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beagle
03-07-2017, 06:40 PM
I was sitting in the shop today lubing and sizing some 225438HPs for the Hornet and spring blackbird season and it dawned on me. Tis the season for the wood bees to start coming out. With the warmer winter here, there should be a good crop this year and I will self impose a daily bag limit of 100 upon myself to prevent overshooting the herd.

Have .38 cases sized and need to make wads and procure a new package of grits.

You fellers be thinking about this and getting ready. Just like the opening day of dove season./beagle

GRUMPA
03-07-2017, 06:59 PM
For us around here its Mud Daubers, and we have lots here. I don't care what it is, if there's an opening they're in there just packing those mud nests.

I have yet to do it, but those rice loads sound pretty good. Thing is though, I'm not going to use the SPEER shot capsules. And when I do things I like to be on the unique side of things.

owejia
03-09-2017, 05:02 PM
Shot a wood bee a couple of weeks ago, started using a 357 Ruger service six last year and can get a lot more walnut media in them compared to 38 spl. These wood bees are the only thing I hunt anymore. No bag limit here, been shooting them for seven or eight years and there are always plenty to shoot every year. Plenty of old barns and wood sheds to shoot them at. Even made up a set of dies to pack the wad over powder and one to pack the overshot wad, speeds up the loading process. Usually load and shoot a couple of thousand every year. Better than dove hunting, no game to dress.

trails4u
03-09-2017, 05:15 PM
We hunt with C&B revolvers, BP, rice and newspaper wads. Good, good fun! I've been known to break out the ML rifle for 'long range' work. :bigsmyl2:

ghh3rd
03-28-2017, 06:26 PM
I miss the good 'ol days when I had a back yard where I could shoot wasps with my .38 snub. I would load 1 gr bullseye, a case full of ground walnut shells, and enough tissue crammed tight on top to hold it together. Those nests would turn into into confetti :-)

toallmy
03-29-2017, 02:16 AM
The back yard safari , seams like fun .

beagle
03-31-2017, 12:46 PM
Got a hundred rounds ready and waiting for warmer, sunny weather. Should be a good season this year with the more or less mild winter./beagle

jim147
04-02-2017, 06:03 PM
I need to decide on my load had a few bees out today time to get some loaded up.

owejia
04-06-2017, 11:29 AM
Cool and rain so far, shot less than 100 rds so far. Eighty degree temp will bring them out. Suckers can sure change directions fast. Happy hunting.

jim147
04-09-2017, 04:06 PM
Went to load up some .45 today and couldn't find and walnut hulls I thought I had around here I guess now I will dig around and see what else I can find maybe get the scale out and compare cream of wheat, steel cut oats and what ever else I can find.

beagle
04-12-2017, 10:55 PM
Had a good shoot today. They were out thick. Popped 100 rounds of .38 through my Blackhawk. Bag...60-75. Still coming when I ran out of ammo. Next loads will be in .357 cases for a heavier payload. One red wasp in the mix./beagle

Hardcast416taylor
04-13-2017, 02:22 PM
`Wood Bee`? Is this a Southern term for a bumble bee? I`ve been around a lot of different types, but have never heard this term name. Somebody tell this `Yankee` what this bee is.Robert

BAGTIC
04-14-2017, 06:57 PM
Wood bees look a lot like bumblebees but they are not the same. The bore holes in old dead wood, branches, stumps, etc. that they use for nests.


I have never hunted insects with a gun but I have hunted flies with a slingshot loaded with salt. When I was a kid my granddad paid us a bounty for tomato worms collected from his tomato patch. I discovered it was more fun to shoot them with my Red Ryder but too costly so I took to using dried okra seed. At tomato worm range they worked okay.

Pb Burner
04-15-2017, 09:41 AM
Oh yes...bee season! I've only shot one this year so far, but I'm one for one. I use 357 mag case, Hodgdon Clays, wads cut from cerial box, and grits. I only have a few loaded rounds left from last year so I need to load a bunch more. The wife thinks I'm half nuts, but it's a blast!

No_1
04-16-2017, 07:37 PM
You guys are a hoot!

millsa2
10-12-2017, 04:02 AM
They also bore holes in Salt Treated Wood [Decks, Fence Etc ] here in Virginia. They go through it like butter and will weaken it if left unchecked.

dogrunner
10-13-2017, 11:16 AM
Carpenter bees............wood boring machines............in point of fact, as I write this, I've a roofing crew re-doing my place. In the course of replacing some flashing they attempted to remove some of the cedar trim that surrounded areas in a clear story..........stuff was so full of holes from their chambers that I'm probably out another grand in just the woodworking alone!!

Hell, at least I can eat the deer that pilfer my garden, wish I could get the resident herd of turkeys interested in these bees, only thing that seems to attack the damn things is pileated woodpeckers, and THEY do more damage than the bee's!

Anyway, far as wing shootin' 'em goes, I stuff a light charge of BE in my old 6" 629....top it with rice and have at it.....all the while putting up with complaints from my wife. Actually good point shooting practice, but in truth a tennis racket is just as good till the things figure out your range capability.

You want some of these in Michigan, lemme know, I'll air express collect, a batch!

David2011
10-20-2017, 07:21 PM
Dog, that would make you the most popular man in Michigan!

owejia
03-08-2018, 08:10 PM
About time to make your carpenter bee loads. Bought a 38 spl cylinder on ebay and bored the throats out to accept a .357 maximum brass shell and can get 20 grs of walnut media in them over 3 grs of titewad, should give me more range and density to hunt with this spring. Have lined up a couple of other guys to hunt with. Let the fun begin.

beagle
03-16-2018, 12:51 AM
Loaded some loads last fall and I'm ready to roll with about 200 loads. After much testing, I've decided the tumbling media is the way to go for me. Gives maybe a foot more range than the grits. On a good note, I was digging through my dies and came up with a wad cutter die that I thought was .458". Turned out it was a .360" and I immediately settled down and ran out about 500 .360 wads for future use so my wad supply is built up. Come on warm weather./beagle

BUCKEYE BANDIT
03-16-2018, 06:09 AM
How are you gentlemen field dressing these bee's ?? ,Dad always demanded that if you shoot it you eat it :bigsmyl2:

Outer Rondacker
03-16-2018, 07:18 AM
Its posts like this that make me ask myself this question again. Why do I live in NYS? We have nothing different here. I have heard of guys making rounds for shooting the wood bees. Sounds like fun. If you find a house with wood bees here you are lucky if you find five.

owejia
03-16-2018, 09:35 AM
I live in a log house so killing wood bees is kind of self defense shooting. Really cool and rainy this spring so hunting may be later than usual. As for dressing them , just consider them leftist vermin as they try to destroy my home and lifestyle.

beagle
03-16-2018, 04:20 PM
Just lightly dust for wood dust and sauté in butter. My eyes are not strong enough to allow dressing. Add a little garlic if its to your taste./beagle


How are you gentlemen field dressing these bee's ?? ,Dad always demanded that if you shoot it you eat it :bigsmyl2:

beagle
03-16-2018, 04:23 PM
Maybe 500 around my barn entrances every spring. Kind of like shooting doves. They come in singles, pairs and swarms of 5 or 6. Then there's the occasional sitting shot but I was always taught to take flying game on the wing so I flush 'em,/beagle


Its posts like this that make me ask myself this question again. Why do I live in NYS? We have nothing different here. I have heard of guys making rounds for shooting the wood bees. Sounds like fun. If you find a house with wood bees here you are lucky if you find five.

Cosmic_Charlie
04-02-2018, 07:37 PM
Never heard of wood bees or shooting them. It sounds like fun. I had a buddy back in the day that showed me bat shooting near dark when they were highlighted against the brighter sky. I know, not too cool but it was a challenge.

RedlegEd
04-02-2018, 07:51 PM
Hi. They are pretty common around here and in the rest of the south. Below is a picture and here is a link (https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef611) that 'splains a little more about them. Ed
217522

Mr_Sheesh
04-03-2018, 05:43 AM
Local friend lives south of here in Suburbia, they aren't much of a gun user, his house was being invaded by these or a similar bee; He uses a shop vacuum and turns it on for a few minutes then off for a few, so the bees don't figure out they're being picked on & find an alternate way out. Sort of the neutron bomb approach vs. hunting them :) I've gone after wasps with 22 rimfires, I'll try this out soon tho :)

EMC45
04-06-2018, 01:14 PM
At my Dad's cabin we used badminton rackets. Go around swinging like looneys all day and keep a kill count.

spoon
04-07-2018, 10:34 PM
You Eastern folks get a jump on things. Out in the West we have to wait until June/July time frame. But then is all out for Bull Grasshopper season. Great sport taking Bull Grasshoppers on the wing! To add some challange I like to use 22 shot capsules. But 38 shot capsules lets your take the longer range ones.

beagle
04-14-2018, 10:23 PM
Was out yesterday at the barn and saw 3-4 bees. Temps in he 70s. The cold spring seems to be suppressing them this year somewhat. Maybe in a week or so. Saw wood bee traps for sale this week but that's not near as much fun as shooting with a handgun./beagle

NoZombies
04-14-2018, 10:58 PM
We've had a lot fewer this year, I've been using an old Daisy 499 to shoot them on the wing, as I haven't had time to load any rice loads... It's a challenge taking them out with a single BB. I miss more than I hit, but when I do hit them, it's rewarding.

beagle
04-14-2018, 11:02 PM
Have a set of metal barn doors on mine so BBs are out because of dents. The tumbling media loads are okay at 6 feet and that's about max range for them./beagle


We've had a lot fewer this year, I've been using an old Daisy 499 to shoot them on the wing, as I haven't had time to load any rice loads... It's a challenge taking them out with a single BB. I miss more than I hit, but when I do hit them, it's rewarding.

NoZombies
04-14-2018, 11:06 PM
Have a set of metal barn doors on mine so BBs are out because of dents. The tumbling media loads are okay at 6 feet and that's about max range for them./beagle

Yeah, part of the challenge is making sure I've got clear sky behind the bee before I pull the trigger... I don't want broken windows or BB's lodged in the cedar siding!

beagle
05-14-2018, 11:42 PM
Had a good shoot day before yesterday. Shot about 50 rounds before the bees were discouraged. Still comparing grits and tumbling media. I've about decided to try some duplex loads for pattern density and longer range shots. Good swarm out there today but no time to shoot.
Wife went into a panic this morning when she found a coon in the cat's plastic house on the front porch. Aha! Got an idea. Grabbed the Ruger Blackhawk loaded with bee loads and tipped the top off the house. Coon was grouchy and I put two "bee" loads into his hind end before he remembered how to climb and attained the top of the porch rail. I them commenced to make him jump in a vigorous manner with another load in the posterior from about 3 feet. Last seen about 150 yards heading for the neighbor's place. Good hunting./beagle

Mr_Sheesh
05-19-2018, 07:08 AM
I think you found out how to motivate that one, Beagle!