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Deer score rant

ajupsman

*Supporting Member*
811
70
New Hampshire
Until I went to hunt Ohio for the first time in 2011 I really had no concept of scoring deer. I mean I'd heard about it on the shows and in magazines but it's not talked about here. All everyone cares about here is how much did it weigh? That's the first question you get when you shoot a buck. The second question is how many points? Nobody ever talks score. In fact to be put in the NH record book the buck has to weigh at least 200 lbs field dressed.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Until I went to hunt Ohio for the first time in 2011 I really had no concept of scoring deer. I mean I'd heard about it on the shows and in magazines but it's not talked about here. All everyone cares about here is how much did it weigh? That's the first question you get when you shoot a buck. The second question is how many points? Nobody ever talks score. In fact to be put in the NH record book the buck has to weigh at least 200 lbs field dressed.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing AJ. I had no clue. Pretty cool stuff.
 
Until I went to hunt Ohio for the first time in 2011 I really had no concept of scoring deer. I mean I'd heard about it on the shows and in magazines but it's not talked about here. All everyone cares about here is how much did it weigh? That's the first question you get when you shoot a buck. The second question is how many points? Nobody ever talks score. In fact to be put in the NH record book the buck has to weigh at least 200 lbs field dressed.

That was exactly how I was raised too now that I think about it. We always guessed how heavy the deer was more than anything, probably because if it was a buck it wasn't much more than a fork horn. Points always seemed to matter back in the day too, even if that point wasn't an inch it was often counted if it could hold a ring LOL. Like I said earlier some friends still think that way and there is nothing wrong with it. Guess that's why I don't get into the 'what's he score' threads when people put them up on forums.
 

ajupsman

*Supporting Member*
811
70
New Hampshire
That was exactly how I was raised too now that I think about it. We always guessed how heavy the deer was more than anything, probably because if it was a buck it wasn't much more than a fork horn. Points always seemed to matter back in the day too, even if that point wasn't an inch it was often counted if it could hold a ring LOL. Like I said earlier some friends still think that way and there is nothing wrong with it. Guess that's why I don't get into the 'what's he score' threads when people put them up on forums.
Ha. I remember the ring theory. If you could hang a ring of it, it counted. You could turn a fork horn in to a 7 point if it had few nubs.
 
I couldn't agree more this everything said on this thread!!! Promoting products based on business deals, over scoring animals, and focusing on capturing kills not stories is a downfall of the industry. These production teams no longer care about engaging and capturing their audience through telling great stories, the majority of these shows are all about pushing sponsors and boasting inches on the head. The funny thing is no one really watches them because of it, but don't tell them that. Being a new company in the industry we have been flooded with a tidal wave of sponsorship requests and when we tell them that we aren't interested because of this they get all bent out of shape!

A trophy is in the eye of beholder. Any harvest of a mature buck is a great achievement, regardless of inches!! Their experience with predators over the years is what makes them hard to kill not scores. I still don't understand why more folks don't get that.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
Well said Chad.

My biggest disappointment is with North American Whitetail magazine. It was at one time head and shoulders above all others because of the STORIES. It had some news but was built around stories. Now it is watered down with product promotion and "how to" crap. I used to count down the days until the next issue arrived. Now half the magazine goes unread sitting on the kitchen table.
Chad, maybe Exodus should start a magazine about great bucks...I will be your first subscriber.
 

Quantum673

Black Hat Cajun
Supporting Member
Well said Chad.

My biggest disappointment is with North American Whitetail magazine. It was at one time head and shoulders above all others because of the STORIES. It had some news but was built around stories. Now it is watered down with product promotion and "how to" crap. I used to count down the days until the next issue arrived. Now half the magazine goes unread sitting on the kitchen table.
Chad, maybe Exodus should start a magazine about great bucks...I will be your first subscriber.

Make it all about "Great Hunts" and I will be in as well.
For me some of the best hunts I have been involved in were not about a big buck. It was about a deer that was a trophy to the hunter.
Brads Buck.jpg
Here is a great example. To a lot of hunters this would not be considered a wall hanger. To the 14yr old that shot it during youth gun it was a trophy.
Even though he has killed bigger bucks with his crossbow this was his first shotgun harvest. I was lucky enough to be in the stand with him and it is a trophy to me as well.
What made it even better was that I just got that picture Sunday. He just got it back. His exact words in the text "I don't think I could have waited much longer". Man what a trophy to that young man.
 
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bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I couldn't agree more this everything said on this thread!!! Promoting products based on business deals, over scoring animals, and focusing on capturing kills not stories is a downfall of the industry. These production teams no longer care about engaging and capturing their audience through telling great stories, the majority of these shows are all about pushing sponsors and boasting inches on the head. The funny thing is no one really watches them because of it, but don't tell them that. Being a new company in the industry we have been flooded with a tidal wave of sponsorship requests and when we tell them that we aren't interested because of this they get all bent out of shape!

A trophy is in the eye of beholder. Any harvest of a mature buck is a great achievement, regardless of inches!! Their experience with predators over the years is what makes them hard to kill not scores. I still don't understand why more folks don't get that.

We too get requests and tell people to pound salt. The only way you get to advertise here is to offer a direct benefit to our members. We're not here to cater to sponsors. The mission was to create a site to facilitate the exchange of quality information amongst quality people. Don't need the DeerView Mirror, Acorn Cruncher, or Buck Juice to help us do that...
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
We too get requests and tell people to pound salt. The only way you get to advertise here is to offer a direct benefit to our members. We're not here to cater to sponsors. The mission was to create a site to facilitate the exchange of quality information amongst quality people. Don't need the DeerView Mirror, Acorn Cruncher, or Buck Juice to help us do that...

What about the Treecoy? :smiley_crocodile:
 
I couldn't agree more this everything said on this thread!!! Promoting products based on business deals, over scoring animals, and focusing on capturing kills not stories is a downfall of the industry. These production teams no longer care about engaging and capturing their audience through telling great stories, the majority of these shows are all about pushing sponsors and boasting inches on the head. The funny thing is no one really watches them because of it, but don't tell them that. Being a new company in the industry we have been flooded with a tidal wave of sponsorship requests and when we tell them that we aren't interested because of this they get all bent out of shape!

A trophy is in the eye of beholder. Any harvest of a mature buck is a great achievement, regardless of inches!! Their experience with predators over the years is what makes them hard to kill not scores. I still don't understand why more folks don't get that.

We too get requests and tell people to pound salt. The only way you get to advertise here is to offer a direct benefit to our members. We're not here to cater to sponsors. The mission was to create a site to facilitate the exchange of quality information amongst quality people. Don't need the DeerView Mirror, Acorn Cruncher, or Buck Juice to help us do that...

A couple breaths of fresh air when it comes to seeing you guys get it. Indirectly you guys are saying the same thing. Drives me nuts to see how commercialized everything is from TV shows all the way down to good ole community forums. When the 'show' becomes more about the many many products and not about the people watching or participating that's when they slowly tank and become irrelevant.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
Well said Chad.

My biggest disappointment is with North American Whitetail magazine. It was at one time head and shoulders above all others because of the STORIES. It had some news but was built around stories. Now it is watered down with product promotion and "how to" crap. I used to count down the days until the next issue arrived. Now half the magazine goes unread sitting on the kitchen table.
Chad, maybe Exodus should start a magazine about great bucks...I will be your first subscriber.


FUCKIN A!!!!! I was a subscriber for over 2.5 decades and quit 5-6 years ago! Ron and I started reading it during it's inception in the early 80's and like you couldn't read enough of it! MOF, I read some articles twice but they were of big bucks killed here in Ohio and the Midwest by other average Joes like us. Then it something changed, it's more like a product review catalog with pages upon pages of what new techno gadget, broadhead,bow,sight,arrow....yada yada yada I just got tired of it all!

Then last year they sent me a card asking again for my business offering me a sweet deal for like $8.$$ or something and I'm still very disappointed in their content. I will be dropping them AGAIN!!!!

It's sad really, that a product that at one time was so good turned into shit!!!

Anybody ever subscribe to the "DEER" magazine titled RACK? I really liked it back in the day as friends of mine would pass it along to me after they finished reading it. I actually had to acquaintances featured in that magazine with the huge bucks they killed. Basically from cover to last page it was filled with hunters and their stories along with pictures of the big bucks they killed. If they still provide the same content I would like to start picking up that magazine. Anyone know much about it?

In the end, you can only talk hunting strategies,lunar cycles,favorable weather conditions,deer diets food plots,yada yada yada so long and pretty soon you're just recycling the same BS for readers to read.
 

Spencie

Senior Member
5,051
145
Constitution Ohio
FUCKIN A!!!!! I was a subscriber for over 2.5 decades and quit 5-6 years ago! Ron and I started reading it during it's inception in the early 80's and like you couldn't read enough of it! MOF, I read some articles twice but they were of big bucks killed here in Ohio and the Midwest by other average Joes like us. Then it something changed, it's more like a product review catalog with pages upon pages of what new techno gadget, broadhead,bow,sight,arrow....yada yada yada I just got tired of it all!

Then last year they sent me a card asking again for my business offering me a sweet deal for like $8.$$ or something and I'm still very disappointed in their content. I will be dropping them AGAIN!!!!

It's sad really, that a product that at one time was so good turned into shit!!!

Anybody ever subscribe to the "DEER" magazine titled RACK? I really liked it back in the day as friends of mine would pass it along to me after they finished reading it. I actually had to acquaintances featured in that magazine with the huge bucks they killed. Basically from cover to last page it was filled with hunters and their stories along with pictures of the big bucks they killed. If they still provide the same content I would like to start picking up that magazine. Anyone know much about it?

In the end, you can only talk hunting strategies,lunar cycles,favorable weather conditions,deer diets food plots,yada yada yada so long and pretty soon you're just recycling the same BS for readers to read.

It was an awesome read in the 80s. Maybe someone here can start an all Ohio magazine of "Buck" stories only.
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I still have alot of those issues from the 80s Ric.
Use to enjoy reading articles that Dick Idol wrote and a few others.
Now i just pick an issue up at the store if it looks worth reading.