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"What does this buck score?"
I see this posted all the time and it begs the question; What methods do you guys use to quickly field judge a whitetail? I have always used 90 as a base for the main beams, make a quick adjustment solely on feel, then add the tine lengths to it.
I've never been fortunate enough to judge a mucho grande but it seems to work fine for our southern bucks.
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Campfire Ranger
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Here's how I do it..
A bucks ears average 7" from top to base, I compare tine length to a deers ear and add or subtract depending on length.
An average 8 pt buck will have 4 circumference measurements per side usually averaging 16" per side.... Multiply that times 2, if it has more mass I add or subtract accordingly.
Width.....an average buck will be 15-16" ear tip to ear tip...again I judge inches accordingly.
Main beams same thing, an average buck will have 20-21" main beam length per side and again multiply times 2 if it looks average. A truly big boy will have 26" and on up main beams and they are pretty easy to tell they are long as once the beams get 26" they look like guardrails going down a highway.
I can usually get quite close to guesstimating a buck by using my parameters in less than 30 seconds.
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If I miss he scored 170"+....
Black Cows Matter!
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width and tine length are easy....mass is another story
Maker of the Frankenstud Sling Keeper
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the longer I had to drag / pack him, the more he scores and the heavier he was  GRF
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I use the ears as a general indicator of spread, and comparison to tine length. Mass is another matter which is a straight up guess. I don't get too exact with it, my general rule is big bucks look big. If you have to talk yourself into it he probably isnt that good. The best way I have found is looking at a lot of deer, Elk, Antelope, whatever. Look at pictures with a known score.
Its hard to explain but you kind of get a feel for what a certain class has for attributes. Also, Spread can be decieving if other factors are not there.
Last edited by TakeEm; 03/05/12.
Isaiah 6:8
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I agree with TakeEm, look at pictures of typical bucks online from the deer farms with a known score, also it helps if you know the "average" buck in your area and what that scores. For instance, if the average buck in your area that you are used to seeing is a 17-18" spread 8 point with 9 inch tines, figure out what that buck scores with average mass. then when you see one in the woods, you will have something to start with and can add/ subtract for mass, tine length, and spread. I never add any points due to spread, because the spread is the hardest thing to judge on a deer on the hoof in my opinion. Especially if you see him walking away from you he will look 3-4" wider that he really is.
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the record buck for my county is 150 1/8th killed in '95.
I know what a 9 point typical 125" gross looks like because I have him hanging on the wall.
When they get bigger than him they are FKIN BIG, to me.
That doesnt mean I wont shoot a 6 point.
Hell, its SC. I can shoot whatever I want. There are no antler resrictions other than the ones i place on myself.
TRUMP- GABBARD 2024
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i am in the same boat, no restrictions. i killed a 9 point when i was stationed in SC that was a nice buck, they do have some down there. but since you have an idea what a 125" buck looks like you should be able to get a ballpark score on him, unless you get buck fever lol
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Campfire 'Bwana
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There are formula's....but I wait until my lower jaw hits my chest,and the ocular of the scope scrapes my bulging eyeballs.  Then I know he is "big"....this has not happened often.  I find that if I have to take a lot of time to judge them, they are never as big as I originally thought and ground shrinkage is inevitable. You never mistake a truly big buck for anything else IME.
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Campfire Oracle
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I go by the old JOC addage " The big ones LOOK big..." 
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Ingwe that is absolutely true...they never have to be "sized up".
The 280 Remington is overbore.
The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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I go by the old JOC addage " The big ones LOOK big..." yes
If you cant hang'em on the wall
Hang'em between your teeth!!!
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Having never hunted or shot a white tail I am not sure how to tell. However when I watch them hunted on the sports shows its readily apparent when a big one comes out. Mule deer I think are easier, if it looks 3 feet wide and a couple of feet tall its a "big" buck.!!
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Campfire Outfitter
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Here's how I do it..
A bucks ears average 7" from top to base, I compare tine length to a deers ear and add or subtract depending on length.
An average 8 pt buck will have 4 circumference measurements per side usually averaging 16" per side.... Multiply that times 2, if it has more mass I add or subtract accordingly.
Width.....an average buck will be 15-16" ear tip to ear tip...again I judge inches accordingly.
Main beams same thing, an average buck will have 20-21" main beam length per side and again multiply times 2 if it looks average. A truly big boy will have 26" and on up main beams and they are pretty easy to tell they are long as once the beams get 26" they look like guardrails going down a highway.
I can usually get quite close to guesstimating a buck by using my parameters in less than 30 seconds. That sounds like a pretty good system i reckon,...but what do you do if your just given a 3 or 4 second window to make your decision?....
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Campfire Ranger
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If in doubt let em walk..
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That sounds like a pretty good system i reckon,...but what do you do if your just given a 3 or 4 second window to make your decision?....
Thats my thoughts as well. I use to get all worked up about age and score. There's no way to effectively stalk the southeast and judge age and score. If you see a buck while stalking you better get to shooting. You must be on stand and have little while to run down all the checklist. Many hours on stand for many years produced one good buck. I got burned out. This year I decided to kill any decent buck. I ended up with two fair bucks and had the most fun hunting deer since I was a kid. I could care less what they score, or what they might have scored next year.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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the record buck for my county is 150 1/8th killed in '95.
I know what a 9 point typical 125" gross looks like because I have him hanging on the wall.
When they get bigger than him they are FKIN BIG, to me.
That doesnt mean I wont shoot a 6 point.
Hell, its SC. I can shoot whatever I want. There are no antler resrictions other than the ones i place on myself. Yup! Yup! Yup! BTW RW are you in low country? Thinking so.... in the Piedmont up here.
Proud to be a true Sandlapper!!
Go Nats!!!!
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That sounds like a pretty good system i reckon,...but what do you do if your just given a 3 or 4 second window to make your decision?....
Thats my thoughts as well. I use to get all worked up about age and score. There's no way to effectively stalk the southeast and judge age and score. If you see a buck while stalking you better get to shooting. You must be on stand and have little while to run down all the checklist. Many hours on stand for many years produced one good buck. I got burned out. This year I decided to kill any decent buck. I ended up with two fair bucks and had the most fun hunting deer since I was a kid. I could care less what they score, or what they might have scored next year. Thats the way I am too. I took a little sip of that tape measure kool-aid back in the day, If thats what other folks want to do they can have at it, not me. I really don't care what a deer scores if i decide to kill it. I have never put a tape on any buck I've shot. Where I hunt there are no ag fields or crp or anything like that. Its mountains with laurel so thick that you usually can't even see the whole deer or its rack at one time much less judge its rack against the deers other physical features...I know what the realistic expectations are for the region I hunt and they are not 160 bucks, not even close, and they never will be in huntable numbers.
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That sounds like a pretty good system i reckon,...but what do you do if your just given a 3 or 4 second window to make your decision?....
Thats my thoughts as well. I use to get all worked up about age and score. There's no way to effectively stalk the southeast and judge age and score. If you see a buck while stalking you better get to shooting. You must be on stand and have little while to run down all the checklist. Many hours on stand for many years produced one good buck. I got burned out. This year I decided to kill any decent buck. I ended up with two fair bucks and had the most fun hunting deer since I was a kid. I could care less what they score, or what they might have scored next year. Thats the way I am too. I took a little sip of that tape measure kool-aid back in the day, If thats what other folks want to do they can have at it, not me. I really don't care what a deer scores if i decide to kill it. I have never put a tape on any buck I've shot. Where I hunt there are no ag fields or crp or anything like that. Its mountains with laurel so thick that you usually can't even see the whole deer or its rack at one time much less judge its rack against the deers other physical features...I know what the realistic expectations are for the region I hunt and they are not 160 bucks, not even close, and they never will be in huntable numbers. Agree with both of you. My scale is: small one, nice one, monster. I'll usually shoot the nice ones. The monsters are few and far between. It ain't like you see on tv down here in Alabama
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