at the base would be proud of you ability to "adapt and overcome"! Try not to get yourself killed out there, we got some serious hunting to do when you get back.

NorthernCaliforniaHunter · August 13, 2009, 10:51:00 AM

Dang! There's coffee on my keyboard!

I'd bet my last dollar you found yourself a yellow jacket nest. My worst woodland adventure EVER involved a nest of those little buggers. I seriously feel your pain. Get a meat tenderizer (like papaya enzyme) and sprinkle it on the sting site. That should help.

SELFBOW19953 · August 13, 2009, 10:58:00 AM

Quantico, shades, stocking cap, waders, and a bow. Sure sounds like "up against the wall and spread'em" time to me!!! What Stinger said!!! In these times, that's an invitation for big trouble.

Back when I was in the Air Force and stationed in Thailand (1972-74), I took a picture of camo'd, unmarked C-130, from the front, with the ramp in the back down. I walked about 50 feet and had the pleasure of hearing "up against the wall and spread'em". It's no fun looking down the bore of several M-16s. Seems the plane belonged to some company, Air America, I think it was. And would you believe, they wanted my film? Was very careful what I photographed after that.

Whip · August 13, 2009, 11:22:00 AM

You're a brave, brave man Todd!

There are a few other adjectives that come to mind as well, but I'll just leave it at brave! :p

Dustin Waters · August 13, 2009, 11:44:00 AM

I was building a deck off the back of my house last fall. During the staging process of putting out the lines and marking post locations, I sunk an old arrow in one of their nests and kept walking. The guy that was tying the lines to the arrows walked right into a pissed off cloud of them. He got stung five times in about ten seconds and we called it a day until I could find something to kill them. He got home and got stung three more times by them as they had clung to his clothes and rode home with him. Relentless is the only word to describe them

straitera · August 13, 2009, 11:52:00 AM

When a yellow jacket stung the back of my thumb, the swelling didn't stop as I watched & felt it crawl up my arm from the inside like a herd of ants. In one hour it swelled like a cartoon up to my neck. Kept epinephrine around till they discontinued it. Any ideas appreciated. Good post. Funny unless you're allergic.

todd secker · August 13, 2009, 12:36:00 PM

Great stories guys. At least I know I am in good company here. Turns out there were a couple of more stings than I realized, but live I will to shoot again and do more stupid things, so stay tuned. I will be out here three more weeks....

Killdeer · August 13, 2009, 02:48:00 PM

Guess what I found last week!

Nymphal ticks.
Just something else to look forward to, Todd.
Killdeer

John Krause · August 13, 2009, 03:10:00 PM

You gonna tell 'em about the phone or do I?

Killdeer · August 13, 2009, 03:12:00 PM

Phone, Todd?

Brad_Gentry · August 13, 2009, 03:46:00 PM

This ought to be good...

todd secker · August 13, 2009, 04:11:00 PM

Dang John, I thought we were buddies. OK, while I am in disclosure mode, I forgot to mention that just after typing my little story, I decided to get some excersise in the pool. After my swim, while drying off, I realized that my cell phone was in my pocket. So now I'm bee-stung and without a phone 700 miles from home. God doith have a sence of humor.

Aeronut · August 13, 2009, 04:30:00 PM

I can imagine the sight of you tearing through the forest in your improvised 'bee suit'.

We have some bees around here that are midway in size between honeybees and bumblebees. They are black with a white stripe around their body and nest underground. Dad and I had a run in with them on a fishing trip one time and I have never seen a more relentless bee. I'll take a wasp over them any day.

Dennis

Don Stokes · August 13, 2009, 06:57:00 PM

My hunting buddy was repairing broken pipes in his hunting cabin and pulled off a board over a nest of yellow jackets. He had a hammer in his hand when one hit his face, and his instinctive reaction was to swat at it, forgetting the hammer. When he reached the refuge of his truck, and killed the ones that followed him in, he realized he was all bloody. Smacking yourself in the face with a hammer is overkill for a yellow jacket!!