Friend of mine sent this picture of a buck shot yesterday in Onondaga County NY (Syracuse area). He was hunting with this young fella. This was his first buck. What do you think it would score?

That smile...I'd score as fantastic!

Too big for me to guess. Way bigger than anything around here. Very nice deer!

152

Decent brows and mass. Long main beams with good width. At first glance I wanted to say 150 but I think he'd need to be something like 12+ on his g2s and 10+ on his g3s to be 150. I'm going to guess 145. But I could be on the low side. Anyway a great deer. He very well may have more length on his tines than I'm giving him credit for.

129
Takes lot bigger than that for an 8 point to make 150 range .

Here’s how I get approximate score
Brow tine
4 in
G-2 7
G-3 7 Both sides look even so up to 36
Inside around 21
57 Next measurements can be way off Main beams 22 each 44 total
101 so far
circumference totals 28
129
Would love to see score sheet see how far off I am
I’m averaging my guesses. His left g-2 is longer than 7 but the g-3 are shorter. All 4 will average 7 inches

139 net

w

I think you might be a little short on time length but it's not always easy for me to judge from pic

I'm assuming we will get the real score at some point

Could be Most of my guesses are based on pics that I KNOW what they end up scoring. I’ve seen pics of brutes that look way bigger than either of my booner bucks that are 150-160 class deer. Don’t get me wrong that deer is massive!! But with out the other tune measure you get from 10 and 12 points it is hard to get to 140 for an 8 .
yes it can be done. I have an eight that grossed 176 3/8 But 11 in brows and 19 inch g-2 put him there .

He's a great buck,congrats 153" hard to score from one picture.

I give the smile 200+
Shot placement another 200+
His score I doubt could be measured in points but more in happiness

yeppers that grin says that is a one in a million deer , can't ask for no more.

145

I'd Score it a " Bang"

I dont have a clue how to put a number on antlers. I would put that buck in the dandy category. Not a monster buck but definitely a dandy. I have never been a fan of competition hunting.

Jbyrd is right. It's hard for an 8 to get to 150. Regardless, that'd a beautiful deer. Congrats man.

it is a keeper

I usually don't get involved with scoring, but I do know at a glance at a buck I can get in close score. I would say you are looking at 141 to 139 in that range at best IMO. To get 140 in a 4x4 takes a lot of bone and is a great buck.

Nevertheless, young man he is a fine buck!!

Bass 1 tell him congratulations! Regardless of its score it is a trophy ! he will always cherish that day.

138 gross the only score that matters

Around 140 would be my first impression. Heck of an 8-pointer.

48” mains
20” spread
36” tines
28” mass

132” total

140

But how does he taste?

No deductions. Very symmetrical. I guess 155.

That smile is all that matters

My guess would be somewhere between 130 and 140

132
Will you post the score when you get it ???

It is a great buck But as others said it needs to be huge for an 8 pt to score 150 I hunt PA and I spend a great deal of time in the woods year around ,plus at times I have 6 r 8 cameras out I am pretty sure I have never seen a PA buck that would score 150 And the difference between a 120 buck a 130 buck is not the same 10 points in the score of a 160 and a170 buck I compare it to running a 100 meter dash in a track event Many people are able to run the race in 10. point something seconds .But when you get under 10 seconds those able to consistently run a 9 point something are few and far between And the difference might be a second between 9.5 and 10.5 it is a very large second And the same goes when scoring a buck a 120 CLASS and a 130 CLASS is only 10 points The 10 points between a 120 to 130 score are not equal to the 10 points between a 160 to 170 and the higher you go the vastly different those 10points become ' With the exception of a small amount of territory that has a White tail deer population on North American continent very few hunters will ever see a 150 class buck in the wild while hunting .I know I have never been close The number of tines the length of tem and the overall mass it requires is simply not common Still the score is not what makes a deer special it is the details of the hunt The weather and the elments and the situation that caused you to hunt the spot where you took the deer That's why we keep hunting

Great deer for sure. But he will have more deductions than you think . Put it on score sheet they always do... One thing that lowers the "official" score is how the tines are measured. Every scorer I've watched pulls a string around each tine at it's base and then places a piece of scotch tape or pencil mark. They measure every thing ABOVE the main beam . below of course if drop tine. Average joe will just put a tape measure to almost entire tine..

A 120” 8pt that comes in like he owns the woods after rattling trumps a 140” 8pt that just happens to walk by in my hunting world. Yeah I’ll sling arrows on 8pts as much as the law allows.
A 140” 10pt that does the same gets a pass unless he’s 5.5 or more.
The hunt is what makes it for me some days. It’s those scenarios you think about along with the shot. And if it’s an unknown deer that does it, it makes it even more memorable.

I wonder sometimes if guys think you are suppose to measure tine length to bottom of main beam. I seen some local deer home scored that sure didn't look as big as the hunter claimed

A mans closed hand is average 4 inches. That buck grosses over 145 in my opinion. Hard to see a couple tines.

Haha! I had a guy swear up and down a deer was a certain score cause he’d scored it twice. It wasn’t I didn’t believe him, just told him the pics didn’t show it. He invited me over to see it in person and it was worse, lol. I asked if I could use his tape measure and see what I came up with. I measured it and came up with almost 35” smaller. I’d put my numbers on paper and told him to measure and I’d write his down. This joker was measuring the G1’s from the base of the antler to the tip of the brows. He’d measure each time from the bottom of the antler.
I had to pull up the P&Y website to show him he was wrong. He was actually devastated because he’d ALWAYS measured all is deer his friends deer that way and everyone would believe what he told them. After it was all said and done he’d never killed a deer over 120”. He brought me about every rack and mount he had. I told him I didn’t care one way or the other and would t say a word. He hasn’t posted a pic of a deer since that day, lol.

Exactly. His hands look about the same as the brows if he put one hand on top of the other on each tine some would have a little sticking up some wouldn’t. Why I gave 7 in average. But that’s why I explained my scores. I bet 90 % of hunters have never watched a deer scored. 70 percent have never seen a score sheet. Less than 10% have scored a deer CORRECTLY

I agree....

140-145 We have 4 that look just like him and that is their score. Great buck and smile! Congratulations.

Hard to tell.
Here are some interesting things to look at and account for.
1. He is a young man, but he is behind a mature New York buck and appears to dwarf that buck. He appears to be a young Hoss Cartwright.

2. He isn't attempting to make a 4# bass look like a 10#er.

3. The main beams go wide and come all the way back in towards the center.

4. G3s and G4s appear to have serious length to them.

5. Mass appears to be symmetrical with the rest of the rack, which would indicate that it is impressive.

All of these together, if actual, would add up to a higher scoring deer than one might guess at first glance of a photograph.

Ain't gonna guess on that one pic.
About all I can tell is, it appears to have good beam length, decent spread and brows.
Great looking buck though.

Ah heck, I'll say 148".

135-140”. Agree with a lot of the above. 8 pt needs a standout feature to jump his score.

However, that is a really nice deer and the kids smile means more than a score .

What I like to know is when we are going to get the actual score

155-3/8"

I bet that deer is pushing 160 gross if he ain't there already.

That deer has a huge frame. Deer of a lifetime. Congrats!

Who cares about what he nets. Nets are for fish. I only care about what the deer grew and how much bone is on his head. If he grew it, then how can you take it away from him?

151

Mark K,

Don't leave us hanging & twisting in the wind !!!!

What DID that buck end up scoring ?

walleyed

very nice I have no idea the numbers
that neck roast rolled up with some spices and tied and slow cooked that will be nice with a good gravy

I believe it's against the law to have others guess the score on a harvested buck without providing the real score at some point. Wr are waiting patiently.

145

MMAAARRRRKKKKK !!!!!

What's the score on that buck !!!!!

w

the only score that matters is the weight after processing. Boil them antlers all you want, you'll never be able to eat the things.

Yes but hang a ham on the wall and it will ruin the carpet...

I wonder if we will ever find out the score of the great 8 pointer.

Stop trying to force your standards for deer on other people.

BernieB you are right and agree. Harvesting a mature deer almost always has a larger head gear and weight processing is more because of age. Taking mature largest horned animal is best for the herd and to leave the young to generate the future of the herd. That is even if I don't harvest a deer for the year and that has happened many times if I can't get it done on a mature animal.

It isn't all about having the largest set of horns on the wall, it is my opinion to take the oldest mature animals from the herd, and in doing that generally have the largest set of horns and does weigh more also.

I have many high scoring racks but never have scored them but have a general idea of their size. What I do know about that rack they are very mature deer and I know the young coming up will fill that void.

In saying all of that I do respect whatever a hunter wants to shoot and what their goal is as an outdoors person. They can shoot whatever they want and makes no difference to me.

I guess 140".

Why would you try and eat antlers? Y’all’s deer that small you have to boil the antlers to see if they’re edible? You could’ve saved time and wood or gas if you’d just asked first. They’re just like bones in the skeletal system, can’t eat those either so don’t waste your time boiling.
If you make a trip to GA we are allowe 10 does, you can get a lot of meat off those.

your wrong about taking the oldest most mature deer being removed is best for the future of the herd. It depends.

In alot of the east its a case that the best deer to remove from the herd is a young doe. Over population is a real thing, many areas have so many deer that they destroy the ecology of the area. Many species of native plants (Oak trees for one) are disappearing or unable to reproduce either fully or partially due to deer browse. I see it everyday in my woods and all over SE WI.

Lets call this what it is, its trophy hunting, nothing less. Hunting for a trophy is not managing the herd for whats best for the herd. The only instance where harvesting the largest most mature males makes sense is where the population is less than what the land can handle without detriment from the herd, this is rare in the east.

It makes a difference to me what someone shoots as a land owner. My land pays the price for their trophy hunting ways. I don't respect a Hunter who hunts in may area and will not shoot anything less than a buck with big antlers. I can't respect a selfish hunter. Where you are maybe different. I speak for where I am.

Please don't take any of this personally, I don't mean it as such, just to point out that there is whole different reality around where I am.

That's a heck of a buck. Congratulations to the hunter.

Now to the last few comments. I agree with DD. In most farmland areas shooting doe is preferred and best for the herd than shooting the biggest buck out there. I don't know of any farmer that shoots their prize bull because it's best for the herd. That being said I do try and shoot bigger bucks and let the little ones go. A 2 plus year old buck is big enough for me but I know most here won't say it's old enough. I will and do need to shoot more does if given the chance. Does are harder for me when I bowhunt because they see me more often than bucks do. I hope to get one on the holiday hunt the end of the month weather permitting. I did get, to me, a nice 10 pointer during gun season but I want to keep the landowner happy and will try for a doe later. With the warm temps we had opening weekend I didn't want to try and cut up 2 deer before they spoiled. I'm not fast at cutting up deer.

I'd be willing to bet good money that the larger percentage of "big" bucks are killed because they happened to be the first buck to happen by.

Too many trophy type videos out there. Makes people believe that if someone kills a big deer he must be a trophy hunter.

As a side note, if someone kills a larger buck you will usually end up with more venison in the freezer. Isn't that why most of us hunt?

Problem is most people in wi have to small of parcels to really control and manage a heard. Hunt what ever makes you happy. Congrats on that buck. It's scores a lot by the smile on his face.

The guys that say "you can't eat those antlers" will always shoot the buck if presented the opportunity with a buck and a doe standing side by side. Why is that???

I think I know why.....

Most of the guys I know who hunt deer and have big bucks on camera always say they're holding out for the big one. The month-long season wears on and they wind up shooting whatever presents itself.

I'd say 160 also, I've seen 150's 8s and that certainly looks bigger

If Bass 1 does not post a score soon he should be banned for one year from Trapperman!

Agree...

Seems just the opposite up here. Most people would prefer the doe

Wall-hanger for sure, Congratulations!

If we’re gonna get scientific, the least detrimental deer to take out of the herd no matter where you are is a button buck. Providing its mother is alive that button will be run off as a yearling.

If you’re wanting population growth, shoot yearling does.

If you’re overpopulated, shoot mature does.

Taking a mature buck is only detrimental if you have a very low population. Not sure if most realize it or not, but not every buck is going to produce a “trophy” rack. In our area, almost county wide, we’ll let bucks grow to their potential. Yeah, some won’t ever produce a “trophy” rack and call us “trophy” hunters if you want, but we’ll take management bucks and let those 3.5-4.5 130-150” deer walk. Who doesn’t want those antlers that you can’t eat anyways.

We will shoot does and not think twice. We generally get two herd counts done. One after season and one before. Less deer means more food for those left. More food means better weight and health, and yes, also bigger antlers. More weight means more meat, although those yearling does just seem to taste the best to me.

I don’t look down on anyone for shooting anything they want. In some areas of our State, a 130” buck is about as big as they get. Some areas of our State don’t have the numbers of deer the rest of the State has. My area (County) not only has a high population, but some serious antler growth as well. I know of several 160”+ killed already. You won’t see these bucks in big buck contests, on the cover of magazines, or even in the record books. The saying, “Loose lips, sink ships” is true. I share stuff here only because not a lot of GA trappers and no one here gives a rip.

As far as scoring deer here, I always give my numbers and why, not just a guess. If the score is posted I always ask to see the sheet, not because I don’t believe anyone, because I want to get better at guessing based on pics. I missed a deer my son’s friend killed by 6” and I had the main beams pegged and the mass, but really missed on the tine length. I like when folks ask, I also like when they eventually tell us, hint hint!!

I don’t mean any disrespect to anyone and not saying our management practices are THE way. It’s just what we’ve observed in our personal observations over the years through cameras and over 320 days a year in the woods. Do we want to kill bucks with record book antlers? YES SIR! Will we take older management deer over those younger record book deer? YES we will. Have we noticed an increase in higher scoring bucks? YES we have. Do we do our best to keep a balanced herd? Again, yes sir!! Will we shoot does, notice I said shoot and not hunt…yes sir! Almost to the point it’s not fun, but it has to be done. Just like predators need managed, so do deer.

Well… He finally had it green scored, 148 2/8”. I’ve text him a few times for him to get it scored, finally got it scored. This spring or summer there should be a gun show here in Syracuse. They usually have someone there to score buck, I told him to take it and get the net score.



Dandy buck!

Thank you

Jbird u missed by almost 20 inches

138

Its the reality of the situation, unless you fence your land so deer can't get in or out the deer are moving in and out of your land along with your neighbors. No matter if you have 5 acres or 5000.
That being said that makes it all the more important that hunters work to manage the herd and not just think of themselves, to do so is the definition of selfish.
So in farmland where I live shoot them does first and foremost, its whats best for the herd. If you have a chance at big buck shoot it, I have no issue with that. Where I start having issues is when legal does are passed up and one waits for the trophy buck that never comes and the tags go without anything shot.

And guess what, if more does are shot and the population is more in balance with the land you might not see as many deer but a higher percent will be bucks and larger ones at that.

Almost sounds like QDM doesn't it.

Here comes a " yeah but"...

No yeah buts . I won’t be off far after deductions. Be patient B and B . You might notice I did mention it will have more deductions than you think . G -3 alone plus I admitted the main beam and circumference measurements I might be waaaay off ! I’ll stand by my score guessing if put on a paper scored with cable and folding rule . Seen too many officially scored

Oh come on........ NOBODY was guessing the net score with their score. U missed by 19 inches on a 148 inch deer straight up. Own it.

You even basically gave a score sheet. Zero. I mean zero about deductions

I bet u shot 5 shot groups then measure the 3 closest too

Never said it wasn’t a great deer !
Read my post “ said I’d love to see a score sheet . Depends on who scored them. But like several said hard to tell from a pic . I’ll stand by my score . . Bucks and bra at least I did guess you drew up and chickened out on the challenge

But I can enjoy looking at them for the rest of my life.

.. I love this place lol

Then a string of them

You sure do edit alot of your posts?
Why?

Bass 1: is that gross score?

I guess for now. It's at the taxidermist now. the boy needs to take it to be scored again once the rack has dried for the net score. I'm with jbyrd63, there will be deductions.

LOL I was using my phone without glasses. Had to correct some misspelled words.

But the biggest but I just quoted !!!! LOL LOL LOL LOL

Maybe they’ll post the score sheet.

Well use your glasses more often so you don't have to edit 50% of your posts.
Or, try real hard to think of what you post so you don't have to go back and edit all the b.s. that you write

The " real reason".

… you’re not being very nice

… apologize to Jbyrd you meanie

I'm going back to the political threads. Less hate over there.

Awesome!

Thanks for letting us know. I've got a 152" 9 point hanging on the wall and your boys buck sure looks way more impressive.

Any deer over 130" is a trophy wall hanger to me. An 8 point that will go 140" or more is a deer of a lifetime. Congrats to your boy, that's an awesome beautiful buck!

Here during deer season neighbors won't hardly wave at each other lol.

Here's one we guessed on