When scoring potentially record-breaking deer, size matters

By Tom Seegmueller

ALBANY — Although not all deer hunters are interested in harvesting a trophy, there can be no denying that even the most dedicated meat hunter’s smile is a little bigger when a nice set of antlers is attached to their harvest.

When comparing deer, size matters. Rather, the comparison is in the live body weight of the deer (the deer’s weight before field dressing) or the size and number of points on its antlers when measured or scored. Comparison by body weight is easily determined using certified scales. However, the measure of a deer’s rack is a little more complicated to determine.

For an accurate comparison to be made, a standardized process of measurement is required. For most hunters, the gold standard for this process are the Pope and Young scoring system (P&Y) for archery hunters and the Boone and Crockett system (B&C) for firearms hunters. Although the two systems are similar, there are also some notable differences.

The Boone and Crockett Club was founded in 1887 by Theodore Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell and is considered one of the oldest and most respected conservation organizations in the United States. The B&C system focuses on the size and symmetry of a deer’s rack, taking into consideration a variety of variables including the length of the main beams, the number of points, the circumference of the antlers and the width of spread between both main beams. The scoring system has been in use since the 1930s, and the focus on the overall gross score with the sum of these measurements is used to compare the overall development of a deer’s rack at the time of harvest.

The Pope and Young Club was founded in 1961 in conjunction with the growing popularity of bow hunting. It was named in honor of Saxon Pope and Art Young, who were responsible for the establishment of separate seasons for those hunting North American big game with a bow. The primary difference in the two clubs is the minimum scores eligible for entry in each organization’s record books. The B&C has a minimum score of 160 inches for its record book, compared to the P&Y minimum score of 125 inches. The differences in minimum scores are based on the realization that the archery hunter using even the most advanced equipment is limited dramatically in the distance he or she can shoot compared to a hunter using a firearm.

With a little practice and a few simple tools, it is fairly easy to score a rack. A steel measuring tape, flexible steel cable, and a steel yard stick are the minimum tools required. Steel is necessary to avoid any discrepancy from a measuring instrument that might be stretched while measuring. Each required measurement is recorded on the appropriate worksheet for either club.

The basic process involves first measuring the length of each main beam from the antler burr at the base to the tip following the outside curve of the beam. Each measurement is recorded for both the left and right beams. The second step is to measure each tine (point) from tip to the base where it meets the main beam, recording each measurement. The next step is to measure the smallest circumference between each of the first four tines, recording each measurement on the score sheet. These measurements are best made by using the steel cable and measuring tape, using the measuring tape or the yard stick to measure the greatest inside spread between the two main beams. If the spread exceeds the length of the longest beam, an additional credit equal to the length of the longest beam is earned.

Once these measurements have been recorded, the total of each beam is calculated and combined with the spread credit if one was earned for a subtotal of the total inches of the deer’s rack.

However, before getting too excited, there also is a column that documents any variation between the measurements of both beams. These variations are totaled and deducted from the subtotal. The resulting calculation is the final score in inches for the rack.

As a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writers Association, I have been privileged to see the top four deer entered into the GON Big Deer Contest. The contest has four categories of winners, including the largest typical and non-typical archery deer as well as the largest typical and non-typical firearms deer for the season. When it comes to having what it takes to make the grade, there is no denying that size is the No. 1 characteristic as a determining factor in all three categories. To say the length and mass of the main beams on these racks are impressive is an understatement. In the typical categories, symmetry is also a critical factor limiting deductions. However, symmetry often goes out the door, and the funkier the better.

Where a typical rack has relatively symmetrical main beams, with the tines coming out the top of the main beams, gracefully rising above them in an almost mirror image of the opposing beam, a set of non-typical antlers will have main beams that may go off at any angle, as well as tines coming off the beams in all directions with points on points in any random combination. When measuring a rack as non-typical, the total number of points counted is generally significantly higher than that of a typical rack, and they do not count as deductions from the total score.

Even if you have no intent on entering the rack of a deer you harvest in a contest, measuring the deer you harvest will give you a better understanding of what it takes for a deer to make the record books, as well as an indication of how your management practices are actually impacting the herd.

Over the years I have observed the Big Buck winners, a good number of these bucks have come from southwest Georgia, particularly from counties along the Flint River Basin. Periodically, there are rumors of record-breaking deer being harvested in the region that are not entered into any contest in an effort to keep the location of their harvest undisclosed.

Putting a tape to the racks of the deer I have harvested is truly a humbling experience. My personal best with a rifle would make it in the record book for an archery entry. The measurements necessary to make it to the Boone and Crockett list would require far more than stretching the tape.