How to Score Whitetail Deer Horns

A typical whitetail's antlers grow up and off the top of the main beams.

Big-game animals have a scoring system that determines which trophies make it into the record book as the biggest animals taken. The official scorers of big game and the keepers of the record books are the Boone and Crockett Club for game taken by firearms and the Pope and Young Club for those taken by archery. Official illustrated scoring sheets and specific instructions for measuring whitetail antlers are available from both organizations. This will allow you to measure the horns to determine whether the animal is big enough to be considered for official scoring.

Things You'll Need

• Official scoring sheet for whitetail deer
• 1/4-inch-wide flexible tape measure

Instructions

1. Count the number of points or tines on each antler. To qualify as a point, the tine must be at least an inch long, measuring from where it grows out of the main beam.

2. Take three different spread measurements. The first measurement is from the tip of one main beam to the tip of the opposite main beam. The second measurement is straight across the widest distance to the outer edge of the main beams or tine points that might spread outside of the main beams. Take the third measurement between the widest span on the inside of the main beams.

3. Measure the lengths of all abnormal tines. These are any tines that grow in non-typical places such as under the beams or off a main tine. Add them up for right and left antlers.

4. Run the length of both main beams individually by beginning at the bottom of the antler burr and following along the center of the outside curve of the beam all the way to the tip of the beam. Record each measurement.

5. Measure the length of each normal tine from where the tine grows out of the main beam, along the outside of the tine to the tip, following the curve of the tine. Normal tines or points are the tines that grow out of the top of the beams in typical whitetail fashion.

6. Finish measuring by taking four circumference recordings. Measure the circumference of the beam between the antler burr and the brow tine, then again between the first and second, second and third and third and fourth tines, all at the narrowest places on the beam. Do this for each beam.

7. Add all the measurements together rounding each to the nearest eighth of an inch. Minimum score for Boone and Crockett for a typical whitetail is 160 points. Minimum for Pope and Young is 125 points.

Tips & Warnings

• If your deer is over the minimum score for either organization, contact it for the necessary forms and instructions for having the antlers officially scored.

• Whitetail categories are for typical and non-typical deer. Typical is for antlers that grow in a normal pattern for the deer. Non-typical are antlers that grow in abnormal patterns, such as numerous tines twisted together or growing out in all directions.

• Don't use a carpenter's tape measure for scoring as it is hard to bend and inaccurate for these fine measurements. An official scoring tape can be purchased from either organization.

• It is helpful to have a second person to assist in holding the tape on longer and curved measurements and to record while you measure.

• Affidavits and notarized statements are required when entering a trophy; falsifying information will cause your trophy to be disqualified.

References

• Boone and Crockett Club
• Pope and Young Club