I'd like to start a debate.....about points....

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Am I the only one that does not understand why so many guys (and Gals) don't count the eye guards on coues??? It is a score-able point....

 

I know a bunch of folks that call this a 4x4 and lots of others that will say... "No Way! That is a 3x3!"

So.... any thoughts??? I have been on both sides of this debate and am really just bored.... so this is what I came up with to pass the time.....

[Coues79]

I'd call it a 3 point. That's the way I was growed up learning.

 

Regardless, thats a really nice buck.

[Kilimanjaro]

I grew up calling the WT in the pic an 8 point, but that's back in Tejas.. I'd LONG since learned western count prior to moving here to AZ from when we hunted NM each year as kids for muley bucks with my kin from there and were ribbed by my cousins who thought Texas count was crazy.. I've been in AZ over 6 yrs now and I've pretty much brok the old TX habit of counting all the points. But in all seriousness, I have NO idea who came up with saying a deer such as the one in the pic is a 3X3.. "Are you BLIND??!! See those 4" brow tines sticking up on top of his head??!!!"

 

I'm good with either!

[cramerhunts]

3x3 all the way, but as mentioned before that is what I was taught growing up. Right or wrong that's what my kids will call it as well.....

[elkaholic]

hello - I can't say for positive but i think it was adapted from the typical muley- never really see any eye guards- - some refer to it as the western count- To me you got a nice 3x3 - It's been that way for as long as I can remember - Gary

[308Nut]

The way I always understood it was if it is a WT (of any variety) you count ALL the points. The one pictured is an 8 point. If it is a mulie, 4x4 with or without eyeguards, it is a "4 point". If it is a 4x5 with or with out eyeguards, it is a 4x5. If it is one of those huge hogs with lots of points (regardless of breed), then its a toad, mutant, pre-historic, cactus buck, hog, pig, stud buck, jurassic, gi-normus, booner, a wow, or just a plain old whopper. With eye gurds then its with cheese.

[wardsoutfitters]

I get jacked up all the time with clients , I have to remind myself if there from the east it would be a 8 point and if there westerers then a 3 point or 3x3

[ehunt]

I would call that a dang nice 3 point!!! But as far as how to count them, i have not really heard it the other way.....except from my uncle in Michigan who brags of his great 10 point bucks all the time!! but i know better!!!

[bonecollector]

It seems to me that everything west of texas its a 3 point and east of texas its an 8 point dont know why

[loco4coues]

I was taught 3 point. Also reference the votes about 2 points, we also call them "fork horns". ie: my first buck was a fork horn.

[Redman]

I'd call that deer a toad....

 

Redman

[DubTee]

I agree with 308, if it's a whitetail count em all, more than likely the browtines/eyeguards are going to significantly affect a final score on a whitetail, therefore in my book they should be given credit when one talks about their buck. I can see why a muley isn't really credited it's eyeguards when talking about them, they usually don't amount to much, with some not having them at all. I am probably biased a little bit though, I grew up in the midwest hunting whitetails, it's easy for me on muleys to say 4x4, I hate saying that for a 10 point whitetail. You know what else, I'd had never heard the term "toad" to describe a good buck until I got out here. Also, I hear some people out here refer to fork horns as fork-ed horns, I don't know why but that bothers the crap out of me when I hear that.

[Red Rabbit]

Yep, it's a 3-point. Eyeguards don't count in western count. if in doubt, check the regs.

 

For eastern count it'd be an 8-point.

Iffin ya were on er huntin show, you'da touch each one with yer finger and count reeeaaallll slow...one...two...three..four...five...six...seven...uhhh, oh dang, starten over...one... two....three... four...five...six..seven...eight...yep a purty eight point.

[CouesWhitetail]

I agree with Gary. I think it has something to do with how Mulies don't tend to have eyeguards and perhaps in the west most people were mulie hunters and then just applied that count to a WT. I went to college out on the east coast and so when I first came here the western count threw me for a loop. When I did deer check stations on the rez, we still listed all points, including eyeguards on the datasheets.

 

The thing that really cracks me up about the western system is that you don't count the eyeguard which is a scorable point, but for that to be a 3 point, you have to count the end of mainbeam which is NOT a scoreable point. That's goofy. Maybe we should just rework the western system so that it's the end of the main beam that isn't being counted. Then it can still be a 3x3 (if you count the eyeguards) and you not ignoring scoreable points.

 

I have hard time ignoring the eyeguards on my mexico buck below!! They are a big part of why I shot him!

[Ernesto C]

it is a 3 by 3 plus eye guards