What will it score? #2

[LDennis24]

So I over estimated the other buck and would agree with the majority and say he would be lucky to reach 150. His fronts were very weak. This guy I will say is all of 160. Still 25 wide. What do you think?

[LDennis24]

Couple more

[boneaddict]

Just start knocking 10 off your guesses and you will be right in the ballpark

[LDennis24]

Well I'm talking about gross before ground shrinkage... 😆 I've never been good at judging mule deer. That's why I'm doing this. These guys are in my area's though and are shooters for me! Just have to decide which one I guess. I've only been out looking twice and both times found a nice buck.

[jjhunter]

Pretty buck for home.  Good growth this year for as dry as it is.   I always wish some of these young bucks would get a little age, but it’s impossible in WC.

[boneaddict]

Either buck is a pretty good Wa buck.  THis one would make many smile taping a tag to it.

[Dan-o]

They are both beautiful,  for sure. 

Let me know which one you don't want.

[LDennis24]

Pretty buck for home.  Good growth this year for as dry as it is.   I always wish some of these young bucks would get a little age, but it’s impossible in WC.

This is true,  there are a few honey holes I know of. Some I can hunt and some I can't, but they hold big bucks every year as far as WC and the unit go. I see way too many mature mule deer bucks in November and then never see them again. So many get picked off right along the road at dusk. It's too easy to poach and drive and hunt wheat fields and not enough repercussions to deter it. This buck is actually going onto publc land in these photo's too. A BIG section of public land. 

[boneaddict]

Are you going to go at him stick and string?

[LDennis24]

No... There is a group with one up closer to Cheney that is MUCH heavier and bigger. I'm gonna go muzzleloader and try for him. Couldn't get a worthy pic of him. These are all cell phone pics from 150-200 yds. Samsung S22

[jjhunter]

Pretty buck for home.  Good growth this year for as dry as it is.   I always wish some of these young bucks would get a little age, but it’s impossible in WC.

This is true,  there are a few honey holes I know of. Some I can hunt and some I can't, but they hold big bucks every year as far as WC and the unit go. I see way too many mature mule deer bucks in November and then never see them again. So many get picked off right along the road at dusk. It's too easy to poach and drive and hunt wheat fields and not enough repercussions to deter it. This buck is actually going onto publc land in these photo's too. A BIG section of public land. 

 

[jjhunter]

I’ve only killed one mule deer back home I the last 20 years.  I did find a worthy buck to chase this year, though.  He’s gotta get past some Senior arrows (dad/uncle) but if he’s still standing on Sept 30th…

[jrebel]

Here is a buck that scores 156 and change.  He has an outside spread of 28 inches.  He has decent mass down low and has great eye guards.  His forks are very similar to the buck you have pictured with the exception of the back left which is crabbed out.....(gives away his location based off genetics if people are familiar with the area)  . 

With all that being said, I would say that buck is 26"ouside and likely will score 145-150....educated guess as I am not the greatest at scoring bucks. 

[jrebel]

two more angles

[LDennis24]

Sorry jrebel but I would shoot the buck in my photo over your buck without hesitation. I believe it is bigger. Also it just fits my style for a nice looking buck. He has good symmetrical forks for the most part which is something I like more than spread. Wide racks are not interesting to me. Big forks are.

[jrebel]

I’m not trying to have a bucking measuring contest…..if you get my drift!!   I’m just showing you what a 156 buck looks like with known measurements and known score.  I personally would take a low scoring mass and trash buck over either of these bucks…..but on my given year this buck presented itself and I filled the freezer with him.   

If you think yours is bigger, that would mean he is bigger than 156 and change.   

I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot either on any day of the season.  Good luck this year, looks like you have a couple nice bucks picked out. 

[boneaddict]

Is that gross 156 or net 156 Jreb.   THats always a distinction I guess should be made.   

[LDennis24]

I’m not trying to have a bucking measuring contest…..if you get my drift!!   I’m just showing you what a 156 buck looks like with known measurements and known score.  I personally would take a low scoring mass and trash buck over either of these bucks…..but on my given year this buck presented itself and I filled the freezer with him.   

If you think yours is bigger, that would mean he is bigger than 156 and change.   

I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot either on any day of the season.  Good luck this year, looks like you have a couple nice bucks picked out.

Sorry, I was saying if they were both standing there I would shoot the buck in the pics simply because he has bigger forks. That was all I was saying. In the end the score wouldn't matter.

[dvolmer]

155-165 gross.

[huntnphool]

 Maybe it’s me, but you seem to be focused a lot on spread. It’s been a focal point of your description in both threads when describing the pics.

 IMO, spread is the most over rated aspect when judging from the field/pics!

 Another decent general season buck, but not as high scoring as you are guessing IMO.

155-165 gross.

  Those 10” are night and day different, can you narrow it down to maybe 5”?

[LDennis24]

I actually don't care about the spread at all. I mentioned already that I would shoot a buck with big forks over a buck with a big spread any day. If you look at the old thread on here about 150" bucks this buck is every bit as big as those deer.

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,166508.msg2196799.html#msg2196799

[Mtnwalker]

Is that gross 156 or net 156 Jreb.   THats always a distinction I guess should be made.

Nets are for fish

[Pathfinder101]

I think you'll get 160" (gross score) out of him.  How big his head and body are can play into guessing his score though.  Sometimes you look at a buck and think he's bigger than he is because his body and head are relatively small and it makes antlers look bigger.  Sometimes you are looking at a 300+ pound deer that makes the antlers look smaller than they really are.  Somewhere I have a really cool trail cam photo of two 3 point mulies standing next to each other.  One absolutely dwarfs the other. 
I also shot a buck a few years ago that I thought had a pretty good frame, but when I walked up to him, it was a young, malnourished looking thing (bad drought year) with bones sticking out everywhere, a neck like a doe and a little head.  At 300 yards, he fooled me...

[jackelope]

I'm with huntnphool.
Outside spread has no bearing on the score. Greatest inside spread is what counts, and that's limited by the length of the longest main beam....so if he's 28" wide  but his main beam is only 22" long, 22" is your spread credit.  I believe this buck has short main beams. I'm going with 155 4/8".

[jackelope]

Is that gross 156 or net 156 Jreb.   THats always a distinction I guess should be made.   

I would not have guessed 156" on jrebel's buck myself, but I'm also not very good at this game either.

[Karl Blanchard]

Is that gross 156 or net 156 Jreb.   THats always a distinction I guess should be made.

Nets are for fish

nets are for fish until you kill something that will book

[Mtnwalker]

Is that gross 156 or net 156 Jreb.   THats always a distinction I guess should be made.

Nets are for fish

nets are for fish until you kill something that will book

I doubt I'll ever have to worry about that 

[Pathfinder101]

Is that gross 156 or net 156 Jreb.   THats always a distinction I guess should be made.

Nets are for fish

nets are for fish until you kill something that will book

 

[MtnMuley]

Your first buck is all of 150". I can't see this buck not being all of 160".

[Gringo31]

Both are fantastic deer.  I would have guessed he'd go over 160.  I hate scores tho...  Many of us don't understand all the formula's and rules but do know 150 is more than 148.  The problem is the disappointment that comes to some based on a number. 

Like I said, both great deer.

[LDennis24]

I would consider him a shooter. I wouldn't care what he scored either. I don't know that I've shot a bigger mule deer than this buck looks like to me. I would shoot him any day of the season. I like to see what other people's guesses are though and get more insight from people on how they field judge deer. 

[boneaddict]

Its a good thread!   I appreciate you starting/sharing it

[huntnphool]

Its a good thread!   I appreciate you starting/sharing it

  Score and decision making during the different seasons are two separate scenarios!

  Like I said earlier, that buck doesn’t get a sniff I have a late tag in my pocket…even on the last day!
 
 Only quoted boneaddict because he was the last to reply. 

[Mallardmasher]

If your H1-4 avg 41/2” =36 spread of 26, F of 44 combined, G2 of 26 combined, and G3 of 13 combined and a G4 of 12 combined and G1 right side 1.5. My guess is 158.5 gross