Field Judging Elk

Torch · Post by **Torch** » Tue May 01, 2007 9:27 pm

If you can get your hands on some sheds/mounts and score them it should help you out quite a bit. You can just plug the numbers in on the Boone & Crockett website. Post the pics when you get him!

dahlmer · Post by **dahlmer** » Wed May 02, 2007 9:36 am

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. I'll keep you posted. Keep me in mind if you see anything big.

IDHunter · Post by **IDHunter** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:41 am

I read an article once that I found to be very helpful in field judging elk. The first thing you do is start with a base of 200. If the bull has incredible mass, length on his main beams, or width, you should add a little to the base score. If he has short beams, narrow spread, or less than average mass, you should take points away from the base score. Next you quickly add up the tine length in your head on one side of the bull. Take that number and double it, then add it to the original 200 (unless it changed).

I have tried this method on a lot of mounts I've seen and I'm usually pretty close (Within 10 points). The toughest part is being accurate with the tine length.

It's not perfect, but it works for me, and it's fast. Let me know if you try it and find it works for you. Good luck on your hunt this year.

proutdoors · Post by **proutdoors** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:09 am

IDHunter wrote:I read an article once that I found to be very helpful in field judging elk. The first thing you do is start with a base of 200. If the bull has incredible mass, length on his main beams, or width, you should add a little to the base score. If he has short beams, narrow spread, or less than average mass, you should take points away from the base score. Next you quickly add up the tine length in your head on one side of the bull. Take that number and double it, then add it to the original 200 (unless it changed).

I have tried this method on a lot of mounts I've seen and I'm usually pretty close (Within 10 points). The toughest part is being accurate with the tine length.

It's not perfect, but it works for me, and it's fast. Let me know if you try it and find it works for you. Good luck on your hunt this year.

Good advice. I believe it was an arcticle by Steve Chappell in the Kings World mag.

If there are any elk 'farms' around, they are a good way to see lots of horn.

Nothing beats 'gym' time. Spend as much time as possible looking at photos, vidoes, glassing live elk, looking at mounts in stores, etc.. Good luck.

PRO

FishlakeElkHunter · Post by **FishlakeElkHunter** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:29 am

This is all good advice. I am going to take some of it myself since I drew a Fishlake Muzz tag.

I would also be happy with a 350 bull! Everyone is so concerned about that 380+ bull. I am just going to go and if I finda bull that looks good to me and would look good on my wall......then who cares about the score cuz I am going to be.............

TheGreatwhitehunter · Post by **TheGreatwhitehunter** » Sun May 20, 2007 8:46 pm

They always look bigger before there dead!!

dahlmer · Post by **dahlmer** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:35 pm

Here's another question for you guys that spend a lot of time watching the same bulls. Does the front end continue to grow throughout the summer, or does is pretty well stop and all the growth is in the back end later in the year?

Post by **MuleyMadness** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:42 pm

It's my understanding that the front end pretty much stays the same.

dahlmer · Post by **dahlmer** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:45 pm

That is what I had thought, but was curious. Here is another question...do the bigger bulls stop growing antler sooner than the smaller bulls?

Post by **MuleyMadness** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:46 pm

umm...

Not sure on that one, but I guess since they start sooner that might be true. But I'm not sure what to think of that one.

Course they are bigger so they have more bone to grow.