Are you wondering how to score a whitetail deer? Scoring is every bit as important as the hunt. In the end, if you cannot use this trophy to brag in front of your friends, what’s the point of it all?

How to Score a Whitetail Deer?

If you’re new to Ohio deer hunting, there is a good chance you don’t know how to score a whitetail deer. There are a lot of small details you need to pay attention to, and unless you have a proper guide, there is a good chance you will mess something up.

Luckily, there are a lot of different scoring sheets that you can use for this purpose. Measuring a whitetail by yourself is one of the most fulfilling things for all the proud hunters.

If you wish to learn how to score a whitetail deer, make sure to read this article from start to end!

• Start by measuring the inside spread

You need to start by measuring the widest point between the main beams. The steel tape is great, but you can also do the job with a good, old folding ruler.

• During the next step, you need to measure tine length

Measuring tine length on one side is the following step of the process. Oftentimes, hunters make a mistake by measuring from the wrong point.

In order to do it the right way, you will have to use a tape stretched across the base of the tine. Make sure that the top of that tape aligns with the top edge of the main beam.

If you need to do so, you can always use a pencil to mark the starting and ending point. Sometimes, you might encounter issues due to antlers’ shape. We will cover this in a few.

• Check the circumference

You will also have to check circumference. Luckily, you won’t have to measure it on both sides; just one will suffice.

Regardless of the number of tines, each rack will get 4 scores. You can use a flexible steel tape to measure them by starting from the smallest point that is located between the burr and brow tine.

After that, you should measure the smallest points between the tines. Things get a bit more complicated if a buck has 8 points.

In such a case, you will have to take the fourth circumference measure somewhere midway between the last time and the end of the main beam.

• During the next step, you will measure the main beam length

Measuring the beam length from one side is rather straightforward. However, people still make a lot of mistakes during this step.

The most common one measures the length from the wrong spot. The process starts with the lowest stop that is placed on the outside edge of the burr.

You will need a flexible cable to do it (you will have to hold it properly, or you won’t get the right measurements). Our suggestion is to take a tape to secure the cable to the beam. Once it reaches the endpoint of the beam, you can use an alligator clip.

Afterward, you just need to remove the cable, which will then be stretched alongside a tape measure that was previously placed on a flat surface.

• Do the same but from the other side

Most of the antlers are not completely symmetric. If they were, you could easily count them through simple multiplication.

Usually, however, you will have to count each side separately. Just make sure to do the same from the other side, and you will be much closer to the necessary measurement.

• Focus on abnormal parts

Besides the fact that antlers are often asymmetric, there are likely to be certain abnormal points. So, what does it mean when antlers are abnormal? Well, if there is any point or tine that does not come from the top of the main beam, they can be regarded as abnormal.

The list can include things such as stickers, leaners, drop tines, and kickers. As you can presume, every abnormal point should be measured separately. They will also need a separate section for recording purposes.

One thing though: for a tine to be regarded as a point, it has to be at least 1inch long. It should also be longer than wider.

• Making a proper calculation when scoring a whitetail deer

In the end, you will have to add everything up if you want to get the right whitetail deer score. In the end, this was the point of the whole process, right?

Keep in mind that the net score is what matters; record books are based on this particular value. In order to do it, you will need to remove (subtract, that is) all the abnormal points and side-to-side differences.

Another scoring is necessary after 60 days; this is when the drying period finishes. We hope you have a good one!