Spread?

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RANGER690

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LAST EDITED ON Oct-13-10 AT 10:54AM (MST)[p]When you guys talk about spread of mulies, are you talking inside main beams or outside of rack at widest point including kicker points. When we talk about spread on whitetails we are talking inside spread of main beams. Another thing with whitetails we count the brow tines, or eye guards, as points. Seems strange that mid westeners and westerners have different opinions regarding spread and points on deer. By the way im from Wisconsin and only went out west once (New Mexico) and was blessed with a nice mulie. It was 4 on one side with 3 on the other with a 2" kicker off the G2 on the 3 side (dont know if i would call it a fork point or a kicker) and brow tines. Being from Wisconsin i would call it a 10 pointer, in fact the guys in new mexico called it a 10 pointer also. Just seems kinda funny.

Mike
 
I think most western hunters refer to spread as the outermost spread including and kickers. Usually inside spread is reffered to when talking about B&C stats. Browtines are counted as points for B&C scoring assuming they are over 1" in length. Otherwise they typically are not included when talking about the size of your deer. If I had shot your deer I'd refer to it as a 4 x 4 deer with a 4x3 main frame, and an XX spread measuring from the end of the kicker to to outermost width on the opposite side of the rack.
 
I'm from Utah and all the old timers I have hunted with refer to the "spread" as the widest point from outside antler to outside antler, kickers included.. But we never counted eye guards as "points" even if they were over an inch. If a buck had four one on side and three on the other and eye gurds to boot we would call that deer a three point. But I also was raised hearing boasting about the weight of the deer rather than rack size. Still remember hearing grandpa brag about the body weight of the biggest buck he had bagged. If you called a two point muley "western count" a 4 point "eastern count" you might get some strange looks around our camp...Still would love to hunt whitetail someday no matter how you count them.
 
i was talking with two of my friends from florida, sharing hunting stories and i told them how i shot this really nice 4 point, etc... they both looked at me like i was an idiot. i didn't figure it out till i remembered that a 4 point to them it a tiny little guy and to us it could be a monster. showed them the pictures and counting the eyeguards, its a 9 pointer 26 wide.
 
I think its just one of those location things, like how some people say soda vs. pop. I think the outside spread sounds more impressive than the inside spread, just like it's more impressive to say a 10 point buck vs. a 4 point with eyeguards. Just like with elk, you don't call a 6 point bull a 12 pointer and many whitetail hunters don't have a problem using that system when it comes to elk. I think it comes down to old habits and what the person was taught, when I kill a good whitetail I will have no problem using the total point count but I will never use that on an elk or mule deer.
 
I personaly like the distinction for Muleys and Whitetails... They are very distinct species, with very distinct antler configuration, and I think they should have distinct references to those antlers...
As far as spread, I didn't think that whitetail guys referred to just the inside spread... Good to know
I think that in passing, the outside spread is a better judge of the size of the deer than the inside spread. I have seen some whitetail trophies with like 15" inside spreads that were 160" bucks... Ya know what I mean...??? Huge tines, and lots of 'em, but main beams almost touching..!!!
Cool Thread... Thanks for sharing...


"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24
 

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