# Horseweed



## elmer_fudd (Apr 20, 2016)

Is this horseweed?  If so, is this a good time of year to harvest it?  It is 7' tall and pretty hard.  I got some to try for hand drill fire as soon as my blisters heal.


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 20, 2016)

Hard to say from that pic, but that doesn't really look like horseweed. I usually harvest it in the late summer/early fall after it's grown, but still alive. It would likely be too deteriorated by now to be any good.


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## elmer_fudd (Apr 20, 2016)

Thanks NC.  That explains why this stuff wasn't working too well when I chucked a piece in my drill.  

I can identify live horseweed.. just wasn't sure about this dead stuff.

Just getting into the hand drill after we did it in that survival class using mullein on white pine.  This will keep me busy for a while.


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 20, 2016)

elmer_fudd said:


> Thanks NC.  That explains why this stuff wasn't working too well when I chucked a piece in my drill.
> 
> I can identify live horseweed.. just wasn't sure about this dead stuff.
> 
> Just getting into the hand drill after we did it in that survival class using mullein on white pine.  This will keep me busy for a while.



Horseweed on tulip poplar is my favorite combo.


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## elmer_fudd (Apr 21, 2016)

I'm all over that come Fall.  At the moment the only good spindle material I have is Evening Primrose someone gave me, and some yucca stalk which is not straight so will need to splice it to a spindle.  Also have plenty of boxelder and willow near me. Also some cattail.. but that may be too far gone.


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## chehawknapper (Apr 23, 2016)

The picture appears to be dog fennel. I have made hand drill fires with it but eat your wheaties first. When using cattail, make sure you start with the stalk about an inch below a "joint". It is harder there and can get you an ember. Everywhere else is usually too soft. Change your tactics with cattail - more speed than downward pressure. It calls for real finess. If you have baccharis, it is very consistent with a fine powder that holds the ember well.


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## elmer_fudd (Apr 27, 2016)

chehawknapper said:


> The picture appears to be dog fennel. I have made hand drill fires with it but eat your wheaties first. When using cattail, make sure you start with the stalk about an inch below a "joint". It is harder there and can get you an ember. Everywhere else is usually too soft. Change your tactics with cattail - more speed than downward pressure. It calls for real finess. If you have baccharis, it is very consistent with a fine powder that holds the ember well.



Good info!  I will hold off on the dog fennel until I have succeeded with the easier stuff.  However, it seems to have qualities that might make a good bundle bow.  Very tough and resilient.


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