Honestly, I think my brother and I (sometimes my dad) are the only ones in my area who have a clue. I like to score deer, I don't think it's hard and it helps you give better guestimates while on stand. But when my brother and I are talking to people around town or whatever, we'll say "Yeah, John Boy shot a nice 135" 4 year old.." and people look at us like we're half stupid. Most folks give something like this, "Jimmy Joe shot a HUGE 10 pt., 18" spread!!" Which is all fine and dandy, but it tells me absolutely nothing about the size of that deer. Sorry if I sound arrogant, it's just a pet peeve of mine.
Scoring is very popular in my immediate area due to the local big buck contest that has grown to over 4,000 members this years. There are big buck contests in all of the bigger towns and citys as well. When I talk to guys just about, sheds, whitetails or elk anywhere these days, score always seems to come up in the dialogue. I also believe the internet and the 100's of hunting shows availabe on satellite tv has made a fairly decent impact on the knowledge of scoring these days.
No scoring at all in my area. For mule deer and blacktail we call what most of you guys would call a 10 point we call a 5 pointer. We count one side of the rack if it is the same. If it isn't the same we call it a 5x4. We always say how wide it is too. So a nice 5 pointer 26" wide would be what we say. You never hear someone say that was a great 200 class buck.
Looks to me that if you are from a traditionally "big" buck state or if you or your group have taken a "big" buck for your area you probably have a grasp on scoring. Is that a fair assessment?
Since I work some hunting shows in the area, I'll say scoring as a concept, is pretty well known. But if they are not active in doing it, they have no clue...If I had a nickle for every 200" deer that someone told me they were chasing...I'd be a rich man.
No scoring around here...you only hear x inches wide and x inches tall etc. Generally if it is to the outside of the ears it's a pretty good buck, beyond the ears a very good buck and 20" and above a great buck....oh yeah while I'm at it, you can throw the whole "age" concept out the window too. lol
Not a lot around here in NY. Usually talk is about how wide (usually exaggerated:p) , how many points, G2's were so long, etc.... Honestly in my immediate area, as far as I know, me and my buddies are the only ones that even know anything about scoring. And we're not even that into it. Just have gained a pretty good idea about what one scores by the ones we've actually scored, other peoples bucks that have been scored, places like this, etc... I've become pretty good at guesstiamating a score over the years. Not like some on this forum, but usually not too far off.
I have heard this before, LOL Pretty much scoring is known about in my circle, but only a few actually know how it works. Most hunters in MI(just being honest) don't shoot bucks big enough to really care about scoring, but when they do, LOL Look out I think GR8 "concept of scoring" is a great way to put it.
Its used by abouy 75%(guesstimate) around here. Like Schultzy I would say the vast majoity of them are terrible with guessing score by looking at it. Its usually waaaay on the high side lol
People are pretty crazy about measurement numbers in Rock Town, WY. It's funny to hear somebody talk about a 190 mule deer. You can safely assume he's probably talking about a 140. It's also kinda funny and sad at the same time when people bring me their deer to mount and they find the real measurement. They're usually off by a minimum of 20 points. Everything is talked about in ,easurement points though, rather than actual points.
I guess thats the difference between you and me. I dont "keep score" of rights or wrongs and it doesnt "suck" either way.
Most of the bowhunting guys I hang with will say "a 130 inch 10 pointer" But the general public only knows points. If someone comes in my house and look at a deer on my wall they will ask how big he was and their asking body weight.
Explain to me how you are right? The vast majority of replies stated that scoring is prevalent in their areas.
I think the difference is that Atlas is lumping in all the 3 day a year deer hunters as average, and we consider bow-hunters that make the sport a big part of their life as "average". (this is a bow-hunting site.) Our "average" hunters grasp scoring. His "average" hunter doesnt. That I will concede. However, I will stand by my main point that the "average" deer hunters I have met and know, who score their deer assign no correlation between their skills and the scores of their deer. The score is simply that. Maybe in his world that equates to ego, but that is far from "average".
Since I grew up hunting in the western part of PA and still hunt out there a couple times a year and now live in eastern PA I get a decent cross-section of the state. Most people know what a score is and recognize that a 130" buck is "pretty big." A lot however tend to think that when they see a 100" inch buck that is a 130" buck and would have no idea how to score a deer if asked to. So, I would say the majority are score-aware, but not score-knowledgeable.
If you are in a group around here and talk goes to Bucks, the measurements are always discussed. 8 point, 10 point, etc means very little. I've seen 8 pointers that would score approx 140- 150 but many 10's that might not even make a 100. Talking scores gives everyone in the conversation an idea just what size of Buck you are discussing. Someone saying they killed an 8 pointer or a 10 pointer really means very little in giving you an idea what size buck they are talking about. I guarantee you a 100" to 125" Bucks won't excite most guys here Bottom line though if someone is Happy with what they killed then they have my Congrats!
