There is an undeniable increase in the number of hunters who should be registered as “headophiles.” This perception is exaggerated by internet forums and social media, but today a hunter’s reputation seems to be more related to the content of a forum post than a meat pole. As an average hunter and a proudly self-proclaimed meat hunter, I’m not sure this progressive trend constitutes progress. Somewhere along this progression of successful conservation we might have lost our heads in the quest to mount theirs. It is only because of the abundance of deer that some now have the luxury to let a young buck walk. I suppose the shift in focus by some hunters from the hindquarters to the antlers is simply a by-product of our incredible success in conserving whitetails throughout all of their historical range. To the early hunter, the age of the deer was not important, except for the realization that younger deer tasted better. For most of our history of hunting deer, humans were interested in the meat and leather they provided. MAXIMUM VS.Deer hunters were not always so discriminating. As a rule, palm width and length pile up B&C points. As bulls age they tend to add in number of points that will be shorter and less recognizable having given way to wider and taller palms. Typically, younger bulls will feature long and distinguishable able points, but with narrower spreads and shorter palms. A frontal view, with the animal's head down and antlers nearly vertical, gives a much better chance for accurate evaluation, but may not be available under field conditions. This is because the length, width, and symmetry of the palms are all hard to judge when seen from the side. A bull with an extra ear length on either side would, then be approximately a bull with a 50 inch spread.Įven though moose can often be studied carefully in the field, and an experienced guide may make reasonable estimate of the greatest spread, it is very difficult to estimate the scores accurately at a distance. The ear tips of a mature bull when laid flat are roughly 30 inches wide, with ears themselves being 9 – 10 inches. One cannot accurately count the antler points on most trophy moose when the animal is in the field, so evaluation must generally be made on the basis of the amount of palm material present and the greatest spread.īig trophy moose of all three classes tend to have the main palms lying flat to produce a wide spread, whereas smaller antlers are more apt to show cup-shaped palms and a narrow spread. This feature, along with broad main palms, markedly improves the score potential.Īlthough an Alaska-Yukon moose may have 15 or more points on each antler, not all projections count as points, especially if they are blunt in shape. High-scoring Canada or Alaska-Yukon moose have three or more brow points, on broad, well-developed brow palms that increase the length-of-palm measurement. The single spike brow dictates that the length of palm measurement must be ended at the edge of the main palm, obviously losing some potential that would have been fulfilled if the brow were palmate or even forked. This is undesirable since the length-of-palm is measured to a notch between brow points. Many Shiras' moose show only a single spike brow point on each antler, rather than a well-developed brow palm. A records book sized Shiras' moose would not be even a desirable trophy in Alaska.Īlthough the widest spread antlers are sought in all categories for the records, strong development of antler palmation in both length and width is even more desirable. They also show great variation in size, with the smallest racks coming from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and the largest from Alaska, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. Of all the living members of the deer family, moose have the greatest amount of antler material. The major features that make up a B&C score for moose are: Greatest Spread, D - Width of Palm, and Length of Palm.
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