Far from an expert on deer but do know one when I see it. About when do bucks shed their antlers in my area? There are some places that have good populations of deer but doubt if anyone looks for shed antlers. Thanks.
I've been to Cade's cove in Tennessee in mid-March and seen bucks that still have both sides, have already shed one side, or have already shed both. I would say about like the VA bucks, a few will shed in early February but some will hang on until early April. Trail cams will help determine when they start to fall.
Thanks. Daughter graduated Liberty U. two years ago to get into Nurse Practitioner program at a local university. Had to stay in Roanoke as Lynchburg was full plus rooms there were up to $500 per night! Beautiful drive up I-81. To deer- our location would be a bit south of Cades Cove, one of our favorite places. I'll start looking in early spring as there are some WMAs close plus I have access to 28 acres of private land. Best places to look or is this just looking? Need to train one of my Chihuahuas to look for sheds. The other would take a week just to get 100 feet from the car. "Hurry" isn't in his vocabulary.
I'm right on the Botetourt/Bedford line so not far from Liberty. I usually walk any new spots that I haven't walked before first because you can normally pick up old sheds and save my good spots until I know they drop so I don't ruin those too early. I usually walk the perimeter of the property or section if it is a large property and then try to grid search that area back and forth. A lot of times you can find ones you missed just by walking in another direction. If you know where they bed in February-March then definitely hit those spots but around here they usually roam all over because we don't have a lot of snow holding them to one spot. If it does snow, get out and see where their tracks are going and where their beds are. I like to use Google maps or something to see the area from above and what neighboring lands might hold deer so I can check there too. I've found sheds from the same buck a few miles away but the woods all connected through thin woodlines. Hopefully this helps some! The first year may be rough until you get used to seeing just a piece of antler sticking up but then your eyes will adjust and you'll get better at finding the needle in the haystacks!
Thanks. Need to spend more time in the woods as there is nothing worthwhile on TV during the day. I would have to upgrade by spending $$$ to get outdoor channels plus a bunch of other channels that I don't need. The Shenandoah Valley is outstanding. Went up I-81 to PA two years ago and spent time in Roanoke when the daughter graduated Liberty University.
