What is bigger than average?
 

I was blessed in the 2010 season with being given the opportunity to take a monster (in my mind) 9 pointer which happened to be my first buck ever. I did not have him scored and really did not think much of it. However this morning I took the time to learn how to score a deer and was wondering what an above average score would be. He is currently hanging on my wall right now at home and later tonight I am going to take him down and score him for the first time. I just wanted to know how he stacks up after I find out how big he actually is :)

Thanks for the help! I will post agian tonight to tell you how he scores!

No matter what some one tells you ,its your monster, be proud of it.

Dont get me wrong I am very proud of my deer and he tastes great! lol

I just wanted to know what kind of numbers I am looking at.

It really depends on what part of the country your from. Here in the midwest I would guess most guys 8-10 point average is 100-130". But if you make the decision to let the arrow fly, it's a trophy to you so it doesn't matter. I have been bow hunting a long time and anything less than 140" I let walk, but if I have a unfilled doe tags they get vented.

Thanks for your input! I just got home and scored him and he scored a 132 even!! This is the same deer that is in my Avatar pic.

Thanks again guys!

Congrats on your Buck but I'm having a very difficult time believing that the Buck in your Avatar photo is a 130 class ?!? Are you positive that you didn't add the outside spread into the final score as well ?!?

Honestly, he looks a LOT more like a 100" 2 1/2 year old Buck. His tines all appear to be shorter than his ear (7") and even a P&Y minimum Buck needs tines in the 9-10" range with 20"+ beams.

Regardless of score though, congrats on your buck and be proud of him.

I have to agree with this. From the picture, it doesn't look close to 132". Don't get me wrong, it's a nice buck and one to be proud of, but 132", I don't think so. Maybe you could post a larger picture of the buck here and it may be easier to tell. I like the doe in your avatar Cornfed. You could post a larger picture of the "doe" here also so we can get a closer look.:s4:

As said, depends on the area.
But I believe circumstance and personal preference far out weigh numbers.

Around here 120" is nothing to sneeze at, 140" on up and people are in awe.
I killed a 160" main frame 10 pt a couple of years back(avy buck) and most people thought it was a freak of nature.

Regardless of the score, that's a mighty fine first buck, my first buck scored ~55".

I know folks that have hunted 10 years and have yet to harvest a buck.

I can't tell from your avie enough to score it, but inside spread doesn't really add much to an overall score anyway. (The difference between 20" and 15" obviously is only 5 points, but add 2"-4" per beam and 1" to every scorable point and mass measurement and suddenly the score grows considerably!) My best scoring buck is a 14ptr from southern MO that was officially scored at 154" and change yet is only 13.5" inside. He scores from length and mass, a true "basket rack".

As far as "what is an average trophy" or what is big depends greatly on 2 things, your experience and what part of the area you mostly hunt in. When I was 14 years old any legal buck short of a spindly spike bit the dust. Now as a 40 year old with many deer notched I don't pick up the bow or gun unless 140-150" is standing nearby. When I hunted in KS and south TX the minimums went up substantially.

What you'd probably pull the trigger on in Saskatchewan or Iowa is far different than what you'd probably pull the trigger on in the swamps of Florida or South Carolina. Some areas produce 150" bucks at 3 years old, some places it takes 5+ years yet some places seldom even produce such bucks!

YOU have to determine what a trophy is FOR YOU. A 4+ year old buck IS a trophy nearly anywhere he lives, regardless of his headgear. I've seen 4yr old 150" bucks on south TX ranches that had hardly ever had much human interaction yet a 120" 4yr old buck in PA or NY is MUCH more cagey and "the survivor" than his Texan cousin! :s4:
HL

there is a really good chance I did it wrong lol... Like I said it was my first time scoring a deer...