Scores are just a way to help describe the size of a set of antlers. Whether records exist or not, most people would still rather harvest a rare, large antlered animal.
I'm a trophy hunter, but that's because I like the challenge part of hunting. For me, if I tell someone I'm looking for a 190 buck, it has nothing to do with record books. It's just a description of the amount of bone on a deers head that I think is very rare in that area that would make me feel like I accomplished something good if I were to have success.
I eat the bucks I harvest, but that's not why I hunt. There are much less expensive options for putting 40 lbs of meat in the freezer.
30 years ago people didn't use SCI score to describe the rare, large trophies. Instead we talked width and number of points. Score is just a better, more detailed way to describe size.
Even in the 60?s, nearly all hunters would?ve rather killed a huge, sporting goods store winning trophy buck than a dink 2-point.
Those contests back then were very popular. They gave away Jeeps back then! So clearly size was important then too. When I won something in the 80?s at a sporting goods store, they scored the buck by measuring width, height, and number of points. The current scoring systems are better at portraying the size of antlers than just width, height and number of points.
I don't think it's the number that people are chasing, it's just size and rarity. The score is just the description of size and rarity. And hunters have always been impressed by size and rarity. Like winning the lottery, the size of the prize and rarity of winning makes you feel good. It's fun! And with hunting where one can increase their odds of winning big by working harder than others, it makes it even more awesome to win and score on a big one.
Brian Latturner
MonsterMuleys.com
@mm_founder on Instagram
LIKE MonsterMuleys.com
on Facebook!