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

[AZ RANGER]

Just to make it more confusing, You never hear of a 12 or 14 point elk it is always 6x6 or 7x7 and eye guards are counted. Even the yankees call them that way.

[catfish]

people have different wa ys of calling them but thats A 3X3 NO QUESTION

[silenthunter686]

I was brought up in AZ and I'd call that a 3X3

[billrquimby]

I would call it a three-by-three. Here's how I explained it in my book:

 

"Whenever I mention the number of tines on deer antlers, I follow the western tradition of ignoring eyeguards. A four-by-four buck in the West, for example, is a ten-pointer in the East. With elk, however, we count every tine more than three or four inches long. Many of us count only the best side on elk and deer. For example, we’ll call a mule deer buck with two eyeguards and four tines on one side and three tines on the other a 'four-pointer' and a six-by-five bull elk a 'six-pointer.'”

 

It was confusing to me during the dozen years or so that I hunted the Texas Hill Country to hear people talking about 10 pointers, 12 pointers, 13 pointers, etc. I tried deducting two (for the eyeguards) and dividing by two. That worked most of the time, but I soon learned those Texans were counting every bump they could "hang a ring on" while I counted only prominent points.

 

Their method made no sense to me until I realized that those dumb Easterners knew no better.

 

Guess you should know that anyplace east of New Mexico's eastern border is "back East" to those of us whose family arrived in Arizona close to a century ago.

 

Bill Quimby

 

 

 

[GameHauler]

I would call it a three-by-three. Here's how I explained it in my book:

 

"Whenever I mention the number of tines on deer antlers, I follow the western tradition of ignoring eyeguards. A four-by-four buck in the West, for example, is a ten-pointer in the East. With elk, however, we count every tine more than three or four inches long. Many of us count only the best side on elk and deer. For example, we’ll call a mule deer buck with two eyeguards and four tines on one side and three tines on the other a 'four-pointer' and a six-by-five bull elk a 'six-pointer.'”

 

It was confusing to me during the dozen years or so that I hunted the Texas Hill Country to hear people talking about 10 pointers, 12 pointers, 13 pointers, etc. I tried deducting two (for the eyeguards) and dividing by two. That worked most of the time, but I soon learned those Texans were counting every bump they could "hang a ring on" while I counted only prominent points.

 

Their method made no sense to me until I realized that those dumb Easterners knew no better.

 

Guess you should know that anyplace east of New Mexico's eastern border is "back East" to those of us whose family arrived in Arizona close to a century ago.

 

Bill Quimby

 

 

[cessna]

Yep, it's a three point. What makes the difference anyway? The trophy quality is in the eye of the hunter who took him. Really nice buck, congrats! Amanda makes a good argument for changing the scoring procedure.

[pwrguy]

That is a 4X4 in my book, as with all whitetail. Eye guards are only excluded as a point on mule deer regardless of scoreable or not.

[ac guy]

. Even the yankees call them that way.

FYI, anyone not from east .of the Mississippi, or south of Maryland, and Ohio,Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois is a yankee

[Coues 'n' Sheep]

Id say its bout 95" DONE AND DONE!

 

 

95" what?

 

 

Great posts you guys... I think there are a lot of good reasons why it can be said all ways.... except 8 pointer.... I just can't do it.... I Ain't no Dang Eastern'er!!! I think there are still some good points of veiw to weigh in, I hope.... it has been good to read all the input. This topic is kinda like the "coues deer" vs. "cows deer" debate.

 

I will openly admit that I am a 4x4, guy.... I often refer to a buck like Colton's as an "In Line 4 point", or a 4x4, or just a 4 point, cuz it has 4 points in a row.... and my true dream Coues is an "In Line 5 Point".... one of these days I will get one on my wall! Maybe January will be kind to me....

[Browning'sCustomMeat]

3x3 is how I'd call it.

[AZantlerhead]

Just to make it more confusing, You never hear of a 12 or 14 point elk it is always 6x6 or 7x7 and eye guards are counted. Even the yankees call them that way.

 

HMMMM , good point, yes i'm more confused now

[AZantlerhead]

Id say its bout 95" DONE AND DONE!

 

 

95" what?

 

 

Great posts you guys... I think there are a lot of good reasons why it can be said all ways....

 

Yup, and coltons was a 110 gross or net i think? It made 100, that's a given. somewhere in there. But Johny you'd better shoot the first 95 you see, probly a booner, by far Heck, last year i thought i was shootin somethin way smaller than what I walked up on, gotta love Coues for their GROUND EXPANSION

[crazyaboutcoues]

I grew up in SWNM and everyone from here would call that an eight point. Having hunted with alot of AZ guys, I've started calling that a 3 point. In Kansas that's a 4 by 4, in Utah thats a 4 point buck.

 

Being a guide you have to adapt to the terminology of the client or they could pass on a giant three point.

 

When I talk with my AZ buddies I say what they understand, when I talk with my cousins, uncles ECT...I adapted to thier understanding...

 

 

SOOOO....if i'm hunting in AZ that's a three point. If i'm hunting in NM that's an eight point, if I'm in KS that's a 4 by 4, Whew...I think I just confused myself

[billrquimby]

In Europe hunters aren't as enraptured about the number of points as much as the amount of water their red deer's, fallow deer's and roe deer's antlers displace, and how it conforms to the standard their record-keeping organization (the C.I.C.) has set. A hunter could shoot a red stag with 14 points per side but without the "baskets" and mass the C.I.C. likes to see on red deer antlers, and his stag might not qualify for even a bronze medal.

 

Judging antlers by weight and "beauty" and not inches (or centimeters) might be okay for roebucks and fallow deer, I guess, but the red deer is a subspecies of Cervus elaphus, making it a very close cousin of our elk. It sure confuses things when a European is talking about his trophy.

 

Bill Quimby

 

[youngbuck]

I would really like to see water displacement scores. For elk maybe a displacement measurement and a spread. How do they do displacement measurements? I would imagine a large water tank, but how accurate could that be with a tank big enough for an elk, especially if the skull plate can't be broken in two?