How to Score Your Buck with Trophy Tape

Let's face it; even if you don't care what your buck scores, the very first question your buddies ask when they find out you punched a tag is, "What's he score?"

Like most people, you can guesstimate an answer. Or, you can immediately answer 155€‰3„8, leaving said buddies wowed by your intense knowledge of the Boone and Crockett scoring system. Do you have to study up and carry a cable, clamp and official tape with you? Nope! Wildgame Innovations Trophy Tape ($7.99 per 3 rolls) is a new, easy-to-use product that takes all the math out of measuring gross B&C score. Here's a step-by-step guide for using it:

1. Kill a buck. Man, that's the fun part! And unless your trophy measures more than 600 inches (wouldn't that be a nice problem?), Trophy Tape has you covered.

2. Beginning at the pedicle of the main beam۬(bottom), measure along the centerline of the beam to the tip and tear or cut the tape (I much prefer to cut). Repeat this process on both main beams.

3. Begin where the tines (G measurements) connect to the main beam (not the center of the main beam, the top) and measure to the tip of each tine. Repeat this for both sides of the rack.

4. Use the tape to wrap all four circumference measurements at their narrowest point. Remember, regardless of whether the deer is a 7x7 typical or a spike, it will still have four circumference measurements per side. In the case of anything less than a 4x4, you would choose the place you measure circumference by looking at the main beam measurement and wrapping the tape halfway between the tip of the main beam and the last vertical point.

5. If present, handle abnormal points (stickers, kickers, drops) by using the tape to measure from the tip of the point to where the point۬originates.

6. Pull the tape off the roll between the antlers to measure the greatest spread inside the main beams, but do not adhere the tape to the beams. Tear or cut the tape off at the widest point.

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7. Look down at your residual roll of tape. The number you see is the gross score of your deer. Voila!

HELPFUL HINTS:

Completely measure one side first, then the other side. Whether you include kickers, stickers, drops, etc. in this measurement is up to you. I think it's very helpful for novice measurers to print a Boone and Crockett score sheet for reference the first couple times you use the tape, although there are good instructions on the back of the packaging.

Trophy Tape comes with three rolls of 200-inch tape per package. So, for $2.67, you can measure your trophy at home or in camp, or even in the field, and save yourself the trouble of having to tell your buddies, yet again, "I don't know what he scores, but he's a pretty dang good 'un."

What to do with leftover tape: The likelihood of using all 200 inches of tape on a single deer is extremely low. So, there's a really good chance you'll have 40-70 inches leftover on each roll. Save it and use it in the spring to measure shed antlers that you find. Apply it to the antler just like described above. You obviously won't have to contend with inside spread, and when you're finished and tear the tape off, subtract your starting number from your final to get the gross score of the shed.