How to Measure Deer Horns
After taking a monster buck during hunting season, hunters like to measure their deer's antlers so they can compare the size to other bucks that have been taken in that area. A deer's horns are scored by the number of points the antlers make as well as the actual size of the antlers.
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Instructions
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Measure the inside spread of the rack's main beams. Hold the tape measure parallel to the skull and measure the antlers at the widest point.
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Find the circumference of the main beam at four distinct points. The four points to measure are at the base of the horns, between the first and second tine, between the second and third tine and, finally, between the third and fourth tine. If there is no fourth tine, measure between the third tine and the tip of the antler.
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Measure the length of the rack's main beam. Hold the tape along the center of the outer curve of the antler.
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Determine the widest spread at any point of the rack. This is measured parallel to the skull and can be measured across either the main beams or points.
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Use the tape measure to find the tip-to-tip spread. This is measured between the inside tips of the two main beams.
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Count all of the points on the deer's horns. A point must be an inch long to count as a point, and the length of the point must exceed its width.
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Determine the length of all of the normal points. According to Boone and Crockett, "Normal points project from the top of the main beam."
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Get lengths for the abnormal points on each side of the rack. Abnormal points are those which do not fall in the pattern of points on the top of the main beam and do not qualify as normal points.
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Add the measurements together to get the final score for the deer's rack. Use an official Boone and Crockett score sheet to help you for official scoring purposes.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit whitetail buck image by Bruce MacQueen from Fotolia.com
