How Do You Measure Mule Deer Buck Antlers?
A mule deer is a big animal, and while it’s antlers aren’t as prized as those of a whitetail buck, it can provide a fancy rack for the mantle. Points are part of the antler–the sharp, little protrusions–and also part of the scoring system for antler measurements. All measurements of the antler–points, beam, circumferences and spread–are counted in inches, then added to record a points total. The official records for big game hunters are measured according to guidelines set by Boone and Crockett–for deer killed with firearms–and by Pope and Young for deer killed by bow and arrow. These clubs laid the groundwork for hunting laws nationwide and share a long history of promoting humane hunting and wildlife conservation and preservation. You can use the clubs’ official guidelines to get a rough measurement for your mule deer antlers. Count and measure all antler points–in inches–and record the measurements. Measure from the base of the beam to the tip of the point. The beam is the t
