Is it a 10 point, 5 point, 5x5, 4 point with eye guards, or a 4x4?

[Seeknelk]

My mule deer last year was a 3x3 with eye guards. I would not call it a 4 point or 4x4

Exactly same for me too.
Mule deer 4x4...eyeguards not included , but will certainly mention trash or whatever extras

Whitetails when I'm in MT , 4x6 counting everything, always.
Whitetail when I'm back visiting Michigan where I grew up. Count em all and say it...it ain't hard. Can certainly mention if it's a 12 x 2 or something. It's easy.
Elk- obvious

 

[DuckDogDr]

10 point

 

[CorbLand]

So, brings up something I haven’t thought about as a lifetime whitetail hunter going on my first mule deer hunt in a few weeks in WY - I have a general tag and one area has a 3 point minimum on one side and a couple others are 4 point minimum. Does that include brow tines?

The hunting regs will clarify that. Most likely depends by the state.

 

[hikenhunt]

So, brings up something I haven’t thought about as a lifetime whitetail hunter going on my first mule deer hunt in a few weeks in WY - I have a general tag and one area has a 3 point minimum on one side and a couple others are 4 point minimum. Does that include brow tines?

I don't know about WY but in WA everything that measures an inch is a point. So my 3x3 with eyeguards would legally have 4 points on each side, but I wouldn't call it out like that.

 

[Yarak]

Every state has their own hunting culture and language
I'd say most understand what youre talking about when you say "10 point or 5x5"
We always said if you cant hang a horse collar on it you dont count it as a point

 

[ChrisAU]

The hunting regs will clarify that. Most likely depends by the state.

So if someone ever finds this and wonders as well, here is from the WY regs:

(a) In hunt areas where the taking of any big game animal is restricted to antler point or horn size by regulation, the antlers or horns shall accompany the carcass, or edible portions thereof.

(d) “Antlered” means a deer, elk or moose that has visible antler growth plainly protruding from the skull. Where a minimum number of antler points are specified, points shall be counted on the side with the greater number of points.

(pp) “Point” means any protrusion from an antler one (1) inch or more in length.

***************

So looks like eye guards/brow tines count as points, as is natural and ordained by our overlords

 

[Dos Perros]

I hunt western Kansas a lot where we have both species of deer and we use different naming conventions for each species. A mule deer with 4 points on each side and brow tines is a "4 by 4." And a whitetail with brow tines and 4 points on each side is a "10 pointer."

 

[nobody]

So, brings up something I haven’t thought about as a lifetime whitetail hunter going on my first mule deer hunt in a few weeks in WY - I have a general tag and one area has a 3 point minimum on one side and a couple others are 4 point minimum. Does that include brow tines?

3 point minimum DOES NOT include brow tines in Wyoming. Had a coworker from Evanston who found a 34 inch wide, big regressed 2 point last year with 4 inch eyeguards and he couldn't shoot him in their honey hole in Wyoming.

 

[ChrisAU]

3 point minimum DOES NOT include brow tines in Wyoming. Had a coworker from Evanston who found a 34 inch wide, big regressed 2 point last year with 4 inch eyeguards and he couldn't shoot him in their honey hole in Wyoming.

The regs I posted above say it does. From here:

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/media/content/Final%20Regs/CH02-FINAL-04-20-2022-5.pdf

 

[ThatredneckguyJamie]

Whichever method you choose, always round up. Throw in descriptors like mass monster, deep, tall or heavy. Be sure to include kickers, cheaters and drops.

This! and forget that whole 1" rule...if you can hang a ring on it, it counts. Btw, for me that would be a 10 pt you described

 

[nobody]

The regs I posted above say it does. From here:

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/media/content/Final%20Regs/CH02-FINAL-04-20-2022-5.pdf

Are you referring to this?



It sounds like maybe it's worth a clarifying phone call to a fish and game officer in Wyoming, because I just took what my coworker said at face value. He's lived his entire life in Wyoming and said that eyeguards don't count. But, that was a year ago too, so maybe I'm remembering wrong??

 

[elkyinzer]

Whitetails, to me a point is anything >1" and trash gets accounted for separately. A mainframe 12 point is something entirely different than a mainframe 10 with 2 little dinky kickers off the base or split brows or whatnot.

Elk same thing but I do think of them in terms of LxR

Mule deer don't really care about to much maybe someday I'll get an itch.

 

[ForkieLivesMatter]

WV here, also. This is how I call it for whitetails, as is how the WVDNR does it as well, I believe.

Any point that is at least 1" counts as a point, including brow tines and kickers.

Eight points at least 1" = eight pointer.

Three points at least 1" = three pointer

Both antlers are a single tine and at least one is at least 1" OR only one tine present but it is at least 1" = spike

Bare tine(s) <1" OR a male without exposed antlers = button buck

What part of WV? Preston Co here. We count every point for whitetail, just feels off not counting browtines/eye guards on mule deer.

 

[ChrisAU]

Are you referring to this?

View attachment 443515

It sounds like maybe it's worth a clarifying phone call to a fish and game officer in Wyoming, because I just took what my coworker said at face value. He's lived his entire life in Wyoming and said that eyeguards don't count. But, that was a year ago too, so maybe I'm remembering wrong??

Yes that is what I found after I asked the question. General consensus on forums agrees with that with a quick google. I'll call and confirm and post what I hear here.

 

[ChrisAU]

Are you referring to this?

View attachment 443515

It sounds like maybe it's worth a clarifying phone call to a fish and game officer in Wyoming, because I just took what my coworker said at face value. He's lived his entire life in Wyoming and said that eyeguards don't count. But, that was a year ago too, so maybe I'm remembering wrong??

Maybe it was a 4 point unit?

 

[ForkieLivesMatter]

Thanks for the responses. With what I gathered the “read the room” comment I think makes the most sense. After all, I’m the out-of-towner. Certain regions prefer 4x4 with/without eyeguards, others prefer 4 point and if it has uneven number of points call it that (3x4,4x5,5x6, etc). And if I call a deer something and a local looks at me cross eyed or moves to kick me down a hill explain to them the rack in detail then “when in Rome” call it what they call it lol

 

[nobody]

Maybe it was a 4 point unit?

IDK which unit exactly, but it was Region G

 

[WCB]

MN here. we use 10pt, 11pt, 8pt, forky, spike etc. UNless it is something odd like a 10pt but has 7 one 1 side and 3 on the other. Then in discussion you would say he was a 10pt but had 7 on 1 side.

right next door in ND the points per side is 4x4, 5x5 even for whitetails (include brow for WTs) is popular.
Mule deer are always anywhere I have been pts per side minus brows
Elk are points per side

 

[bullmtn]

I hunt in WA, OR and ID. Where I hunt in WA its three point or better so the meat hunters are ardent supporters of counting brow tines. In OR right across the river we don't count them, but in Northern Idaho you count them for Whitetails but not mulies.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

But your toes or fingers probably don't fall off (shed) each year either.

ClearCr

But your toes or fingers probably don't fall off (shed) each year either.

ClearCreek

Thats true when they are symmetrical

My nephew shot a 17 point white tail several years back. No matter how you try, you can't get symmetrical out of that.