I've always been a bit confused when so many archers start talking about Boone & Crocket vs Pope & Young. Mind you I've never shot a deer that would even come close to either one but I would think people would rather be known for their buck in Pope & Young as they are strictly for archery kills. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
I have shot and registered P & Y bucks, I would trade them all to have a shot at Boone & Crocket buck. Simple qualification in score between the two B & C requires about 30" more antler to enter.
As Sota mentioned - it takes a larger animal to enter into the B&C record book so it's considered more of an accomplishment. Not to take anything way from a P&Y animal, but they're significantly more common and for the most part easier to kill. Shooting an animal that net scores B&C and can make the record book is a thing that very few people will accomplish in their hunting lives.
Scoring can be confusing and even a lot of seasoned hunters have no clue, so I would not feel foolish for asking. When it comes to scoring there are net scores and gross scores just like your pay check and only the net score counts. That's where the terms "gross boone" or "nets are for fish" stem from. Pope & Young is pretty straight forward. A typical must net 125" and a non-typical must net 155". Bow only, no crossbow. Boone & Crockett can be confusing. There are two record books to qualify for. A three year awards program and an all-time book. In order to qualify for the three year awards program a typical must net 160" and a non-typical must net 185". In order to qualify for the all-time book a typical must net 170" and a non-typical must net 195". A Boone & Crockett buck can range from a road kill to a bow kill. A net all-time book "Booner" is definably the holy grail of deer hunting, but so much more rare that it is lead on to be. I am very proud to be in the Pope & Young record book and only hope to one day shoot a true "Booner".
Also if you take a Boone and Crocket buck with your bow, you can also enter that animal in Pope and Young club. Don't have to just enter in one club, as long as it qualify for each club.
I noticed you weren't signed up, so I went ahead and did that for ya. You should be getting some calls soon!
I don't like any of the record books. I don't understand why you would ever subtract from what the deer actually grew. Makes no sense to me. (I understand the reasoning, I just don't agree with it). I have a buck that should gross around 150, but wouldn't even make P&Y. He completely broke his G2 off so he is a 5X3, way too many deductions.. I have no intentions of paying the money to get a buck in the record books unless he's a state or world record and there's not much chance of that ever happening.
I think the antlers should be weighed too. True measurement of mass. Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
I agree. I never understood the deductions aspect to scoring a deer. I understand have typical and non typical but bone is bone (That's what she said) why deduct anything.
I don't hunt to put deer in record books, though yes, I would most definitely do so for a state or world record (not gonna happen). I have three deer that make the P&Y book by their standards, but none have ever been entered. I have my own personal goals but they're all based on gross score. I want to take a 170" gross deer someday. I don't care if he nets 120". He grew it.. i'll count it!
I do not get the whole "net" score either. On a rifle hunt in Alberta in 2012, I killed a gross 216" Non-Typical Mule Deer. B & C cutoff was 215 Net. He netted 210 5/8.
I have had a guy tell me "don't measure the stickers they will hurt the score." So I said the famous f that nets are for fishing if you're worried about net score you can grab a hack saw and take away these "deductions" if you think the deer would look better. I have never understood how if a deer had a shorter tine to even them out and less sticker points it could score the same or more by the official net with less antler Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Thanks Justin & Sota. That clarifies it a lot for me. In my area the deer just don't get the quality foods to generate those types of antler growth. There are some big ones taken every now and then but the majority are much smaller. It doesn't make them any less challenging to get though.
