Experienced Va. shed hunters

[RockinChair]

Are there any experienced shed hunters out there. If you feel you are a 'seasoned' shed hunter, how long have you been shed hunting and approx. how many sheds have you found in your lifetime?

[SwampCollie]

The biggest one I ever found in VA I ironically found in Bath county, when I lived in millboro.... small world..... I was heck... maybe 4 or 5 at the time. Following Dad around Grouse hunting behind our English Setter on Shanny Ridge (which I don't know if I spelled right or not... but I know who used to own it). Back then it was like the biggest deer antler I'd ever seen.... now I don't know if I'd shoot the deer or not..... it was what appeared to be a 5x5 off maybe a 3 year old. Deer probably would have scored in the low to mid 120s if it had a matching antler on the other side.

I've probably found 20 or so in my 25 years. Most of them down here in the SE part of the state (I was 6 when we moved from Bath County down to just north of Richmond). Mostly spikes, fork horns and six point deer. Have found a few 8pt basket racks (all of these assuming they were typical deer).

The biggest one I have ever found I discovered in SC. I ended up leaving it with my boss when I moved back to VA a few years ago. It was easily a 75" antler by itself... as thick as the neck of a beer bottle all the way out, five long tines. I came close to shooting either that deer or one of his sons.... a little to thick and wind got me just before I moved clear to him... I got as close as 12 yards to him and its still the most exciting deer hunt I've ever had. Long story....

[coolbrze0]

Most of mine I find when rabbit hunting during the last part of the season and running my beagles in the spring. I found about a dozen this year, a couple real big 10s and 1 side to a real big 8. I used to havea Patch beagle (lemon & white) that would consistently find sheds and bring them back to me. I miss it BIGTIME as my worthless muts will only run rabbits for me now I sold him b/c I COULD NOT break him from running deer. In fact, to this day, he's the only dog I haven't been able to deer break.