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A little off topic, but something else we used them for in the old days was fishing Yep, fishing! In the summer when the creeks had dried up into pools we would gather up a couple gallons of green walnuts, break them up, put them into a "tow-sack" and take them down to those pools and wade through the water dragging the sack. The walnuts would stain the water brown, fish would come to the top, and we would grab the choice ones and put them into another sack to take back home for supper. It was best to have at least two people working together because the cotton mouth water moccasins also laid claim to that hole of water and you needed someone with a long pole to pick up the snakes and throw them out on the creek bank. This has really gotten my old memory banks stirred up. That was so long ago
Hmmmm, define "fun" Today it would be called "adventure", but back then, and where I lived, it was survival From time to time I go back to that old country and it is now all timber company pine plantations with very little privately owned property, but the memories are still there I guess I'm one of the last of the old timers who lived there during that time.
Another little comment about black walnut trees is don't expect to grow anything under them. The trees release a chemical from their roots that does not allow roots of other species to grow, with the result that black walnut trees get the ground all to themselves. Biologists call this allelopathy.
Never heard of picking them off the tree, just off the ground. And they're so messy. One man had a little bench with holes in it he would place them on and hammer them through to remove the inky husk. You know the lovely walnut stain from home depot? That's what your hands will look like. They black inky looking balls laying under the tree is what I've always seen being picked up.
These are highly toxic to horses so you don't want them in your pasture.
The wood of these trees is beautiful and highly desirable, if you ever want to get rid of your tree. You might want to advertise and someone will probably want the tree.
Never heard of picking them off the tree, just off the ground. And they're so messy. One man had a little bench with holes in it he would place them on and hammer them through to remove the inky husk. You know the lovely walnut stain from home depot? That's what your hands will look like. They black inky looking balls laying under the tree is what I've always seen being picked up.
These are highly toxic to horses so you don't want them in your pasture.
The wood of these trees is beautiful and highly desirable, if you ever want to get rid of your tree. You might want to advertise and someone will probably want the tree.
Another little comment about black walnut trees is don't expect to grow anything under them. The trees release a chemical from their roots that does not allow roots of other species to grow, with the result that black walnut trees get the ground all to themselves. Biologists call this allelopathy.
What a timely post, thanks, OP! My daughter just yesterday sent me an iPhone photo of an unknown "fruit" tree. Black Walnut! I was able to tell her just what it is, along with the anecdotes you've all written.
A little off topic, but something else we used them for in the old days was fishing Yep, fishing! In the summer when the creeks had dried up into pools we would gather up a couple gallons of green walnuts, break them up, put them into a "tow-sack" and take them down to those pools and wade through the water dragging the sack. The walnuts would stain the water brown, fish would come to the top, and we would grab the choice ones and put them into another sack to take back home for supper. It was best to have at least two people working together because the cotton mouth water moccasins also laid claim to that hole of water and you needed someone with a long pole to pick up the snakes and throw them out on the creek bank. This has really gotten my old memory banks stirred up. That was so long ago
This is the result of rotenone poisoning. It is found in the green nut husk and tree bark of the black walnut. Well known survival technique for fishing is to use black walnuts as you describe. It actually will kill anything cold blooded I believe, not just fish and leave them safe to eat as it only block oxygen uptake not actual poisoning.
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Yep, fishing! In the summer when the creeks had dried up into pools we would gather up a couple gallons of green walnuts, break them up, put them into a "tow-sack" and take them down to those pools and wade through the water dragging the sack. The walnuts would stain the water brown, fish would come to the top, and we would grab the choice ones and put them into another sack to take back home for supper. It was best to have at least two people working together because the cotton mouth water moccasins also laid claim to that hole of water and you needed someone with a long pole to pick up the snakes and throw them out on the creek bank. This has really gotten my old memory banks stirred up. That was so long ago 
.
Today it would be called "adventure", but back then, and where I lived, it was survival 
From time to time I go back to that old country and it is now all timber company pine plantations with very little privately owned property, but the memories are still there 
I guess I'm one of the last of the old timers who lived there during that time.
