Minimum Score

[Roy]

OK fellas and gals - for those of you who have drawn a premium tag this year - or in years past - what is the minimum field judged score you would require before taking your buck? Where do you draw the line between passing one up and taking one? And, how disappointed would you be if you found considerable "ground shrinkage"?

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

 

[lifeisgood]

OPINION for sure. Not sure of the relevance of this question. Just curious? A fork horn is just as much of a trophy as a 230" non typical. Its all in the eye of the beholder. I am still holding for 200" and havented harvested a muley buck in 10 years because of that standard. I love to hunt. Picking a "goal" that is hard to acheive and possibly unrealistic allows me to spend that much more time in the feild. In all, actual scores (" in bc/py/sci) are for "reference" only to me.

life IS good

 

[DallanC]

Score is completely irrelevant for me. Last year in the bookcliffs I decided I wanted a class 1 step larger than the average 24" 4pt running around out there or something trashy... I had an unbelievable stroke of luck and got a trashy one . To this day have not "scored" the deer.

Outdoor life had an article on antlers once and IMO, they were correct in their overall analysis. Pure "score" is overrated. We often see bucks with high scores that look like crap... and we see beautiful bucks taken with amazing racks that dont score very high. In their article they said concentrate on "wall-ability" not "scoreability".

I'd hands down rather have a unique cool looking deer that scored lower than a boring deer with a spindly ugly rack that scored much higher.

IMO I think the whole "score" mentality is the root of the hunting problems we are seeing lately.



-DallanC

 

[fletch]

Very well said DallanC.

 

[Wiszard]

I agree... but just once I'd like to take a buck that is worth scoring!! All the deer I've shot in my hunting career are all trophies to me but not one of them scores more than 130 inches. I'd LOVE to say, just once, "Yes, he is a monster! Whats that? Yes, he is in the 190 inch class.....196 to be exact!!" This will probably never happen because if I see a "nice" deer, I shoot him!

 

[cpugsie]

At the beggining of a new hunt my goal is to better the last deer I have taken. However, if the last deer I took was a 180" muley (whick is where I'm currently at) I might just take a nice buck that looks good on the wall. I like the wallability factor previously mentioned. Now, as the hunt is nearing the end my goal sometimes decline based on my level of frustration. My frustration can sometimes come from too many people in the field (public land hunting), lack of deer siteings, or blown opportunities. I had a late Kaibab rifle tag one year where I never took a shot and passed on some dandy bucks. I still had a great hunt experience and got to hunt the whole season. It's all up to you what your goals are.

 

[2rocky]

Here is my perspective with a Wyoming Region Tag...

I just have a picture in my mind of the buck I would be tickled with. Now understand, I've only killed one Mule deer, and a few Blacktails, so this is purely MY standard.

My "shootable buck" is a 24" wide 4 pt. with good mass and eye guards. It probably won't make book, but I will have to pass on probably 10-12 "legal bucks" before I see one of this caliber.

Now if I had a chance at a 30" wide fork horn, I'd have some serious thinking to do, but since I've never killed a true 4-pt yet, that is my #1 goal.

When the buck is in the cooler, and the meat is taken care of, then we can talk score. He is what he is....

 

[257Tony]

Well, Ive been extremely fortunate the last few years, my last 3 bucks total just over 500". I dont expect to keep up my 168 average, so I'm just looking for a good looking buck, no field scoring involved. When I see the one I want, I will know it.

 

[Wiszard]

Nice average! Where ya hunting?.....the taxidermest's? HaHa

 

[fldrw22]

LAST EDITED ON Aug-23-06 AT 05:54PM (MST)[p]you should decide weather the animal you are about to harvest, is up to youre standards ,not the next guys standards . Did you hunt hard, did you do youre homework,scout ,prepare,save money all year to go . If so, if you are successful in harvesting an animal ,than who really gives a crap at what he scores . you know how hard it was to be successful in harvesting anything . I will speak from my own personal experiences, some years you get into them , some you dont,However,I love being out there just trying , time with freinds , family, hunting partners our wives will only let us hang out with during huntin season , is that what it is all about ,is the SCORE.????????? if you did everything you know how to do,and you harvest a spike . In my book ,you are better than the guy who says he didnt get a shot cause hes hunting the bigboys , what is dumbass gonna eat this year

 

[JACKELOPE]

I'm still at a stage where i am looking to shoot one bigger than before. a 24" 4 pt is what i need. i did not find a muley last year to meet those requirements so i killed a bigger whitey than i ever have and i was tickled. now this year is another story. i have seen the same 4x4 muley that is wide as his ears 2 times on scouting trips, however i have almost 2 months before i can hunt him. he willnot get hunted between now and then, so the question lies, will he still be there in october...
good luck to all this season and hopefully all your goals will be met

 

[losthuntr]

30" is my minimum standard, on any hunt, never have drawn any limited areas, but I would think that a 30 incher is a good buck anywhere.

 

[slider]

190 with Archery!!! Good Luck

 

[257Tony]

>Nice average! Where ya hunting?.....the taxidermest's?
>HaHa




No, but he sure is doing well off of me

 

[Saskman]

My last three mule deer have all been archery bucks and have been 170 gross 188 gross and 215 gross in that order. I can't really expect to keep going up like that but do hope to get one that will gross at the 200 inch mark but will likely take anything that I think will gross over 180. I have shot quite a few mule deer with my bow and when I started I was more than happy with a smaller deer but as I have gotten a few of the smaller deer under my belt I have become quite selective. Now I am happier to take a photo of the smaller bucks and hope to meet up with them the next year. I do like the meat and will likely put a couple of does in the freezer.

Saskman

 

[MEANTTOBBUCK]

This is an individual standard that varies by a bunch of factors. I shot a 189 on the strip. If I was hunting in the same unit I would want to try and top it but the wall factor would be more important. The hunt I have this year I believe that I will see more deer but I am not sure that the quality will be there unless conditions are just right. so to get a nice looking one for the wall is what I wil be happy with.

 

[lifeisgood]

Saskman....
"does in the freezer" Thats what I like to hear!!! You're allright. It seems alot of "selective hunters" are just that, (selective) for the first part of the season and get in a panic near the end and insist on shooting a young buck (gotta have those antlers to throw out in the yard and let the dog chew on) instead of a doe (where it is legal)
Does WILL NEVER grow a 200" rack, and they taste good. If you are not happy with the size antlers a buck has DO NOT SHOOT HIM unless you really need the meat and does arent legal!!!
I think its a "manly" or testoserone thing. Alot of guys are embarassed to shoot does. Real men shoot does!!! In most instances, management wise (especially when you are wanting to grow "quality" bucks in an area) harvesting a fawn, or old dry doe is the best thing you can do. Thanks for being selective, and not flinging an arrow at that 150 buck the last day of the season, You know very well what he could be sporting for headgear in a few years!

life IS good

 

[Phantom Hunter]

As has been said, the "score" is not the most important factor in deciding to take a buck. Since I have been lucky enough to draw a limited entry tag this fall, I will be looking for a wall-hanger. What is that? Well, it's either a heavy-antlered older buck or one with some trash and long tines. The main thing I'll be looking for is an older, heavy buck that I like. At the prices taxidermist charge, if I get one for the wall I darn better like looking at him.

Phantom Hunter

 

[NDBadlandsbucks]

I just think that you should know it when you see the one you want. I also think that age has a lot to do with being a true "trophy". If I saw a buck that I could tell just by looking at him that he was very old - large body, regressed antlers - that waould really be a trophy to me - no matter the score.

Keep the Sun at Your Back and the Wind in Your Face