where can you find a giude to scoring antlers (pope and young)b+c has it on there web site but not pope and young. any help would appreciated. thanks
Return to Deer Taxidermy Category Menu
http://www.edersbow.com/publication/pub_f.cfm?page=interactive/wtpage.cfm
Boone & Crockett or copy and paste this link:
http://www.boone-crockett.org/bgRecords/bc_scoring_typwhitetail.asp?area=bgRecords&type=Typical+Whitetail+Deer
You can download scoring sheets and instructions and print out your own.
Pope & Young uses the same score sheets as B&C
Bill is right- P&Y uses the same scoring sheet, but the minimum score to get in the record book is lower than B&C.
The B&C site has a scoring calculator which lets you enter the measurments. It will total the score for you and allow you to print out a completed score sheet.
Buckmasters also scores their deer the same as B & C, but there are no deductions from one side to the other and they do not count the inside spread measurement. Their minimums are also different; archery ( compound, longbow, and crossbow )= 105, firearm and pick-ups ( skulls found with both antlers intact )= 140, and sheds ( one side ) = 75.
I don't believe it paints as clear of a picture as the B&C scoring does. Sorta reminds me of someone trying to come up with a better mousetrap (although those sticky things DO work darned good! Bad example)...
Here are a couple points to consider about your beloved B&C scoring system.
1) deer are credited for inside spread which is simply how much air is between the antlers it is not "grown". Also the wider the better your deer will score BUT if it is too wide the extra spread is scored as a deduction. (which brings us to point #2)
2) Deductions? How many people have seen a MATURE buck with perfectly symetrical antlers? They are extremely rare, but B&C scoring dictates that they are supposed to be perfect. Nature does not work that way however. Deer are penalized for growing too much antler. I have never met a hunter who complained that his buck grew too much antler, no matter where it grew on the antlers.
3) Non typical antlers have their typical frame scored with deductions no matter how gnarly the non typical portion of the rack that B&C has already told us was not supposed to be there anyway is.
4) (My favorite) Antelope do not get to count their inside spread at all, BUT if they are too wide it is scored as a deduction.
That is my rant. I am sure I have angered some of you B&C enthusiats so Try this test, Take someone who does not know how to score antlers and point to 2 bucks and ask which is bigger. The answer will always be the one that gross scored the most regardless of net score, therefore net score realy has nothing to do with the size of the deers rack.
BTR is probably the best system for indicating actual grown antler but with 4 catagories it gets a little more complicated than the others.