Eye guards on Elk?

[Thefisherman83]

Ok, I have heard the countless debates over the eye guards on deer, but until recently I have never heard of anyone that did not count them on elk?!?  I am chalking this up to some strange Pe Ell type of math, but it got me curious if there were any others out there that did not count them?  I can kind of understand not counting them on deer because it can be very misleading when describing an animal, but when somebody says "nice" and "4-point" when describing an elk I automatically assume Rag-horn.   Thoughts?

[TheHunt]

Many of my fathers and grand fathers friends as well as them never counted the eye guard or browtine as points on elk.  A friend of the family show me his 6X6 and his 7X7 he shot in the 50's as well as many pictures which he never counted either of those points. 

It floored me for sure...   

[sirmissalot]

Elk almost always have brows, unless they busted off or it's a freak, so its just part of the horn and is always counted. Mule deer and blacktail it can go either way. Whitetails almost always have brows as well, which is why I think a lot of you eastsiders count them as points, along with being able to count them as a legal point in point restriction areas.

I do know one person that I have heard count elk points and not include the brows. It's weird.

[grundy53]

No one I hunt with counts them. Nor anyone that I know that hunts elk where I hunt elk.

sent from my typewriter

[vandeman17]

I have never heard of them not being counted, unless they are under an inch which pretty much would never happen. So if you see a big "6x6" including eye guards that means you would call that a 4x4?

[Dhoey07]

They're either a spike, raghorn or count all the points if its a "normal" bull 

[coachcw]

the G1 = eye guard =Point !

[Thefisherman83]

They're either a spike, raghorn or count all the points if its a "normal" bull 

I like it, but that brings up the debate on when is a bull no longer a raghorn?   I am just baffled how somebody can call a nice 5x5 a "3 point"  like stated before All elk with normal antler growth have eye guards. therefore they should be counted. 

[swwaoutdoorsman]

Raghorn in my book is small spindly horned bull points do not matter. Have seen 5 and 6 pts that'd I'd consider rag horns. (counting the eye guards) man this could get complicated... Lots of factors. Roosevelt or rocky. I hunt Roosevelt's mostly coastal. So to make it a bit simpler anything around 200" or larger would break from being a rag horn.

[bowhunterty]

I remember growing up hunting the coast, my dad and his buddies would refer to elk like a 4pt with double eye guards. Or 3 pt with double eye guards. Maybe a roosevelt thing or just and old saying.

[grundy53]

I have never heard of them not being counted, unless they are under an inch which pretty much would never happen. So if you see a big "6x6" including eye guards that means you would call that a 4x4?

We would call it a 4 point.

sent from my typewriter

[grundy53]

I remember growing up hunting the coast, my dad and his buddies would refer to elk like a 4pt with double eye guards. Or 3 pt with double eye guards. Maybe a roosevelt thing or just and old saying.

That's how I was brought up counting them.

sent from my typewriter

[724wd]

I remember growing up hunting the coast, my dad and his buddies would refer to elk like a 4pt with double eye guards. Or 3 pt with double eye guards. Maybe a roosevelt thing or just and old saying.

That's how I was brought up counting them.

sent from my typewriter

AND THAT'S WRONG!!!!   

[coachcw]

I'd say a rag horn bull east side would be a 250ish six point or smaller . I'd not really call any five point a mature bull inless he,s just a stud five or some kind of freak . there's nothing wrong with shooting a 250 class bull but it's not a fully mature bull . most out fitters wont call them rag horns because they guide plenty of hunters to them . any bull can be considered a thropy in the eye of the beholder .

[JPhelps]

There is something weird about these folks in West Lewis County / East Pacific county where they don't count eyeguards/browtines.  They are always 2 point with doubles (4x4), 3 point with singles (4x4), 3 point with doubles (5x5), etc....