Though any catch is a good catch, seasoned hunters know that some animals are better trophy candidates than others. Regardless of your chances of being listed in the annals of time as a great elk or deer hunter, it’s nice to know you can do a rough score of your animal in the field. So pack a steel tape measurer and a note pad to work out your own rough score.Measure the inside spread of the main beams at it’s widest point. Measure the length of each main beam from the burr to the tip. Measure the length of each point more than one inch long from the top of the main beam to it’s tip. Measure the circumference of the main beam between the burr and the first point, then proceed to measure between the first and second, second and third and so on until you’ve measured the circumference of all segments. Finally, add the measurements together to obtain a rough gross score for your rack. There are deductions for asymmetrical presentation, and a non-typical rack is harder to score. However, the Boone and Crockett club offer a great online scorecard you can fill in or download for use in the field.
