Deer Antler Scoring: How it Works

Have you heard people talk about eight-point bucks, or racks with a score of 170? It may be hard to understand the differences between these two sets of information or how they go together if you don’t know much about deer antler scoring.

The two numbers above are completely different. One is a simple measurement of how many points the antlers of a deer have, while the other involves some in-depth measuring and math.

To learn more about how to score deer’s antlers and the difference between a net score, a green gross score, and points, keep reading below.

Terms to Know for Antler Scoring

Before you start measuring the score of your rack, you need to know certain terms.

Beam

The beam is the main part of the antler. This is where, hopefully, all the other points are coming off of and what connects to the skull of your deer.

Tine

A tine is any point that comes off of the beam. Any sharp, pointy bit that comes off of the main curve of the beam is considered a tine. They can come off of other tines as well, but that’s fairly rare.

Point

A point is the same thing as a tine. However, to be considered a point, it must be at least an inch long. It must also be longer than it is wide, even if barely.

Since points are easy to calculate even before a deer is killed (as you just count the tines that look to be above an inch) and you don’t have to do any fancy math or calculations, this is often the way of describing bucks someone almost caught, or caught and haven’t yet measured.

Abnormal Point

An abnormal point is a point that comes out of a different area of the antler than a point normally would. For example, if a point comes off of another point instead of the main beam, it’s an abnormal point.

Burr

The burr is the bottom part of the antlers. As the antlers connect to the base of the skull, the burr is the flat part of the antler.

G

Gs are used to mark antler points. Depending on how many points the rack has, you’ll have different names, such as G1, G2, G3, and so on. When picking out the numbers, you start from the base and move to the tip of the antlers.

Each side of the rack restarts the numbering system. For example, you’ll have a left G1 and a right G1.

H

H is used to mark the circumferences of the antlers.

How to Calculate Your Score

Now that you know your terms, it’s time to measure points. To make sure you’re prepared, you’ll need a pen or pencil, a piece of paper, a measuring tape, and a cable, wire, or string. For those who aren’t the best at math or want to double-check their work, a calculator or your phone is also handy.

Step 1

The first step to measure any rack is to measure from one beam to the other at the widest point. This is also known as the inside spread. You want to do the inside of the beams for accurate measurement.

Step 2

Measuring tine length is the next step. You want to measure all your tines from the top of the tine to the top edge of the main beam.

It’s a good idea to watch videos of this part, as many people tend to assume their deer’s tines are a little longer than they are. Basically, you want to go from the top of the tine until just where it connects flatly to the main beam.

It’s important to note that there are certain requirements to count a tine as a point. Small tines don’t count. They must be an inch long, and longer than it is wide.

Step 3

You also need to get circumference measurements. Every deer gets four of these per side for a total of eight. It doesn’t matter how many Gs your deer has, you’ll always have four measurements per side.

The first one is at the thinnest point between the burr and the brow tine (G-1). The rest of the measurements are taken at the smallest point between the other tines.

If you have more than an eight-point deer, you measure the first four points between tines. Then, you ignore the extra tines. If you have an eight-point deer, you still measure four. Your H4 is done halfway between the last G and the end of the beam.

For a deer less than eight points, you measure between the tines as normal. Then, when you run out of tines, all of your last measurements are done between the last tine and the end of the beam. For example, if you have a six-point buck, you would measure both H3 and H4 between G2 and the end of the beam, so they’d be the same score.

Step 4

Step four is to measure the main beam length from the outside. Since beams are curved, it’s best to take a flexible cable or wire and run it along the outside of the beam, matching the curve. Then, straighten it out and take the measurement.

When taking this measurement, start from the outside of the burr, at the lowest edge. To keep wires and cables in the right spot, tape is often your best friend.

Step 5

If your deer’s antlers look pretty symmetrical and you don’t have any abnormal points, you can stop here.

However, if the antlers are uneven or there are some abnormal points, you’ll have to do some extra steps. For the next step, you’ll have to repeat numbers two through four on the other side of the rack.

Step 6

Once you finish both sides, you need to find abnormal points. These are tines or points that don’t come from the main beam. They often have slang names such as stickers, leaners, kickers, or drop tines.

These tines need to be recorded separately from the rest of the tines. For abnormal tine points, the same sizing rules apply as regular tines.

Step 7

The final step is to add and subtract as necessary. Add up all your scores. Just adding up all the normal scores is known as the green gross score. This is what most people talk about when ranking their deer racks.

However, if you want your deer to be placed in a record book, you need to get the net score. This involves subtracting your abnormal points and any differences in symmetry, such as lengths of the tine.

The Different Ways to Score a Deer’s Antlers

There are a couple of different ways to score a deer’s antlers, based on the scoring system used. For most people, including professional scoring for records, the Boone and Crockett (B&C) method is the most common.

There are a few rules you have to follow before scoring as well. For one, the rack must dry for at least 60 days. A broken skull plate isn’t accepted. There can also be no sign of artificial repairs or replacements of points or parts of the antlers. Additionally, antlers still in velvet are usually not accepted.

Boone and Crockett bases a lot of points on symmetry. For every part of the rack that isn’t symmetrical, you deduct points. This means that it’s entirely possible to have a set of antlers that don’t have a nice and neat even number of points.