How to Score a Whitetail Deer With Antlers

While some deer hunters will shoot whatever kind of deer that walks by them, other hunters are primarily interested in shooting a "trophy" whitetail deer. The definition of what constitutes a trophy deer varies from hunter to hunter, but one of the ways trophies are measured is via scoring the antlers of the whitetail.

Things You'll Need

• Flexible measuring tool
• Non-flexible measuring tool

Instructions

1. Choose one side of the antlers to measure first. It does not matter which side you decide to measure first, since you will measure both the same way.

2. Mark each tine on the antlers. To do so, place a cable or other flexible measuring tool across the point where the tine extends from the main beam. Draw a line, then mark the midpoint of the line.

3. Measure the outside of the rack---from the burr to the farthest point---using a flexible measuring tool.

4. Measure the inside spread of the rack. To do so, use a non-flexible measuring tool to measure the widest point of the rack between the two main beams.

5. Determine the length of each antler tine. To do so, measure the distance from the mark you made in the middle of the line to the tip of the tine.

6. Use a flexible measuring tool to measure the circumferences of the main beam. The measurement should be taken from the narrowest point below the first tine, between the first and second tine, between the second and third tine and between the third and fourth tine. If a fourth tine does not exist, take a measurement from the narrowest point between the third tine and antler tip.

7. Measure any tines that grow from non-typical locations on the antler. These are known as non-typical points and grow off one of the tines, for example.

8. Measure the other side of the rack in the same way you measured the first side.

9. Add together the measurements of the main beam, tines and circumference from each side of the antlers.

10. Calculate the difference between the total of the right side and the total of the left side.

11. Calculate the total for the right side, the total for the left side and the measurement of the inside spread. From that figure, subtract the difference between the two sides of the antlers and the total length of the abnormal points.