Poll: Legal in 4pt area or not?

[Bango skank]

For the broken chunk of main beam to count as a point it would have to not only be an inch, which it probably is, but would have to be longer than it is wide, which it most definitely is not.  not legal.

Are you talking about a scoreable point or a legal point? The regulations say nothing about that?? I understand this is true for a scoreable point but to me that is a legal point. I would likely pass on this buck but it looks like it is legal to me. Just barley but I think it makes it. I would need better angles and lots of time to make the decision to shoot though.

You are right, I was wrong.  I guess i got my "scoreable" and "legal" definitions blended there a bit.

[steeleywhopper]

How is that busted main beam considered a point, that thing looks nowhere to be an inch long? I guess some guys inch is a little different than mine..

[bearpaw]

So Bearpaw, is there a definitive answer for your poll?  I begin to doubt that there is.  Without having the deer on the ground, it is all conjecture.  My take on that buck is that it was probably a 4 point with a small eyeguard that may or may not have been an inch long.  The broken section of the left antler certainly looks like it was tending towards a split that likely was two separate points.  Since those points are no longer there, they no longer count more that just a single point would.

We have lots of opinions and it is apparent that while most agree that this is not a legal 4 point, there can be no judging it without measuring the eyeguard point.   Everyone keeps talking about that phantom Fish and Game Officer out there patrolling the hunting grounds ready to write a ticket for breaking the rules, but that is a once a season event down in SW WA, and that only happens during Modern Elk.  Those officers seem more intent on checking for Discover Passes on the road than going out in the field to see what is really going on.  Makes you wonder what all that money you paid for when you bought your hunting license actually goes to.  Certainly not improving the hunting in Western WA.  I am aware that there are really no 4 point restricted areas west of the Cascades, but there are GMUs with similar type restrictions, but requiring fewer points.

I believe it is very worthwhile that people strongly consider their decisions before they dust that buck standing before them.   Sadly, I believe that many hunters are not that worried about "the rules" and interpret them to whatever level their personal values suggest at that moment.   I'd love to hear Bearpaws interpretation for this buck.

Just my two cents.

The eye guard was only 3/4 of an inch, the buck would not be legal in a 4 pt area under the 4 pt rules. I would never have taken a chance at shooting that buck if it would have been in a 4 pt area.

We measured with a tape measure. It would not be legal in a 4 pt area due to the eye guard being 1/4" short. Just looking at the buck I would never advise anyone to shoot that buck in a 4 pt area, it is not worth risking a miscalculation. Because the eye guard is short it is irrelevant whether the main beam is a legal point or not. But if the eye guard was 1" long I think the buck would have been legal because the long side of the main beam extended about an inch.

[Rainier10]

I am dying for Dale to post what the real answer is and if it would be legal or not.  Should be interesting for sure and what the justification is behind it either way.

Check out Reply #48. 

Doh!  Thanks. 

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Just FYI -

Here are some definitions from the 2014 WDFW regulation pamphlet:

Antler Point-Deer: A projection off any part of the antler measuring at least one (1) inch in length measured from the longest side. Eye guards are antler points if they are at least one inch long.

Four Point Minimum Buck: Any buck deer with at least four antler points on one antler is legal.

Not sure about Washington, but in Alaska a point has to be at least 1 inch long and longer than it is wide or it's not a point. On deer, that usually isn't an issue, but with moose and caribou some times it can be.

[MuleDeer]

How is that busted main beam considered a point, that thing looks nowhere to be an inch long? I guess some guys inch is a little different than mine..

The fact that the main beam is busted close to a tine is irrelevant.  You measure the main beam from the pedicle, meaning that "point", the main beam, is probably in the 14"-16" range.  Hard to tell from the picture, but it most definitely is a legal "point".  Kinda like a trick question on how you count that as a point, but you measure a point on it's longest side.  So start at the base and measure along the outside...that's the length of the main beam "point".