Eye guards on Elk?

[headshot5]

Luckily, I understand both Western Hillbilly, and East of Western Hillbilly.  I don't really have a preference.  I understand both counts.

I do like when someone doesn't call out eye guards at all.  Example in a 3 pt min area for elk, and someone tells you "so and so (name) got a nice 2pt, bull"  People give out some funny looks.     

[luvmystang67]

For the sake of argument, what do you call the deer that I posted below?  I would call it a "4x3 with eyegards" or a "4 point" if referring to it quickly.  Legally its a "5x4".  I think most people who hunt blacktail would call it a 4x3 with eyeguards. 

I feel like SW wa elk are along the same line of thought.  This also goes back to the old rule WDFW where eyeguards had to be 4" to count as a point and the non-eyeguards only had to be 1".  Therefore eyeguards were not created equal, even by the state.

[billythekidrock]

4x3

[Curly]

I believe that not counting an elk's eye guards stems from trying to be consistent with how it is counted on blacktails. 

It makes a lot of sense for deer (at least blacktails and muleys) to not count eye guards.  So, I could see how deer hunters then started counting elk the same way.   

I would never call a deer, like luvmystang67 posted, as a 5x4. 

[billythekidrock]

I would never call a deer, like luvmystang67 posted, as a 5x4. 

I agree.
I think a guys "blacktail" card would have to be pulled if he called this a 7x6... or worse yet, a 13 pointer.

[BiggLuke]

We've always called them what the "Gamies" would count them as.
In other words, every legal point.
 i.e. 4X5  not 3X4 with eye guards....   

[boneaddict]

Kinda like a push up bra I guess.........

[headshot5]

Kinda like a push up bra I guess.........

Haha.  Good work bone.  My first good laugh of the day!   

[luvmystang67]

We've always called them what the "Gamies" would count them as.
In other words, every legal point.
 i.e. 4X5  not 3X4 with eye guards....   

The only time I'd call it what a gamie would call it is if they were the ones asking, or I was in a 3pt or better area and had shot a 2 point with barely legal eyeguards, so I didn't give anyone the wrong idea.

[CedarPants]

I always crack up when I see people knocking others for counting eye guards, as if the effort they put in to harvest the animal is somehow now negated because they called an eyeguard a point.  I would think the skill, patience, and knowledge of the outdoors would be a better measuring stick of one's hunting prowess than whether or not they called an eyeguard a point or not.

[WAcoyotehunter]

I count them.  If you don't consider them to be 'countable' be sure to tell the guy scoring your deer or elk to leave those inches out. 

[BiggLuke]

I count them.  If you don't consider them to be 'countable' be sure to tell the guy scoring your deer or elk to leave those inches out. 

lol... exactly. BTR, and Boone and Crocket count 'em.

[smartazz171]

I count them.  If you don't consider them to be 'countable' be sure to tell the guy scoring your deer or elk to leave those inches out. 

lol... exactly. BTR, and Boone and Crocket count 'em.

    I'm having them count for me.  I love how we as hunters worry about "score" so much and we accept Boone and Crocket's scores but now we have an argument on eyeguards? "Ya they scored my 330" bull correctly!  Wait, who are these crazy hunters who think an EYEGAURD is a legit point! wow thats a stretch!" 

CedarPants you got it!