Your buck is down, and it’s a brute. But what will it score? You’ll need to wait 60 days for the antlers to dry to see if it’s a record (the net score, which deducts points for asymmetry and extra kickers, is the only number you’ll get into the B&C books). But most hunters and wildlife biologists only calculate the gross “green�?score anyway, since it adds every inch of bone to the total. And with a flexible tape measure, you can take it right there in the field. —Gerald Almy

[1] MEASURE the inside spread at the widest point between the main beams. Make sure your tape measure is perpendicular to the length of the skull and parallel to the top of the head. Round all measurements to the nearest 1/8 inch.

[2] PLACE the tape at the burr edge and run it along the middle of the main beam on the outside, all the way to the center of the last tip. Repeat on the other side of the rack.

[3] MEASURE the tines from where they emerge off the main beam along the outside of their curvature. Start with the brow tine (called the G1), then the next point (G2), and so on. Then record all abnormal points. Only count points longer than 1 inch.

[4] MEASURE the circumference (mass) of each antler in four spots: roughly halfway (or at the narrowest spot) between the burr and the brow tine, the first and second points, the second and third points, and the third and fourth points. If the buck is an 8-pointer and doesn’t have a fourth tine jutting off the main beam, take the measurement halfway between the middle of the third point and the tip of the antler.

[5] ADD all the measurements for the final gross score.

For more information on scoring, contact the Boone and Crockett Club, 406-542-1888; boone-crockett.org; Safari Club International, 520-620-1220; safariclub.org; or Buckmasters, 334-215-3337; buckmasters.com.

SPECIAL THANKS TO FIELD AND STREAM MAGAZINE