By Mike Guerin

need a 1/4 inch steel tape to measure the antlers. This is mandated by the rules, no other instrument can be used to measure the antlers except a flexible steel cable can be used to measure the points and main beams. Antlers or measured to the nearest 1/8 of an inch. Also no offical measurements can be taken until a mandatory 60 day drying period has elapsed.

All points are measured for the tip of the point to where it meets the main beam and must be 1 inch long to be counted.

First, measure the lenght of each main beam. Start at the base and measure along the outside of the beam to the tip.

Now measure the bucks inside spread perpendicular to the skull. Using the proper angle find the bucks greatest spread. Note: Maximum credit for spread is equal to the length of the longest main beam.

The bucks points or numbered G1-G7 on each beam. Where the G1 is the brow tines etc. Measure and record the length of each point.

Now measure the smallest circumference between the base and the browe tine. This is known as H1. H2 is the smallest circumference between the G1 and G2. If there are no brow tines then H1 and H2 are the smallest measurement between base and G2. The last circumference is taken halfway between tip of mainbeam and last point if G4 doesn’t exist.

Now add up all the measurements (inside spread, both main beam lenghts, tine lengths, and the circumferences) and this is the gross score. To get the final score you must subtract from the gross score the difference between the different measurements. For example if the left beam is 20 inches and the right beam is 18 inches then you must subtract 2 inches from the gross. Do this for the circ. and point length measurments as well. This will give you the buck net score.

A couple of mistakes that people often make. Here is one example. Suppose you are scoring a six point buck. You still get credit for all 4 circ. measurements. The last two on each side will be the same… measured half way between the last point and the tip.

Another mistake is would be counting tines past H7 on bucks with lots and lots of points. Wish I could have that problem. Another mistake that comes up periodically is counting small kickers towards the gross score of the deer before subtracting. On typical deer you not only have to subtract those odd points but you never get credit for them to start with so the gross score does not reflect them and then to get the net you must subtract them again. So it isn’t like they just never grew they are actually a detriment to the score, both net and gross.

Thats it. Now get to measuring.