HOW TO SCORE YOUR VERMONT BUCK IN 5 SIMPLE STEPS…MAKE THAT 6.

 Shooting a deer shouldn’t be only about the score but to some of us the score does matter. That’s why I’ve taken the time to outline six simple steps to scoring your Vermont buck. I really hope this helps. 

 1. Download the score sheet from the Boone and Crockett website. This can be tricky because the example on the score sheet will look nothing like the deer you shot. Stick to reading the title, not looking at the example, and you will be sure to download the correct form. 

2. Find a pencil (pen if you are confident), a flexible steel tape measure like they use to measure big bucks, and maybe a calculator. Note: I found that a 6” cloth tape measure half chewed by the dog had ample length… and I did not need a calculator.

3. Work your way through the score sheet and record the correct measurement for the corresponding entry in the blank space provided. Do not let the number of times you enter “0” get you down, even if for the entry “Length of Right Antler” or “Spread Credit”.

4. Tally up your score. This is where you might need a calculator but probably not. Add up the total length measured for the right antler (if present), left antler, and spread credit. Praying for a miracle here could help your attitude, but it is not likely to help your score. Then, subtract the side to side difference for the net score and sigh.

5. Compare your trophy to the Boone and Crockett minimum net score requirement for a typical whitetail and realize you are way short. Note: With my buck I came up a woeful 170” short which is really saying something when there is a 170” minimum requirement. 

6. At the bottom of the page you will see a place to write remarks about your special trophy. This is where you remember that scoring antlers is cool, but that’s not all there is to hunting deer. I shot this monster one-horned spike with my Dad when I was 10 years old and that is what made it special.