How to Score Deer Antlers: Boone & Crockett Guide

How to score a deer, in one line: add the beams, the points, the four circumferences and the inside spread, then subtract the difference between the two sides. The calculator below does that arithmetic for you, and the rest of this guide covers how to take each measurement so the number is right.

What You’ll Need to Score Like a Pro

• Flexible measuring tape: 1/4-inch wide steel tape, at least 36 inches long.
• Score sheet: Download a free B&C Whitetail Score Chart PDF—it’s your cheat sheet.
• Notebook or app: For jotting 1/8-inch increments. Apps like BuckScore can eyeball it from photos too.
• Steady hands and patience: Antlers need 60 days to dry post-harvest for official scores.

How to score a deer, step by step

1. Measure the Main Beams The main beams are the big curving parts from the base to the tips. Think of them as the backbone of your score.
   1. Step 1: Find the burr—that’s the bumpy, swollen spot where the antler meets the skull. Start measuring at the center of the lowest outside edge of the burr.
   2. Step 2: Run your tape along the outside curve of the beam, following the natural outer line (imagine Line F on a diagram—it’s the longest path without going inward). Go all the way to the very tip of the beam.
   3. Step 3: Do this for both the left and right beams, then add the two lengths together. This is your base score chunk.
   Tip: Don’t cut corners—follow the curve exactly, or you’ll shortchange yourself. Common mistake: Starting too high on the burr, which makes it shorter.

   

   For official diagrams, check the B&C Whitetail Scoring Page.
2. Inside Spread Credit This is the width between the two main beams at their widest—it’s like the “wingspan” that adds easy points without much work.
   1. Step 1: Look straight down the center line of the skull (imagine a line splitting the head in half).
   2. Step 2: Find the widest spot between the insides of the two main beams. Measure perpendicular (at a perfect 90-degree angle) to that center line.
   3. Step 3: If this spread is wider than your longest main beam, you can only credit it up to the length of that longest beam—no bonus for super-wide racks beyond that.
   Tip: Use a straight edge or level to keep it perpendicular. Common mistake: Measuring at an angle, which slims it down. Pro hack: This is often the easiest add-on—don’t skip it!
3. Tine Lengths (G Measurements) Tines are the sticking-out points. For a “typical” rack, we label the main ones G1 through G4. G1 is the brow tine (closest to the base), G2 next, and so on up the beam.
   1. Step 1: For each tine, find where it joins the main beam—that’s your baseline.
   2. Step 2: Drop a perpendicular line straight down from the outer curve of the main beam to the tip of the tine. (Lay the tape so its top edge matches the beam’s top edge on both sides of the tine.)
   3. Step 3: Measure from that join point, over the outer curve if needed, to the very tip. Only count tines 1 inch or longer. If a tine is in the wrong spot (like growing from below or sideways), it’s “abnormal”—measure it separately (see step 5).
   Tip: The beam tip counts as a point but isn’t measured as one. Common mistake: Measuring straight instead of perpendicular, missing length. Add up all normal tines from both sides.
4. Circumferences (H Measurements) These measure the “girth” or thickness of the antlers—bigger is better for mass points!
   1. Step 1: Measure the smallest circumference in each section. H1: Between the burr and G1 (or halfway if no G1). H2: Between G1 and G2. H3: Between G2 and G3. H4: Between G3 and beam tip (or halfway if no G3).
   2. Step 2: Wrap the tape snugly around the antler at that narrowest spot—don’t squish it.
   3. Step 3: Do this for four spots on each side (left and right), then add them up.
   Tip: If a tine is missing, adjust the sections accordingly. Common mistake: Measuring at the widest instead of narrowest—always go smallest for honesty. This adds up quick for heavy beams.
5. Abnormal Points These are the wild cards—extra points that don’t fit the typical pattern, like ones growing from the bottom, sides, or even off other points.
   1. Step 1: Spot any projection 1 inch or longer that’s not in the standard G1-G4 spots.
   2. Step 2: Measure just like normal tines: From tip to the nearest edge of the beam it’s attached to.
   3. Step 3: Add their lengths to your gross score (the big total). But for a “typical” net score, subtract them (and any matching on the other side) to keep it clean. For “non-typical” scoring, they stay in and boost you big time!
   Tip: Decide typical vs. non-typical early—non-typical often scores higher with extras. Common mistake: Forgetting to measure them at all. Got a freak rack? Embrace the abnormal for glory.

Watch a rack get measured

Reading the steps is one thing; watching the tape run is another. Bowhunt or Die walks a whole rack in a few minutes, and the order they work in is the same order the score sheet asks for.

Gross vs. Net Score: What’s the Difference?

How to score a deer against the record book minimums

The full table of minimums for every North American species is published by the Boone and Crockett Club.

Knowing how to score a deer is only half of it — knowing what the number means is the other half. Every number above is a net score after deductions, taken after the 60-day drying period by an official measurer. The calculator at the top of this page runs the same math, so you know before you make the call whether the rack is close.

How to Score Elk Antlers (American & Roosevelt’s)

• Typical points: American elk typically carry 6 points per side (G1–G6), not a whitetail’s 4, so budget extra time measuring tines.
• Inside spread: Same rule as whitetail—credited up to, but never beyond, the length of the longer main beam.
• Circumferences: Four per beam (H1–H4), same method—smallest circumference in each section, tape snug but not squished.
• Typical vs. non-typical: Abnormal points are subtracted for a typical net score, or counted in for a non-typical entry, exactly like whitetail.

Mule Deer Antler Scoring: What’s Different from Whitetail

• Forked, not tined: A typical mule deer rack forks rather than sprouting individual tines off the main beam—count each fork tip as a point (at least 1 inch long, and longer than it is wide at 1 inch from the tip).
• Typical points: A mature typical mule deer usually carries 4 points per side (mule deer rarely grow eye guards), plus the beam tip.
• Everything else matches: main beam length, inside spread (capped at the longer beam), and the four H1–H4 circumference measurements per side follow the same steps as the whitetail walkthrough above.

Tips to Nail Your Deer Antler Score Every Time

• Dry those antlers 60+ days; green scores shrink 10-20%.
• Measure in good light—shadows lie.
• Practice on sheds or buddies’ racks; accuracy comes with reps.
• Go non-typical if extras pop—those can skyrocket your score.
• Certify with a measurer for records; DIY’s fun, but official’s forever.

Once you know how to score a deer, the next skill is calling his age before you ever pick up a tape.

Keep reading on Popular Outdoorsman

• How to field-judge a whitetail by age — read the buck before you pull the trigger.
• Six bowhunting tactics that get deer in close — Pope & Young entries have to be archery kills.
• First-time deer hunting guide — everything that happens before the tape comes out.
• Best budget hunting rifles — what to carry once the scouting is done.
• Picking a hunting knife — the tool you reach for after the buck is down.
• Spotting chronic wasting disease — check before the head goes to the taxidermist.
• Venison recipes by cut, on Tag to Table — the part of the deer that does not go on the wall.

FAQ: Your Burning Questions on Scoring Deer Antlers