If a beam or point looks straight, then it will be shorter than you think. There are several ways to field judge elk. Everyone should have a B&C benchmark before heading into the land of the bull elk. trophy Time length was over 55 on each side which is enough to make 300, he really just needed a little age and he would have been a dandy. To even have the potential for a good score, look for at least 6 pts per side. You want to look for anything that is sticking out or extraordinary. Its very easy to stare at great fronts or a big whale tail and miss those 6 third points! My guesses have been wrong many times, yet it is amazing how practice lessens the gap between field estimates and the actual measurements. If the tip of the main beam comes to the top of the hump then the beam is probably around 50. Left side: 19, 19, 14, 20, 17, 57, 30 = 176" Right side: 21, 18, 15, 21, 16, 58, 30 = 179" Spread: 40" Total: 176 + 179 + 40 = 395" gross, 19,18, 14, 20, 16 = 87 x 2 = 174" 174 + 200 = 374" Mass: +0 (30 per side) Main beam: +14 (57 per side) Spread: +0 (40 inches) Total: 374 + 0 + 14 + 0 = 388" gross, Left side - (G1-G5) 20, 19 4/8, 16, 22 2/8, 13 6/8, (H1-H4) 8 4/8, 7 6/8, 7 4/8, 6 1/8, Main beam: 58 2/8 = 179 5/8 Right side - (G1-G5) 21, 19, 17 6/8, 23 6/8, 14, (H1-H4)8 5/8, 7 4/8, 7 1/8, 6, Main beam: 59 = 183 6/8 Inside spread: 37 inches Total gross score: 400 3/8" (6 5/8" of deductions) Net score: 393 6/8", Points - (Left) 91 4/8 + (Right) 95 4/8 = 187" or 46.7% Main Beam - (Left) 58 2/8 + (Right) 59= 117 2/8" or 29.2% Mass - (Left) 29 7/8 + (Right) 29 2/8 = 59 1/8" or 14.75% Inside spread = 37" or 9.25%, (bull was also taken by KUIU's Jason Hairston). Bass Crash Course: Technique tweaks to maximize distance and accuracy. If you add these totals up for main beams, spread, and mass from both sides you get 200 inches. They are like a guess the score game- pretty fun. Other than big fish stories, I dont know of anything that gets stretched more than the size of a bull elks rack. If a mature bull has good tine length, it's likely the inside spread will be ample. Hunters looking to break into the B&C minimums or hunters looking to figure out the difference from a 370 bull from a 390 bull all need to dissect a bulls rack long before they decided to pull the trigger. Las Vegas, NV 89113. First, I start with the magic number of 200. Thankfully, great progress has been made in recent years and []. Ask yourself if the bull is young or mature, then move on. GOHUNT is a registered trademark of GOHUNT, LLC. Look for any weaknesses such as short points, beams or weak mass. This series is based on "How to Score an Elk Antler and Field Judge Elk" per the Boone and Crockett scoring system. Standard Mule Deer Reference Sizes* Alert Ear Span Width. Hunter Guy Eastman breaks down how to use the Boone & Crockett scoring system for trophy elk. The reason is because Im not that interested in net scores. Main beams are rarely 60 or more. It's digital, customizable with over 500,000 data points: https://taghub.eastmans.com/ So far, the bull is totaling 215. Thats a lot of antler! antlers Way to keep chasing your dreams! But they spend thousands of hours year-round documenting big bulls and picking up these bulls sheds to score. The next two points are about 16 inches each on both sides: 64 points. Bulls with curvy looking points score well. Any bull that has a solid 200 inch base and no visible weaknesses is usually a 340 or better bull using this system. Next, try to figure out how mature is the bull that you are looking at and keep it simple. Check your email for a confirmation message. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. Last time I discussed air judging, estimate actual measurements method, magic number/estimate shortest points method and a short four part how to score an elk video series. In good habitat, a bull may have a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and then a small six-point rack as a 3-1/2-year-old. When a monster steps out, a hunter often has no time to count antler points, much less compute scores. 4th (sword point)=double the length of the eyegaurd. For details, read "A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game." Visit www.boone-crockett.org. It starts at a normally heavy 9 inches and keeps it pretty well, maybe 30 inches of circumference on each antler: 60 points. Horses & Winter: Too Much For Western Wildlife? Keep in mind that very few bulls are wider than 45 inside. Those men can tell you within two inches on the hoof the net B&C score of any bull. Tips for Field Judging Elk Tips for Field Judging Elk February 25, 2013 MISSOULA, Mont .--A trophy bull can turn up almost anywhere in elk country but opportunities to take one are rare. An elks first antlers are usually spikes. The National Wild Turkey Federation's mission to conserve wild turkey and preserve hunting heritage is still going strong after a half-century. Elk rack up a majority of their inches in tine length. Point length is the single most important ingredient for a bull to score high. If the 3rd's aren't diminutive (and a lot of times they are) he's 300 if the 4th's look right. scoring Among the accomplishments includes the recently concluded Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt initiative, which in 10 years conserved or enhanced 5.3 million acres of critical wildlife habitat, recruited 1.5 million new or lapsed hunters, and opened new access to 750,000 acres for hunting and recreation. Digiscoping is a must while scouting! The second method requires you to actually break the elk down and measure him by estimating actual point and beam length, mass and inside spread. 6630 Arroyo Springs St., Suite 1200 field judging Finally, go back to the main beam, mass and inside spread. All Rights Reserved. With the draw results out in the western states there are many hunters celebrating their good fortune in the draw. Jay Scott has a series of YouTube videos that I like. 5ths were 9 6/8 and 10, 40 inside spread. In the field, simply look for a spread that stretches well outside the ears. 3rds and 6ths tell a bunch. Start with 16 G1s and G2s, 12 G3s, 20 G4s, and 12 G5s. Taking these tips to the field could make the difference on the next time you go trophy mule deer hunting. Mass is usually less than 20 percent. Lets look at each. A bull for the book needs to have the complete package. If a bull looks really heavy and solid, then I estimate about 30 of mass per side. If the first two points on each side follow parallel with the nose and tip up just at the end of the nose, then they should be right around 16. 4. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 elk drop in each year to spend the winter. This time around we are going to dive deeper into field juding and scoring bulls. 1. You only need to be concerned with a rack that looks unusually narrow. Winchester's Nathan Robinson talks features with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Inside Spread--Boone and Crockett records show a wide variation on spreads of trophy elk. Jordan Budd. So lets look through the spotting scope at a really good 66 American elk. In the field, simply look for a spread that stretches well outside the ears. However, some of these criteria are more important than others. This year, the rifle will be chambered in 7mm PRC, the hot new load that was a hit at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. I field judge elk like this. Of course, there is a great shortcut for judging bulls that uses anatomical references, but instead of trying to estimate each measurement individually, I use a magic number for the main beam length, mass, and inside spread and then I compare the length of the points from one side to the other and estimate shortest points. Now of course to be real here, I know that when we do draw a premium elk tag that we want to make the most of the tag. You may want to do the same with a taxidermist in your area. The back fork is also pretty good, about 8 inches on each side: 16 points. The next two points are usually shorter, but they still need to approach the burr-to-nose yardstick. Next, I estimate the length of the main beams by using an important anatomical measurement. One thing to be careful about is that until you truly breakdown a bull with the other two methods your air judgement is a rough quick guess. He told me that if I think I'm looking at a 350" bull, to start with a base score of 200. When he is facing you, look at the width of his ears. General Sometimes there's ample chance to really focus and size up an elk in your search for the bull of a lifetime. That measurement is generally about 30. Let's start at the bottom of the antlers and work up. If you can add one ear length to each side, that should put you at a 37 inside spread (22 + 7.5 + 7.5 = 37). On a 6x6, the last point matters a lot. Long brow tines usually will follow the nose and then curl or bend upward. The dagger point is usually the longest point, and on a monster bull it will be half-again longer than the burr-to-nose yardstick, or even almost double that measurement. Wildlife Management and Ranching Under Attack on BLM Lands. In good habitat, a bull may have a 5-point rack as a 2-1/2-year-old and then a small six-point rack as a 3-1/2-year-old. However, mass is very hard to judge. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Counting PointsMost mature bull elk are 6x6s. First, I will start with the magic number of 200. Mass makes a huge difference and can be deceiving. Mike Eastman shares his strategy to field judging elk. Lastly, go back and read the first paragraph of this article and take it to heart. Will you harvest a bull packing a great rack or make a judging decision you will regret for many falls to come? Give a Gift Next, I estimate the length of the shortest point for each antler, double it, and then add them up. Jay Scott Outdoors If you can add an ear and a half to each side, then the inside spread measures approximately 45. It begins with the magic number 200. Thats right, you should have already shot! Will you know a world-class trophy if you see one? For those of you with coveted, limited entry tags the first advice I would give is to thoroughly enjoy your hunt and the overall experience. 400 Bull: G1= 20, G2= 20, G3= 20, G4= 20, G5= 16. 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