How do you to Judge deer ?

On Muleys the first thing I look for is spread and after that I move onto tine length. I figure if the width is there and the tines are up to the standards I have for myself then hes good enough. For whitetails the first thing I look at is amount of tines along with a combination of tine length and width. Somethings will make up for other things, such as long tines and spread. I never really concentrate on mass much, I figure that if the other things are there then the mass probably will be as well. I also look at whether I feel the deer is mature or not. Some of the spots I hunt get little pressure so if I see a good deer that looks young I'll let him go since I'm confident no one else may get him.
 
buckee:

Nice blacktails. I too bowhunt Columbian Blacktails EVERY year. They are fun, and I know how a 4x4 blacky is tough. Here's a photo of my "best" blacktail to date. Sorry for the old photo (over 13 years), but it's hard to find guys that hunt Blacktails consistently so bear with me guys.
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He's a 4 point with eyeguards (5x5) and is 20" wide. Hope you enjoy.

BOHNTR )))------------>

125" P&Y Blacktail:
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That's a great looking blacktail BOHNTR.
You guys are lucky down there, because you have some great genetics in your blacktails. They seem to get smaller the further north you go.
Even the mainland has better blacktails than here on the island.
I sure love hunting them though.
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In Washington I shoot the first leagal buck that I see. Unless I'm in an area with really big bucks, then I wait. But 9 times out 10 I shoot the first leagal buck i see.
Quick Draw
 
I know how to judge them pretty close as far as score, but I usually just use the "woody factor" to decide if I will try to shoot one or not.
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Big ones with 80 or more inches of frame on a side usually give me a real woody.
 
Well in California I shoot the first legal one I see since I typically only have about 5 trips out because I go to Idaho.

In Idaho though I look for something bigger than the one I killed the previous year. That might be kind of hard next year since I got that 24" 4x4 in 2003. Oh well, I'll be sure to give it my best shot!!
 
WEBSHOTS only give thumbnails. I learned that on this forum. Post em in Moosie Gallery then they will come out perfect. First time everyttime.
 
I mostly look for total gross score. It also depends on how large of bucks I have seen while scouting that summer and if it is a general season tag or a controlled hunt tag. Since I only get one tag, the buck is going to have to be big unless it is the end of the season. Since I haven't taken a 30" muley yet, I would have a hard time passing on any buck that I believe is over 30" wide.
 
Relationship from anlter spread to ears. If they come to the ears that means they are around 27-28 wide. I like trash no trash and a must of 3 pts. But first I try to look for a tag in my mail! lol
 
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Those must be some awefully darn big ears!!! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I concur. The deer I see around here have ears at about 23".
 
Mostly taste!
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When I was growing up and learning to hunt game, mostly from my cousins, we never bothered about such things as trophies, wall hangers, or photographs. The important thing to us was how much room do we have left in the freezer! I guess that's why I never get too excited about points, spreads, and so on. I look for a good clean kill shot and when available and legal; I take it. I have only encountered one buck in about 40 years of hunting that I thought wzs worthy of a photo. It was the last day of season and I didn't have a tag so I was restrictedto my own property. I had been watching, never seeing, a buck for better than three months. Just at daybreak I took a cup of coffee and a 357 mag down to the corner of my property near the neighbor's fence line and where this boy had a scrape and a couple of rubs. I had finished about half the coffee when I heard him busting brush and coming up the hillside. I sat down the cup and drew Dan from the holster. Jesus! There he was!! Standing on the other side of Jim's fence. Most beautiful creature I have ever seen in the wild. Sixteen points and standing every bit as tall as me; eyeball to eyeball. My guess is he would run 275 pounds or better. There we were staring at one another; me with Dan sighted to the center of his sternum. He, I'm sure, knew full well not to cross the fence. He didn't. After what seemed an eternal staring match he pulled his head through his rectum changed directions and trotted off into the woods deeper into Jim's property leaving me standing there audibly wishing that rather than the pistol I had been carrying the Nikon.
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How do you judge them? Well I guess Moosie besides taste; memories count too!
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> I have only encountered one buck in about 40 years of hunting that I thought wzs worthy of a photo. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hell, I take pictures of about anything I shoot. The size of the animals does not dictate whether it goes in the photo album.
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<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> How do you judge them? Well I guess Moosie besides taste; memories count too! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Exactly. Pictures help me with the memory part. Apparently I am getting too old to recall some things and need some visual assistance.
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TK I'm with you on the Calif judging thing. Meat in the fridge first. Those blacktails are fun to hunt and I agree with the comments of them being quite elusive to hunt also.Her is one my son and I took this year on public land and one from the past. A four pointer. Hoe thie pics turn out.
http://thumb8.webshots.com/s/thumb4/2/47/48/88824748DPTXDa_th.jpg
http://community.webshots.com/s/image5/6/48/

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I've not killed enough deer to be too selective. For the most part, it's mostly whatever's legal.

Now if I had my choice or enough time to hunt to be selective I'd look for height and # of points on whitetails. Just love those tall racks. Mule deer would be width and mass.
 
Where I hunt it is 3 point minimum,right now I am just trying to get drawn for a certain unit that holds some dandy Mulies.This is the same unit my cousin just scored on a nice 6x8 mulie with 6.5 inch bases and 29 inches wide.When I get drawn I think it will be width and heigth for me.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 12-31-2003 18:15: Message edited by: Kraven ]</font>
 

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