elkoholic Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I was just thinking how crazy it is that as deer hunters we have become obsessed with the "score" a particular buck's antlers have attained. With more and more posts asking "What will this buck score", and the whole "big buck" craze one has to wonder if we have begun to loose focus on why we hunt. Certainly, passing on younger deer in search of a more mature buck makes sense, but we need not be all that concerned about the inches of antler. It is about the experience, not the amount of bone we can hang on the wall. Good hunting to all. Enjoy the journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layin on the smackdown Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I will have to agree with you to some extent. I agree that it has gotten somewhat out of control with so much emphasis on "what it scores", as if you are an inferior hunter because your buck didn't score as high as so and so's...I think score came to the forefront mainly for those individuals who like to brag and big mouth what they shot with evidence that, even though it may have only been an 8 ptr, it is bigger than your 10 ptr because it "scores" higher...With all the contests and competitiveness (which is something of the recent past) going on, all the hype is based on inches of antler, and not the hunt or kill itself. In retrospect, i think people want to know scores of deer so they can get a better idea of the size of a rack to help them understand the different levels of "trophies"...i.e. 130, 140, 150 etc. Why that matters, well, i have no idea. Just my opinion i guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I can respect your view on hunting. Perhaps your grouping all trophy hunters into the same pot is a little misdirected? I'd bet my perspective/focus on hunting is not that different than yours with the possible exception that a big antlered deer gets my heart pumping more than say a spike buck will. I personally believe that one can be a "trophy" hunter and still have a good "focus" on why hunters hunt. The meat source my family eats comes primarily from deer that I have harvested which makes me a meat hunter. I also like the challenge of shooting a big antlered buck that I can hang on my office wall which makes me a trophy hunter. Being both is a great place to be in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Well Dave, I can see your point, but think some of us like to play the scoring games to see how close we can get despite knowing that we will likely never see a deer of the caliber that is in the pics where we may hunt. Me personally I hunt for mature deer and I know that the chances of killing a pope and young deer here are not all that likely, if I managed to ever kill one though I would probably have it scored officially just to compare how close my guesstimate was. It is kind of fun seeing how close you can guess by a picture, just like it is kind of fun to guess ages and then later compare to teeth of that deer. When a hunter chooses to kill or not kill a deer depending on score, guess that is their choice. Some hunters do seem to put a lot of emphasis on score. I do think however that those of us who participate in these for fun scoring games for the most part probably in the end have more depth to us than being just about a score, I agree maybe too much sometimes. Think the question on score for a lot of posters is to see how the deer measures up to deer in other areas and to help them get a better idea if the deer they think they may have a shot on is as good as they think it is. I know the deer I hope to have a shot on here this archery season should be a 120 class deer when he is done growing, that is a great deer for this area. If I see another mature deer I will not hesitate to kill it. To each their own the way I see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Givan Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I enjoy trying to guess the score of bucks just by a picture as others have said. I dont judge other deer that other people have taken however and decide whether they have a trophy or not. All that matters is that the hunter is proud of the deer taken, no matter the score. Personally I like the challenge of killing a big deer and score is the best way for me to compare one buck to another. I always want to improve and kill a buck that is just a little bit bigger. So score isnt everything, but it is important to me personally when hunting. BTW killing a doe gets my heart to pumping just as much as if it was a 180 inch monster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I enjoy trying to guess the score of bucks just by a picture as others have said. I dont judge other deer that other people have taken however and decide whether they have a trophy or not. All that matters is that the hunter is proud of the deer taken, no matter the score. Personally I like the challenge of killing a big deer and score is the best way for me to compare one buck to another. I always want to improve and kill a buck that is just a little bit bigger. So score isnt everything, but it is important to me personally when hunting. BTW killing a doe gets my heart to pumping just as much as if it was a 180 inch monster. Same here Ethan! Exactly the way I look at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom2008 Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I will have to agree to an extent. I know the reasons I hunt and that is for the hunt. For being outside and being allowed to experience things that other people may never be able too. Now score of a buck on the other hand is an add on, but I love getting into it. It is something that makes hunting mature whitetails even more enjoyable. I think it is a lot of fun to guess scores and I also score a lot of deer with the tape. Ethan makes a very good point and I also totally agree with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthehuntinman Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I like the sport of hunting I enjoy being out in the woods just watching things. I posted the pictures of the deer and asked what they would score I just wanted to see how close I came to what everyone else thought. I just wont shoot a little 6 point or something like that let him go to get bigger. I don't have to kill the biggest buck there is to be happy I'm happy with all the deer I have got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 (edited) I could care less about score of a buck as long as he's a old mature deer. Score is nothing. I like to hunt after bucks with lots of mass and old wise bucks. I agree with Ethan though, we guess to see how close we are. I'd love to be a Indiana scorer. Edited August 13, 2009 by Casey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I guess I might be the exception on this one. I'm extremely concerned about what type of buck I kill. I have a yearly goal of 125 inch eight or 140 inch ten or higher and 3.5 years old. I'm just not interested in taking a buck below those parameters from where I hunt unless he's injured or needs removed from the gene pool because of genetics or age. Now with that all being said I also very into doe/herd management. I will shoot 2-4 does per year and I donate meat to people after I keep the first two for my freezer. More hunters than not, whether they want to admit it or not, have a little bit of a ego when it comes to hunting and killing a big deer. There is a certain sense of higher accomplishment that comes with taking a large deer. I just can't buy the fact if someone tells me they are just as excited about a doe as they are about a true monster buck. I get extremely pumped up about ANY deer I take and I shake like a scared rabbit after everyone and that's why I hunt, but when a big deer hits the ground my adrenaline is at a whole new level. To know that you passed on that exact deer the last two years, letting him grow up, then you get a arrow or slug in him is a feeling that I just can't put into words....... I relate this to playing sports competively. I think back to when I played. I got jacked up for EVERY game I played and the goal was always to same and that was to win. With that being said, there was always a different mentality when for me and my team when a nationally ranked team or rival was who we were facing that week. Everything went to a whole new level. I consider a big buck that nationally ranked team and if we won the victory meant all that much more...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I guess I might be the exception on this one. I'm extremely concerned about what type of buck I kill. I have a yearly goal of 125 inch eight or 140 inch ten or higher and 3.5 years old. I'm just not interested in taking a buck below those parameters from where I hunt unless he's injured or needs removed from the gene pool because of genetics or age. Now with that all being said I also very into doe/herd management. I will shoot 2-4 does per year and I donate meat to people after I keep the first two for my freezer. More hunters than not, whether they want to admit it or not, have a little bit of a ego when it comes to hunting and killing a big deer. There is a certain sense of higher accomplishment that comes with taking a large deer. I just can't buy the fact if someone tells me they are just as excited about a doe as they are about a true monster buck. I get extremely pumped up about ANY deer I take and I shake like a scared rabbit after everyone and that's why I hunt, but when a big deer hits the ground my adrenaline is at a whole new level. To know that you passed on that exact deer the last two years, letting him grow up, then you get a arrow or slug in him is a feeling that I just can't put into words....... I relate this to playing sports competively. I think back to when I played. I got jacked up for EVERY game I played and the goal was always to same and that was to win. With that being said, there was always a different mentality when for me and my team when a nationally ranked team or rival was who we were facing that week. Everything went to a whole new level. I consider a big buck that nationally ranked team and if we won the victory meant all that much more...... Every deer I see in the stand or blind, I will get the shakes and nervous, if I ever lose that, I will quit hunting deer. Same as turkey hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layin on the smackdown Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Alot of good points here, and i will easily agree with just about all of them. The more i read all of these valid points, the more it helps me understand why scoring is so popular now adays...One question that comes to mind...Where would deer hunting or any other type of big game hunting be if scoring was never invented? I think it is another element of the hunt...Its about gaining knowledge of these animals, thier biology, genetics, etc...As outdoorsmen and women, we have an ongoing thirst for knowledge about the game we persue...Some people like to learn every statistic there is about certain quarter backs, or teams, or leagues, to a point that it is almost ridiculous...As hunters, this is what we do. I like to score every shed i find, I score every road kill buck i pass up (if i can get the antlers before someone else), i size up and score every buck i see on the hoof...Its enjoyable, its part of being an enthusiast, and its a tool to help understand the correlation between age and antler development...It helps hunters understand the possible potential in thier area...Altogether, i think scoring animals is just very interesting, and its a part of the game that intrigues very many of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coles Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 in all honesty i get hung up on score all the time. Like this last hunting season for example. I set my goal high to shoot a high scoring buck and hunted hard all season. missed a couple really big bucks and chased one for two weeks straight. I ended up shooting a smaller buck that was still a good buck but not by anymeans huge. I was still just as happy with that deer that maybe scored 125 as i would have been with a deer that scored 175. I get hung up on score but after i do shoot something i still cant help but reflect back on all the memories of the season and to me thats what counts the most. Maybe some day ill shoot a 175" buck and that will only add to the memories of that same season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTINGMAN Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I have never had any of my deer scored and know very little about how to score a deer,it just has naver been important to me.If I killed a monster sure I would have it scored but I have never felt the erge to have it done.I am not going out and shoot spikes or four pointers but I could care less what size rack is on a deers head because im in it for the rush and that surge of adrenilen when the moment of truth arrives.The year before last it was late in the season and I shot a fork horn that only had one antler because I needed the meat in the freezer,I got just as excited over him as I would a big ten pointer.Scores are for ball games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I suspect it all comes down to hunter motivation. For some, the hunt is a competition between themselves and the deer. For others it is a competition between themselves and other hunters. The latter needs a scoring system to keep track of how they rank relative to other hunters. Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I suspect it all comes down to hunter motivation. For some, the hunt is a competition between themselves and the deer. For others it is a competition between themselves and other hunters. The latter needs a scoring system to keep track of how they rank relative to other hunters. Doc You nailed it once again, Doc! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 (edited) All hunters are different. Some are obsessed with score but those so called obsessed with score deer hunters are a minority. Many hunters do like to try to educate themselves to be able to field judge a buck's score but it's not an obsession with them. Judging score is certainly easier for most hunters than judging a deer's age on the hoof. If I kill a big antlered mature buck I'll score him for gross score but it's not because I'm obsessed with a buck's score. I try to hunt for mature bucks (4 or older) and does unless I'm hunting someone else's place that has a minimum score requirement. Our hunting club here in MS has a 14" inside spread OR 18" main beam minimum in order to protect all the 1 & 2 year old bucks. That also requires some field judging expertise. If you hit the road hunting with some places or outfitters you'll find it necessary to be able to judge the gross score of a buck on the hoof. The outfitter's place where I hunted in IL last year had a 125 gross minimum. Any buck not making the cut cost the hunter a $500 fine. There's some other places I hunt in the midwest where the minimum gross score is a lot higher. Killing lesser bucks at these other places will get you a one way ticket home along with loosing you chance at ever hunting the place again. That boils down to the need to field judge a bucks score on the hoof. It's simply the means these places choose to use to protect their younger bucks...not an obsession. Edited August 13, 2009 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fly Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Doc, I have to respectfully disagree with your comment. My 7 year old son likes to play video games and he is always trying to top his high score. He plays alone, there is no one else to compete with. He keeps track of his score because when he tops his previous best score he has a feeling of accomplishment. Why couldn't deer hunters that keep score do the same? The issue of a pumping heart when a deer approaches is specific for each individual and will likely change over time. A doe still gets my heart going, but a 180 inch buck places things on a whole different level. Look at last years RT Monsterbuck video where Spook Span harvests 2 deer. A nice one and a REALLY nice one. Compare his emotions (heart pumping). I'm curious, of my friends here on the forums that indicate every deer gets their heart pumping. Do you all mean a spike buck will get your heart racing "THE SAME" as 180 inch buck? If so how many 180" bucks have you seen to know this to be true? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Doc, I have to respectfully disagree with your comment. My 7 year old son likes to play video games and he is always trying to top his high score. He plays alone, there is no one else to compete with. He keeps track of his score because when he tops his previous best score he has a feeling of accomplishment. Why couldn't deer hunters that keep score do the same? The issue of a pumping heart when a deer approaches is specific for each individual and will likely change over time. A doe still gets my heart going, but a 180 inch buck places things on a whole different level. Look at last years RT Monsterbuck video where Spook Span harvests 2 deer. A nice one and a REALLY nice one. Compare his emotions (heart pumping). I'm curious, of my friends here on the forums that indicate every deer gets their heart pumping. Do you all mean a spike buck will get your heart racing "THE SAME" as 180 inch buck? If so how many 180" bucks have you seen to know this to be true? Well said Frank. I see absolutely nothing wrong with a person challenging themself. Scoring deer does give a sense of comparing or judging and can help a hunter measure their own success or better gauge what it is that they are trying to accomplish. On your question about deer getting your heart pumping, the first one of the season I see tends to get me pretty excited no matter what it is. Reason being I know when that first one comes in there is always that chance there will be another behind him. Try my best not to get overly excited prior to shooting no matter what the animal is. Usually settle down pretty quick though. I cannot speak for 180 class animals, I have never seen one, not likely I ever will since the chances of such an animals existance here is virtually nil. My excitement and adrenaline really kicks in after the shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layin on the smackdown Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Doc, I have to respectfully disagree with your comment. My 7 year old son likes to play video games and he is always trying to top his high score. He plays alone, there is no one else to compete with. He keeps track of his score because when he tops his previous best score he has a feeling of accomplishment. Why couldn't deer hunters that keep score do the same? The issue of a pumping heart when a deer approaches is specific for each individual and will likely change over time. A doe still gets my heart going, but a 180 inch buck places things on a whole different level. Look at last years RT Monsterbuck video where Spook Span harvests 2 deer. A nice one and a REALLY nice one. Compare his emotions (heart pumping). I'm curious, of my friends here on the forums that indicate every deer gets their heart pumping. Do you all mean a spike buck will get your heart racing "THE SAME" as 180 inch buck? If so how many 180" bucks have you seen to know this to be true? I'm am with you on this one Fly...My heart gets going when i see deer period. But what i guess differentiates the significance of the heart racing is if it is "game time" of "play time"...When i have young bucks in sight or within distance to "play" with them, i normally do...I like to see how they respond to certain calls, noises, etc., when i know without a doubt i am not shooting that deer. When i get a shooter in sight, its "game time" and it is time to get serious, and thats when the heart racing starts to really pick up. My blood gets pumping when i see does too, its natural, and thats what i love about the sport. Getting close...I get pumped when i see deer period, but when you start talking about giants vs does and small bucks, i think my heart about flys out of my chest when i got a shooter coming my way...A shooter for me is 4.5 yrs old or older - they are mature deer, they are a challenge...Heck, i even get pretty pumped when i have one of those monarch does getting close, cause them suckers are as hard if not harder to kill than a mature buck... Like you said, it boils down to the challenge, and scoring is just one part of the overall equation... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 I certainly have a great deal of respect for the guys and gals that can consistantly pick a certain class buck (if not a specific buck) at seasons start and manage to hang a tag on them year after year. Setting personal goals in hunting is as important to me as setting them in life. Without goals ambition gets lost, if that means 160" of bone is what trips your trigger then by golly only shoot yourself 160 class bucks. This is kinda easy for me to reply to without passing judgement on anyones standards. Over the past 20 yrs of hunting whitetail, killing some big ones and some puppies, I like to keep realistic and oppertunistic at the same time. When a legal buck steps into my sights it's time to make a quick decision amidst all the excitement. I don't guestimate scores until the buck is on the ground. I don't have any trail cams to let me know of the monarch I would have never known about less I seen him with my own two eyes. My choices are made on the spot taking into concideration the conditions leading up to the oppertunity, the oppertunity itself, and the already known feeling of what it would be like to lay that particular buck down for a dirt nap. Guess I can understand the frustration felt in the original post. What gets to me most about the way inches add up is when I see alot of the young fellas starting threads asking for confirmation or permission if you will to kill a certain buck. Like our standards mean more to them than their own. Just seems to me alot of the spirit of the hunt has been lost for some along the way and that's upsetting to see, but now that we know how to grow 'em I don't expect that to change anytime soon. It's no different than growing giant pumpkins, when it comes down to size it's human nature to be competetive or make a sport of it. I'll keep on meat hunting. That by no means gives the the studs a pass, just means more meat and I don't have to shoot as many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunt or be Hunted Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 ok here is what i got to say on this. i really don't care about the "score" on the deer i just want it to be a good old deer. cuz the reason i hunt is to get some meat to put in the freezer. but now if i was hunting with a friend of mine and we had a challenge to who could get the bigger deer then yes i would like to see what my buck scores but im not obsessed with scoreing my deer. and like some ppl said here we just like to see how close we can get to the score by guessing from the pic....hope ya'll get that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoosierhunter Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Something I was thinking is that competitive drive could have a lot to do with this. I would tend to guess that the most competitive people will focus more on size. Whether it's a competition with yourself or others hunters it's still a competition for them. The people that "play for fun" might tend to gravitate towards just settling for what walks by first and not get as caught up in whether he's a wall hanger or not..... It's not scientific but I would think it holds true more often than not.....By more often that not I just mean over 51% to one side than the other..A slight tilt....... What do you guys think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruttinbuc Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 It comes down to the question of why we hunt in the first place. I know what my biggest buck looks like on my wall. I'll know what the score is when a bigger one shows up in shooting range. No reason to compete. I have watched guys scoff and stick up their nose at deer that wouldn't meet their "standards." Then I have watched guys who give out high fives and accolades and want to know the story of the dead dink in the back of the truck. Makes me really wonder what it is all about. The hype or the hunting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camoman1 Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 I suspect it all comes down to hunter motivation. For some, the hunt is a competition between themselves and the deer. For others it is a competition between themselves and other hunters. The latter needs a scoring system to keep track of how they rank relative to other hunters. Doc Couldnt agree more......I would like to shoot a big buck just like anybody else. But the only 'score' that matters to me is the number of pounds of venison in my freezer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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