Mule Deer Score

[ida homer]

I can tell you one thing if you see a 180 buck your gonna know it. They're just...... different. Kinda like looking at bears, if you gotta talk yourself into shooting it then it's probably not what you think it is. When you see a big tuby come out though you know it there's no second guess. Same with a mule deer, big frame, heavy, large body, etc. You will know he's a shooter.

+1000

You won’t need to get out the spotter, you’ll know immediately.

 

[Hilljackoutlaw]

Anybody want to post pics of their deer with the B&C score? I’m trying to work on field judging a bit and pics may help!!! Thanks!

This one is 157 gross.

 

[Bambistew]

Huh ......? 114? No .... that my friend is a 130s deer . Did u forget inside spread ? Mass measurements ? Somethings missing

I'd bet each antler scores about 50", and it has a 14-15" inside spread. The perspective is deceiving IMO.
MB-16, G1-1.5, G2-11, G3-5, G4-4, 10-11" mass...

 

[JLS]

150 class

This is a 150s deer

 

[Big Slick]

I’m not an official scorer either. 160 on the left, 193 on the right. These are gross scores of course. Just a comparison for you.

 

[EYJONAS!]

Nice lookin deer

 

[tjones]

Most “160 class” bucks never get a tape put to them. If they did they wouldn’t be “160 class bucks”

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Most “160 class” bucks never get a tape put to them. If they did they wouldn’t be “160 class bucks”

Absolutely true IMO.

 

[Idreamofmuledeer]

Huh ......? 114? No .... that my friend is a 130s deer . Did u forget inside spread ? Mass measurements ? Somethings missing

 

[Idreamofmuledeer]

View attachment 126499

Here’s a better picture. I agree that pictures can be very deceiving sometimes.
that whitetail all the way to the right is a 109 4/8” white tail and the muley in the middle is a 70” muley. Kinda puts everything into perspective here.

 

[Idreamofmuledeer]

 

[Idreamofmuledeer]

 

[8andcounting]

Here’s a better picture. I agree that pictures can be very deceiving sometimes. View attachment 126500
that whitetail all the way to the right is a 109 4/8” white tail and the muley in the middle is a 70” muley. Kinda puts everything into perspective here.

Ok yup the first pic made him look way bigger

 

[grizzly_]

Sometimes a 180 buck really doesn't look like a 180 buck. I almost didn't shoot this deer and it wasn't until he was scored by an official measurer that I knew how foolish that would've been. It was my lack of understanding of deer scoring that almost cost me. He's long tined, heavy (velvet helps obviously), and has great main beams. Width is overrated, length matters.



This one really does look like the 203" buck he is

 

[mountain monster]

Grizzly- usually don't see such a dark spot on their chin like that 203 buck. Very cool! I've seen some but not that dark

 

[grizzly_]

Grizzly- usually don't see such a dark spot on their chin like that 203 buck. Very cool! I've seen some but not that dark

Thanks. Here's a pic that shows him better.

 

[klwinter921]

View attachment 126407
110 4/8”- net
114 2/8”- gross

well....its official...I know nothing about scoring if that's a 114" buck!

 

[----]

Thanks. Here's a pic that shows him better.

View attachment 126517

That deer does not match his background at all. Looks more like a NW MT or ID panhandle deer. Is it likely that he migrated to this from some dark timber somewhere? Gorgeous buck.

I've only scored two mule deer that I've killed. The first one made me realize just how true tjones' quote above is, and that there's no reason to put a tape to an 'average' MT buck.

 

[Idreamofmuledeer]

well....its official...I know nothing about scoring if that's a 114" buck!

Yeah you’re telling me! What I look at is if the antlers are at the ears it’s roughly 17 inches. And based off that you can kind of judge how big they are. You can guesstimate math but if you want a quick field verification just see how wide the rack is and if it’s at or outside the ears and if the rack is square and the deer is pretty symmetrical than you can guess it to be around 130. And go from there. Depending on mass and deductions. The best score you can get on spread for the “spread credit” is equal to but not longer than the longest main beam. So based off that you take 17” let’s say if it is at the ears and then check mass, and figure that same measurement for both sides (at most 4 mass measurements depending on how many points), then do your best to measure each point. It’s not full proof but it’s helped me with a starting point in the field. I know that was kind of confusing so if anyone wants clarification I can take the time to explain it better. Basically I’m saying you’ll never get a perfect measurement through the scope until you put a tape on him but it will atleast help you know that you’re shooting a caliber of buck that you want and not something super small. Mule deer are a lot different than white tails because if you look at one of my pictures, that whitetail doesn’t have the spread of height of the muley but it scores 1” less than that muley.
a good thing I like to do is just google pictures of mature mule deer, try and size it up yourself and then find the actual score. When you’dsize it yourself worry about gross, don’t worry about deductions. Gross is what the actual size is, the deductions are only for b&c / p&y, to me they don’t make a shit because I don’t care if it’s symmetrical or not.If it is an old, high caliber buck than shoot it and do your part to help strengthen the heard.

 

[Idreamofmuledeer]

Yeah you’re telling me! What I look at is if the antlers are at the ears it’s roughly 17 inches. And based off that you can kind of judge how big they are. You can guesstimate math but if you want a quick field verification just see how wide the rack is and if it’s at or outside the ears and if the rack is square and the deer is pretty symmetrical than you can guess it to be around 130. And go from there. Depending on mass and deductions. The best score you can get on spread for the “spread credit” is equal to but not longer than the longest main beam. So based off that you take 17” let’s say if it is at the ears and then check mass, and figure that same measurement for both sides (at most 4 mass measurements depending on how many points), then do your best to measure each point. It’s not full proof but it’s helped me with a starting point in the field. I know that was kind of confusing so if anyone wants clarification I can take the time to explain it better. Basically I’m saying you’ll never get a perfect measurement through the scope until you put a tape on him but it will atleast help you know that you’re shooting a caliber of buck that you want and not something super small. Mule deer are a lot different than white tails because if you look at one of my pictures, that whitetail doesn’t have the spread of height of the muley but it scores 1” less than that muley.
a good thing I like to do is just google pictures of mature mule deer, try and size it up yourself and then find the actual score. When you’dsize it yourself worry about gross, don’t worry about deductions. Gross is what the actual size is, the deductions are only for b&c / p&y, to me they don’t make a shit because I don’t care if it’s symmetrical or not.If it is an old, high caliber buck than shoot it and do your part to help strengthen the heard.

If you have good mass and they are the same in each side roughly then that will drive your score way up, they way they get you is on your deductions. My whitetail would’ve scored a hell of a lot better but it had 3 broken tines, (G-3, g-4 and the main beam on left side facing from behind the deer) it’s not all about the rack though, sometimes you get a really mature deer that has had poor genetics and didn’t grow too well in size, but has ran it’s course and is time for it to be taken out of the heard to help the population.