Gross score vs net score which do you use?

When using a score in a discussion of a deer or elk do you use the net score? Or gross score?

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JakeH

JakeH

Long Time Member
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4,301
Have been having a discussion with an official measurer, and would like everyone's feedback.

Which do you prefer, gross or net? And why? if you care to elaborate. If you are an official measurer let us know.
 
I am an official scorer for B and C. I go buy gross score unless sitting one on one with the person entering a trophy in the book and explaining the deductions to come up with the net score. The score is just away we as hunters can communicate about the size of an animal. When I was in my early hunting career nobody talked about a 200” Deer, the goal then was to kill a 30” Buck. I like hunting the largest animal in the unit or I usually end up eating my tag. I score everything I can get my hands on, it helps me become a better judge in the field for what I’m looking for in my hunts. I love putting my hands on the biggest animals coming out of Idaho every year. I to have seen the Score get into to many hunters heads without really having a lot of hunting experience. If you are a meat hunter great, If you like freaks, cactus bucks that’s great. I think we all like hearing the score on an animal and dreaming about what could actually happen to a regular guy out in the field. The score, the age, the genetics is all about the animal and keeping track of where it falls in line.
 
I’ve always used score as a reference for describing general size. Probably go to spread and points more than score. Never had anything officially scored. Use net score when talking typical symmetrical bucks and gross score on funky non-typicals.
 
So?

Would That Be Known As CUBIC Inches?

Butts said:
Gross, but big is big. I have never understood the reason for B&C and P&Y giving credit for “air”. Inside spread measurement.
Having a water displacement type system would be awesome. Giving credit for total bone on any given animal.
Click to expand...
 
I use gross score to describe or quantify how 'big' a buck is because most people understand it. Most on this forum would know exactly what a 160" framed typical with cheaters on his G3s would look like.

As far as net, I find it only useful for those wanting to participate in trophy record books. I have nothing against this but have no personal interest at all.-----SS
 
Sparks Shooter said:
I use gross score to describe or quantify how 'big' a buck is because most people understand it. Most on this forum would know exactly what a 160" framed typical with cheaters on his G3s would look like.

As far as net, I find it only useful for those wanting to participate in trophy record books. I have nothing against this but have no personal interest at all.-----SS
Click to expand...

LOL - I don't know what the "G3's" are!!
 
Whether gross or net a lot of guys don’t even score correctly. As an example, for mule deer I’d say the majority of hunters use the widest outside spread rather than the widest spread of the main beam to come up with a score. This can easily add 5 to 10+ additional pts to a gross or net score.
 
Butts said:
Gross, but big is big. I have never understood the reason for B&C and P&Y giving credit for “air”. Inside spread measurement.
Having a water displacement type system would be awesome. Giving credit for total bone on any given animal.
Click to expand...
I agree Butts. I like the idea of the water displacement as a score.
 
I like Gross because it accounts for all the bone that is there. Tracking 'net' scores is weird to me, really they're just tracking larger Gross score deer with similar deductions to lesser Gross score deer.

If NET score was the goal, shouldn't they actually be looking for most symmetrical, in which case the 'record' should be any deer with "0" deductions..? Anybody know of any such bucks.?
 
I love the idea of water displacement, or some method of scoring that gives complete credit to ALL the bone the animal grew.

Gross score even misses the boat to some degree - not that it matters at all to me, but my bull from last year does not get full credit for all of his mass. The mass measurements are the smallest circumferences at the various points. For his H3 (between 3rd and 4th points) measurement, he was like 7 2/8" at the smallest spot if I remember correctly, but that mass pushes up to 9-10" as you get closer to the 4th point. He doesn't get credit for that, and that kinda sucks (n)
 
elkhunterUT said:
I love the idea of water displacement, or some method of scoring that gives complete credit to ALL the bone the animal grew.

Gross score even misses the boat to some degree - not that it matters at all to me, but my bull from last year does not get full credit for all of his mass. The mass measurements are the smallest circumferences at the various points. For his H3 (between 3rd and 4th points) measurement, he was like 7 2/8" at the smallest spot if I remember correctly, but that mass pushes up to 9-10" as you get closer to the 4th point. He doesn't get credit for that, and that kinda sucks (n)
Click to expand...

Like I said, net is the participation trophy. It makes those who shoot "smaller" animals look better to a mega-toad that deserves the WOW factor.
 
Some people like Peperoni pizza and others like sausage. I say to each their own with all of the comments. No one person will ever be right or wrong with their point of view because it's exactly that, what THEY like in a deer. And yes, scores are a way of describing the size of the antlers. I ask guys what their deer scored because I find it fascinating how some animals are bigger than they look (usually due to mass).
 
MT_55 said:
Some people like Peperoni pizza and others like sausage. I say to each their own with all of the comments. No one person will ever be right or wrong with their point of view because it's exactly that, what THEY like in a deer. And yes, scores are a way of describing the size of the antlers. I ask guys what their deer scored because I find it fascinating how some animals are bigger than they look (usually due to mass).
Click to expand...

Or, we could just change the classification of size based on carcass weight, and to even things out, just slice off a front leg or something and toss it into the garbage so it aligns with the "perfect" hanging carcass weight from a farmed animal...
 
roadrunner said:
Or, we could just change the classification of size based on carcass weight, and to even things out, just slice off a front leg or something and toss it into the garbage so it aligns with the "perfect" hanging carcass weight from a farmed animal...
Click to expand...
I see what you did there. ?
 
MT_55 said:
Explain what he did there Jake and how that relates to my post..
Click to expand...
I don't know exactly what it has to do with your post. But he's saying using a net score is like cutting off large chunks of antler to make the buck "perfect" by someone else's standards.
 
I have always been more of a gross score guy. It was solidified after shooting this guy and seeing the difference between gross and net score.
5Zo7QiN.jpg

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This buck has been officially measured and nets 171. I'm not sure that tells the whole story. His gross score is 186 with a 180 main frame. I think most of you guys have bucks that fall into this bracket. It's just extremely rare to net 190 and over, even then the buck will have scored more. Isn't more better ? LOL

IMG_2357sat.jpg
 
Score doesn’t really matter except in a few cases. If I have an official record animal, I go by the net score since that’s what qualifies it. Unless I’m next to someone I’m trying to impress, then I go by gross since it’s a bigger number and it does something to the person listening when it hits their ears.
 

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