Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: andersonjk4 on October 19, 2021, 05:58:13 AM

Title: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: andersonjk4 on October 19, 2021, 05:58:13 AM: My hunting partner has a Mountain View quality rifle tag. We are heading down this weekend to scout a couple days before hitting it hard come opening day. My buddy is not a score chaser, but we are used to just hunting spikes and therefore haven’t spent much time judging big bulls. With the unforgiving terrain I think it will be helpful to be able to rule out bulls from a distance to avoid unnecessary stalks and to avoid ground shrinkage. I am familiar the the “base 200” system and like the simplicity. What are some tips and tricks for estimating tine lengths? Width over or under 40”, mass above or below average, etc.

Here is a sample bull I have some trail camera pictures of. (This is not a blues bull by the way)
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: andersonjk4 on October 19, 2021, 06:00:00 AM: Couple more views
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: huntnnw on October 19, 2021, 06:06:39 AM: Was just in Mt view . Bull we watched feed across hill. He’s about 320”
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: Jonathan_S on October 19, 2021, 06:38:04 AM: I'm no expert on these things but over time you'll get decent at it. I'm usually a round number guesser but I had to try and sharpen these skills this year

WIDTH: 50" width is crazy wide. When a bull is 44" in width, they look absurd. 40" is a solid number for a mature bull in a lot of areas. IMO, you should change that 50" to a 40" for most tags.

TINE LENGTH: It's best to know what an average big bull has and compare the one in the spotter to that "average". The fronts will really make or break a bull being bigger than 340-350"
15-16" G1-G2
10-12" G3
16" G4
13" G5

MAIN BEAMS: 45-48", with his head down, the main beams will be getting close to the height of his back. Don't fool yourself here, short mains are likely a small bull. Distance between the G3-G4 and G4-G5 have a "look" on a mature bull vs a small six point.

MASS: If he's exceptionally heavy, probably should just shoot him regardless :chuckle: if he's exceptionally light, he probably isn't big enough anywhere else to matter.

With these numbers, you'll get a net 330s bull. Net vs. Gross shouldn't matter on a Mt. View hunt ;)
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: Jonathan_S on October 19, 2021, 06:40:39 AM: IMO that bull is a touch shorter on all measurements than those which I posted.
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: andersonjk4 on October 19, 2021, 06:49:18 AM: You’re right. I meant 40” width in my original post (fixed now).

What does everyone think the g1 and g2 length is on the bull pictured? 12-14”?
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: Jonathan_S on October 19, 2021, 06:55:25 AM: Quote from: andersonjk4 on October 19, 2021, 06:49:18 AM
You’re right. I meant 40” width in my original post (fixed now).

What does everyone think the g1 and g2 length is on the bull pictured? 12-14”?

Somebody better will see this and correct if I'm wrong. 14 maybe on the longer side, 15"
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: nwwanderer on October 19, 2021, 07:37:09 AM: How many extra points for the added slope? Should be a bunch
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: Farmer72 on October 19, 2021, 11:59:02 AM: I looked over this before I hunted my Colockum tag and it gives some good distances on an animal to help with guessing lengths.

https://www.gohunt.com/read/skills/how-to-score-and-field-judge-elk-part-1#gs.dimark (https://www.gohunt.com/read/skills/how-to-score-and-field-judge-elk-part-1#gs.dimark)

With that said sometimes you just look at one and know he is a shooter.
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: buckfvr on October 19, 2021, 05:41:07 PM: Quote from: andersonjk4 on October 19, 2021, 06:49:18 AM
You’re right. I meant 40” width in my original post (fixed now).

What does everyone think the g1 and g2 length is on the bull pictured? 12-14”?

I have 3 euros, one a rag horn the other 2 dirty at 300 and 335.
Both bigger ones from base of antler above eye are apprx. 15"to end of nose. Still be hard to tell depending on distance of observation. One bull has 12" fronts, the other 14". That much I can tell you, whether or not it helps :dunno:
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: meatwhack on October 19, 2021, 08:22:24 PM: Just looking at the pictures and not adding anything up the bull in your pics looks mid 320’s to me.
Title: Re: Scoring tips and tricks
Post by: coachcw on November 05, 2021, 06:04:23 AM: a normal eye guard is 16 -17 inches if it tips up , so you can use that as a base measurement , id say if you get to 80 inches in length he most likely will be a 350 type bull . big and heavy ,eye guards that swoop up and threes that have a good flare tall fourths with a fifth that's height follows the fourth to the end of the beam .