Score Estimates

[diamond10x]

What is everyone’s best guess as to score on this bull? My guess is 315-330”

For reference that’s a bowtech solution with an axle to axle measurement of 32” and a central arctic herd bull.


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[IDShane]

I have no idea on the score but congrats on the nice bull!

 

[Nick Muche]

275-290”

 

[kphunter]

Congrats on the bull.
I think Nick nailed it, but I’ll go 300.

 

[Nick Muche]

Caribou are some of the most difficult animals to field judge due to how they are scored. There are 14 measurements on each side, plus the spread. Nearly impossible to run through all of that in most caribou hunting situations.

When I hunt caribou, I quickly field judge them based on overall Frame, Top Point length, Mass up top and presence of a Double Shovel or not. Back points are a bonus as are overall number of points. Then I categorize it as Huge (nearly 400"), Big (325"-375") or average.

 

[diamond10x]

Caribou are some of the most difficult animals to field judge due to how they are scored. There are 14 measurements on each side, plus the spread. Nearly impossible to run through all of that in most caribou hunting situations.

When I hunt caribou, I quickly field judge them based on overall Frame, Top Point length, Mass up top and presence of a Double Shovel or not. Back points are a bonus as are overall number of points. Then I categorize it as Huge (nearly 400"), Big (325"-375") or average.

I was hoping you would reply as your articles or posts seem to be the only ones I ever read that remotely breakdown scoring other than read the scoring sheet or just, oh that's a nice one.

 

[Blockcaver]

I’ve only killed 7 caribou so far, but think Nick is correct with his guess based on my limited sample size. Looks a lot like my Alaska bull but that was short of 300”.

That said, congratulations on a nice bow killed ‘bou!!! They eat well and are fun to hunt!

 

[Bambistew]

Agree with Nick. Bou are hard to judge score unless you have a lot of time. I look for big bottoms and a big (long mains) frame. Top points are nice as are palms, but the long bottoms add as much to the score or more. My experience is those bulls with everything are more rare than just about any trophy big game animal on the planet. IMO, if the frame is big, they'll usually have at least average (10") tops. We categorize them as medium (noticeable bull in the herd), large (one you consider shooting) and XL (really nice bulls). I've seen 1-2 XXL (they are stupid looking they're so big with everything). As far as score, our XLs are 360 +/-20". Some score more some score less but look bigger. Caribou are really hard to field judge/score. IMO lots of guys way over estimate the score. The official score tends to be way lower than estimated 'green score' in my experience.

I'd guess the bull above around 280-90. Hard to tell from pictures though. I'd guess 42" MB, 14" shovel (other side is 6"), 14" bez, 10" and 6" tops, 8 scoreable points, 1 scoreable point on the shovel, 5" shovel width, 4" top width, and 24" mass, no back point... ~126-128" per side, plus 32" spread ~285 gross, nets 275? Nice bull with a bow!

Here's a few I've killed with scores I took. If they were officially scored, they'd probably be even less. haha.

The top bull is a 370+/-. he has long everything, but lacks palm and #points, his shovel isn't very wide. MBs are 50" and nice top points and bez. This guy was with 2 other bulls, one had just rubbed with better/palmed top, but smaller bottom. It was a toss-up, and they were about 20 yards from slipping into the fog and gone.

The middle bulls is 345+/-. Nice bull, with average everything. Pretty bull.

The bottom is maybe 300, looks big, but is really pretty short everywhere. MBs were about 36-38", fronts were maybe 14",top points were maybe 10-12, no mass. He was super skinny, and small bodied. Tricked me. The dogs ate the antlers it or I'd go measure it.






The top two pics below are of some of the bigger bulls I've seen. I'd guess 380-400" no-doubters. The top one has short-ish main beams but a huge bottom and average tops, no palmation. Its a smoker bull. I've shown this picture to a lot of people and have had many throw out 420-440. He's no where near that, I'd guess 390.

Middle pic, the bull I think he maybe a little bigger than than the top one. He had similar bottoms, but tops were longer as were his MBs. The one next to him was maybe 300, and weighed 20% less.

Bottom pic was pretty cool. Some good bulls there, but none that would score that well. The far right was maybe 330, the far left was, I think the best one. Long MB, big bottoms, and ok tops. Maybe 370.

I've seen maybe 1-2 bulls that were 400 plus in 10 years of looking.

 

[darbuh]

Hello.......since on topic wondering if you would have any idea what range this bull might be in, had people ask and I really don't have a clue? Bottoms aren't very strong obviously but I was looking for big tops and white main over anything else, had some success. THANNKS!!

 

[Nick Muche]

Beautiful bull that I would put in the 340" - 350" range. There are many B&C and P&Y scorers in WI, if you'd ever like it officially measured so that you know.

 

[darbuh]

Got it....thanks a bunch for the reply Nick. Gets me in the ballpark anyways, that's was I was looking for.

 

[JonS]

Where does one get something scored? I shot this guy in Sept of 2021, he’s currently on a wall, just a skull mount, wishing I’d taken the hide out, but it was getting dark and we was tired, grizz in the area, and other excuses I could have gotten over in a day or two.
Thanks and hope all is well, the closer up one with the bearded guy is me, I’m 4’28” tall and about 215 in that pic, and plenty of layers on.
Thanks all

 

[jhm2023]

Take this for what it's worth I suppose as I've never had any of my bulls officially measured, just the criteria on what makes me happy to go into taxidermy debt. The main four things I look for when I'm specifically wanting a big caribou and not just a meat bull and trying to field judge them.

1) Are the main beams long enough to curve over and point forward instead of up at the sky? Automatic pass if not.
2) Mass on the tops. Lots of palmation and/or a lot of long tines that generally point upwards off of a forward pointing main beam, not pointing backwards from an upward pointing main beam. Automatic pass if not.
3) Do the shovels and bez go all the way out near the end of the nose and do they have a lot of palmation and character. I also like to see double shovels. Automatic pass if the shovels and bez only make it part way down the nose and if its just a few stick points on the bez.
4) The width of the antlers. Is it wide at just the top and narrow at the bottom making somewhat of a triangle when viewed from front or rear. Is it immediately wide at the bottom and gets even wider up top. It it generally on the narrow side. This one isn't an automatic pass for me as it kind of depends but the other 3 things need to be really good.