Counting Points on Mule deer

[jackelope]

Quote from: bobcat on Yesterday at 08:41:24 AM
By the way, I sure wish they would change the law so that eyeguards don't count in meeting the 3 point minimum for mule deer in this state. It defeats the purpose of the restriction. They're just allowing certain 2 point bucks that have the misfortune of growing eyeguards to be taken when they shouldn't be. If they're wanting to protect that age class of buck, then the minimum should be a true 3 point.

I think Bobcat nailed it.

But if they change it then you'll have a bunch of big old 2 points running around breeding all the does. I like the ability to shoot the big 2 points with eyeguards from a management standpoint.

[KopperBuck]

Quote from: bobcat on Yesterday at 08:41:24 AM
By the way, I sure wish they would change the law so that eyeguards don't count in meeting the 3 point minimum for mule deer in this state. It defeats the purpose of the restriction. They're just allowing certain 2 point bucks that have the misfortune of growing eyeguards to be taken when they shouldn't be. If they're wanting to protect that age class of buck, then the minimum should be a true 3 point.

I think Bobcat nailed it.

But if they change it then you'll have a bunch of big old 2 points running around breeding all the does. I like the ability to shoot the big 2 points with eyeguards from a management standpoint.

Bingo - at least if you're concerned about it from a horn management perspective. I'm beginning to tire of it. Think it's time to move to OR Least I can still shoot for meat down there w/out too many folks complaining about shooting a two pt b/c I'm hungry and have kids to feed. 

[6x6in6]

I could really care less how one counts them.
But if your not going to post a picture of your harvest, please let the masses here know that it's a 2, 3 or 4 or more, with or without eyes.   

So yeah, I count like Bobcat does too.

[JimmyHoffa]

I figure if it is a piece of antler that can be used to peirce my flesh by an angry deer, then it is a point.  Heck, I even count them all up and don't bother with side vs side. 

[Caseyd]

Kind of like debating whether you wipe your hiney from front to back or back to front.  As long as your "three point" is legal I don't care what you call it.

I don't know about that.....crap on the balls   


I've always called them eyeguards 

[Chesapeake]

For me eye guards dont count, they are eye guards, and elk dont have eye guards they have brow tines.

Brow, bez, trez, dagger, ect...

If you call a 3 point a 3 point and a forky with eye guards a 3 point how are folks suposed to know what your talking about?

If you get a 4x5 elk with a missing bez, then you say its a 4x5 with a missing bez on the 4 point side. Or you call it a raghorn 4x5 ect. A 5x5 raghorn can be worlds different than a 350 inch 5x5. Its easy to specify a little so folks know what your talking about.

I have a young 3 point with double eye guards. To call it a 5x5 would be missleading. 

[Pathfinder101]

I think Bobcat's description was very well put, and I think Huntnphish drove the point home with the pictures.
I think the original question windygorge was asking is: Why don't you guys here in the west count eyeguards on mule deer?
And I think the answer is: Because a lot of muleys don't have them, and counting an itty-bitty eyeguard on a buck and saying he is a 4X4 does not give an accurate description of the deer. 

if you don't get it, then refer back to Huntnphish's pictures...

[Maverick]

I think we need a poll on this!

[windygorge]

http://www.awesomeantlers.com/mule-deer/p30775-5x5-mule-deer-colorado-unit-74.html

[windygorge]

http://cgi.ebay.com/5x5-Mule-Deer-Antlers-taxidermy-mount-whitetail-moose-/370286760131#ht_1058wt_1139

[windygorge]

http://wymuledeer.blogspot.com/2010/10/blog-post_20.html

[windygorge]

https://www.scheelssports.com/clearspace/thread/3290?tstart=-1

[3nails]

 At first I was confused at why you would be upset about someone calling a buck you shot a "four pt." instead of a "5 pt."  But after thinking about it, maybe that is to you what someone calling a big blacktail buck I killed in western Whatcom county a "benchleg" buck is to me.  Nothing more insulting. Count all the points you like. Just show pics. 

[Skyvalhunter]

I dont count eyeguards 1 inch or longer or not. But that is just my preference and a few others also.

[PolarBear]

I just grind off the eyeguards and any point that is under 1" just to make it official.