LAST EDITED ON Jul-22-11 AT 08:18PM (MST)[p]Well that is partially my point exactly.
As to what I am smoking? - Well nothing. I think his ears are canted a little forward and not laying straight out flat like you are assuming. Given that, the distance of the original photo and his ugly velvet rack that is distorting the perception a little, I think that in acutality he is not as wide as he appears. I am not a professional guide and don't have an obligation to keep a promise to a client to get him or her a 30 inch deer so it doesn't matter what I think.
I am saying there is a lot of variance in what he could be based on the pic itself. And I am not saying he is not a big deer, he certainly is, just saying it is hard to tell and if I am an honest field judge of bucks, then I am going to have a tendency to underestimate and be pleasantly surprised when the tape measure presents a number bigger than I had estimated. I would be very happy with this buck if he were 26 to 28, if he does go over 30 - bonus! But, if he only measures out at 24 or 25 - I am not going to cry foul and think I shot the wrong buck just because he appears to be "way out past his ears".
Let me just put it this way - If you have to debate about how big he might be, then he is not the giant that ends your hunt on some of the better LE units. If you are on a general unit - no way would you ever hesitate, but on the Henry's? On the Paunsaugunt? Southwestern CO? He is one you have to consider passing up because a "NO DOUBTER" might be around the corner.
UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)