bigorange Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Alright I grew up hunting in the southeast, so my first 2 bucks were 6-pointers. It took me a little while to get used to talk of 3-pointers or 3x3 but I'm used to it now. Can someone please explain the apparently common debate of counting or not counting eyeguards? I've noticed it even pointed out in several threads like this one... http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/36266-long-3pt-coues/ I get that it's common to not count the eyeguards, but why? Maybe even dumber question but by same logic why do you count the fronts on an elk if you're not gong to count the eyeguards on a deer? Please pardon my ignorance and educate me on this western vocabulary, lest I go back to calling them 6-pointers and 8-pointers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reganranch Report post Posted November 7, 2012 I understand it as a 3x3 is a 3x3 with eye guards (8 points total). I always assume there is eye guards when people mention 4x4's.3x3's and 2x2's and what have you, and if there are no eye guards its mentioned in the statement. An example being I shot a 3x3 with out eye guards. So in short, I think the general rule of thumb is that eye guards are always assumed they're there and are not counted when saying tine number, unless individual says without eye guards. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AverageJoe Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Dont count the eyeguards as points but count them on score. Simple as that. A 3 point has three points on one side other than the eyeguard. A 3x3 with eyeguards is not a 4x4 as a couple people have mentioned on here lately. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
More D Report post Posted November 7, 2012 in our family we would call a back east 8 point a "three point" or a "three by three" junk is junk we never count eye guard, reguardless if the deer has them or not, in the count. extra point on one side then we would say "a three plus an extra" weird i know Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pwrguy Report post Posted November 7, 2012 I have alway's counted eye guards as a point on whitetails, they are counted on every other whitetail east of here. It's funny to see this pop every couple of years. I think it is an east vs west thing because the west is predominantly mule deer country and you don't count eye guards on them. The majority of coues hunters do not seem to count them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHT_MTNMAN Report post Posted November 7, 2012 It started because most western hunters hunted more mule deer than anything. Since mule deer often times do not grow significant or even any eye guards then we count the "points" that mean much..as far as whitetail is concerned it is just tradition... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
THE RIFLEMAN Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Most of the Coues hunters on here have to take off a boot to count past eight because they refuse to count their thumbs....! LOL 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
POB Report post Posted November 7, 2012 wht_mtnman has it right... coues were a last resort deer when I was growing up. Most hunters in the 50's and 60's were meat hunters so mule deer came first and then the last weekend of the hunt you'd go south and kill al little coues. Mule deer don't often have eye guards sooo we didn't count them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunterjohnny Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Intersting point though, not on deer but on elk we count them. Hadnt really thought of it. But spikes dont have them so I dont have that problem! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Intersting point though, not on deer but on elk we count them. Hadnt really thought of it. But spikes dont have them so I dont have that problem! Maybe spikes shouldn't count since they're just big eyeguards. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hunterjohnny Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Intersting point though, not on deer but on elk we count them. Hadnt really thought of it. But spikes dont have them so I dont have that problem! Maybe spikes shouldn't count since they're just big eyeguards. Ouch! You took away my only 2 point! Is that the Boone & Obama Scoring System! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Thanks all for the comments and history. I think this is pretty interesting, especially since it's counter to how I was taught when I started hunting. If you could hang a ring on it we counted it as a point. Of course I no longer hunt out of treestands over corn or bean fields so I've learned other new tricks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigorange Report post Posted November 7, 2012 Intersting point though, not on deer but on elk we count them. Hadnt really thought of it. But spikes dont have them so I dont have that problem! Maybe spikes shouldn't count since they're just big eyeguards. Ouch! You took away my only 2 point! Is that the Boone & Obama Scoring System! Raises another thought...so how do folks report the points on the AZGFD survey post-hunt? Unfortunately I've had the luck to answer No to the harvesting a deer question so it hasn't come up for me....maybe this year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bryan Burkhead14 Report post Posted November 12, 2012 Count them in the score, not when your telling your buddy's what you got. That's the way I have always done it a 3x3 with eye guards is still a 3x3 whitetail or muley. My dad killed a 128'' coues in 1991 that had giant eye guards . One was 5" and the other was 5 and a half inches that split into two. Growing up he never counted them only in the score. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Couzer Report post Posted November 12, 2012 Count them in the score, not when your telling your buddy's what you got. That's the way I have always done it a 3x3 with eye guards is still a 3x3 whitetail or muley. My dad killed a 128'' coues in 1991 that had giant eye guards . One was 5" and the other was 5 and a half inches that split into two. Growing up he never counted them only in the score. Show some pics of that 128 toad! That's awesome!!!! If you have any!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
