Interesting! Females are more aggressive?

males won't show much aggression at all because they leave the nest and do not return.
females are usually just as shy but can become aggressive when around the nest.

That said, I wouldn't get close to a yellowjacket and don't know from hornets. Only three things have ever chased me: two bees together near a hive, a bunch of harvester ants that didn't appreciate me standing on their nest, and a gopher that was foaming at the mouth. That one scared me!

Once, I blundered into some mule fat, poking my head into a section of it where maybe ten huge tarantula hawk wasps were feeding. They simply flew off.

While most posts are from Pennsylvania south, we have one in Ontario. Lucas, if you have a shot of your hornet, why not post it? It'd be a first for Vermont.

Maybe the warm weather is bringing them north. Was I crazy to take a macro of it? Are they dangerous?

Only if you stick your hand right in their nest, away from the nest they are exedingly docil and would rather run away than fight.

Your lucky to have gotten so close, they are really shy, gentle giant best describes them

It stayed on the tree and kept coming back to it. Some wasps were also on the tree and may have had a nest in it. Ants also were on the tree so something must have attracted all the insects. It seemed a bit shy, but allowed meto te some photos. Thanks for the info.