Mike Handley posted on February 14, 2011 08:27
By Mike Handley
As suspected, Will Rives’ Jefferson County, Miss., buck – posted here on the Braggin Board 13 days after he arrowed it – is indeed a new state record within the BTR. But not as a Typical.
The 17-pointer carries a super strong 6x5 mainframe, but the six irregular points contribute just enough to the rack’s score so that it winds up a Semi-irregular by Buckmasters’ yardstick. The official score, which doesn’t include inside spread, is 183 4/8 inches. That’s the figure we use to rank deer. The composite (true gross) score is 200 6/8.
I’m fairly certain that Will’s buck will be recognized as a state-record Typical with the Pope and Young Club, too, although deductions will knock its score down to the low to mid-170s.
If Will were to take a hacksaw to that gorgeous rack and remove the kickers, it would gain 15 to 20 inches with B&C. Is that crazy or what?
That, friends, is why the BTR came into being. Speaking of which...
Deadline for New Record Book
Did you know we publish a new edition of our record book every three years?
The last one, our fifth, was released in 2008, which means the sixth edition will be published next fall. If you’ve taken a qualifying deer (firearms harvests that’ll score 140 sans spread and bowkills that’ll total 105), now’s the time to have the rack measured.
The cutoff date for inclusion in the sixth edition is March 1. Entries that hit my desk after that date will not appear in print until 2014.
Click here for the state-by-state list of certified BTR measurers. If you have trouble connecting with someone, give me a call at 1-800-240-3337. The fee for entering a qualifying rack is $20.
Antler Scoring Class
Folks interested in becoming measurers for the BTR usually must travel to Alabama during our summertime Buckmasters Expo. This year, however, antler lovers in the north-central U.S. can learn how to tape whitetail racks without planning a vacation to humidity’s hub.
The next scorer’s certification clinic will be held in conjunction with Circle M Auction’s Whitetail Classic inside the Grand River Center in Dubuque, Iowa. The class will be taught from 9 a.m. ’til 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 19 (with an hour set aside for lunch).
You must be a Buckmasters member and pre-register by sending the $80 fee, along with a completed registration form, to me by March 14. You must also have a “character affidavit” signed by an officer with your state’s DNR, certifying that you’ve not been convicted of a wildlife-related violation. The affidavit can be handed over during the class.
The non-refundable fee covers the cost of scoring materials – tape measures, steel cable, scoresheets and the latest hardbound copy of “Buckmasters Whitetail Trophy Records.” Attendees who pass the examination at the end of the class will become certified measurers; those who do not pass the test will be able to retake the class at a future date for no additional charge.
Both the pre-registration form and character affidavit can be downloaded from our website. For more information, e-mail me at mhandley@buckmasters.com.
