Highland County, Virginia has fewer people today than it did 150 years ago. Sheep far outnumber the 2,500 people in the County, and the sheep are far outnumbered by the cattle despite the fact that the County (the highest East of the Mississippi River) lies a day's drive or less from half the population of the United States.
The Highland County Fair is a modest affair with a little calf roping and barrel racing, a few tractor pulls, a lot of canned fruit and vegetables, 4-H kids selling off their sheep, pigs and cattle, and a few carney rides.
Among the local exhibits were some locally-shot taxidermy's including bobcats and black bear. About 1,000 bear a year are shot in Virginia and the population is stable and perhaps slightly growing. The bobcat population appears to be on the rise, with about 4,000 taken last year. About 220,000 white tail deer a year are harvested by hunters in the State -- untold numbers more are hit by cars, and quite a large number are shot as part of nuisance abatement programs in orchards.
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