# Mule Deer judging-- make it interesting



## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

CONTEST IS CLOSED Go to PAGE 8 For and UPDATE, results and more PHOTOS!!

I thought it would be fun to break up the monotony of mid summer so if it is ok let's have a contest to help with judging some mule deer bucks. Maybe do a few if people like them. I remember talking width as a youth around the campfire so the contests will just focus on how wide the buck's are in the photos. I might not have them perfectly photo'ed from the front, but should be close enough to get us an idea.

To make it interesting, I'll throw some cash on the table for the winner. You choose- A $20 bill will be mailed to the winner or $50 in-shop credit **at my taxidermy shop. (I don't care if you delay the decision until after the hunts this Fall) Either way you win.

Rules-- 
Guess the width of the buck to the nearest 1/8 of an inch (this will give us more possibilities) 
Guess should be in inches and 1/8s of an inch. ( example 24 2/8 )
1 guess per user.
No editing your post once you hit enter.
No over or under rules, just the closest.
If multiple entrants choose the same width or if there are multiple users the same difference apart, I will throw the user names in a hat and have my 8 year old draw the winner.
Mailing address must be in the USA- I'm not mailing outside the country.
The answer will come by the weekend of July 20th.
No whining if you don't win, this is just for fun.
I measure width on the square, not diagonally. 
You can throw in a B&C score for fun, but it won't do anything for this contest.

This is a buck we killed a couple years ago in July, on an out-of-Utah Federal Reserve as part of a research project, and I then mounted it in a summer diorama for their museum. It gives us a rare hands-on look at summer mature deer. He wasn't even close to being done growing. So how wide is he?


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

35 7/8"


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I'll go ahead and say 38 1/8"


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## drake2412 (Jul 15, 2013)

34 5/8


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## drake2412 (Jul 15, 2013)

34 5/8"


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## Dirtbag08 (Apr 30, 2013)

36 3/8"


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

38" even


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

34 3/8 inches.


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## Oblivion5888 (Sep 12, 2011)

39 5/8"


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## polarbear (Aug 1, 2011)

34 1/8"


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## Gweedo (Mar 12, 2013)

32 3/8"


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## Dukes_Daddy (Nov 14, 2008)

So you killed this buck just for a museum display? In other words this amazing deer was killed for no purpose other than to be put on display for a few years and will then be put in some back room.

I'm sure someone would have a mount sitting around they could donate. 

Which agency or museum is that messed up?


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## UtahMountainMan (Jul 20, 2010)

This one is easy, it is obviously 33 3/8".


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Duke- Did you miss the part where I stated the deer was killed as part of a research program? It won't be put in a back room either, as it is part of an educational interactive display. So you are wrong on both accounts. Not sure how many summer caped, full bodied mule deer mounts there are floating around, but I doubt it is very many. No need to be so negative. It was killed for a valid purpose and then the cape and antlers were put to good use.

So what is your guess?


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

My guess is 34 7/8" and what store are we talkin when you say $50.00 credit?


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Big enough and 3/8"


-DallanC


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## skeet4l (Sep 11, 2007)

38-7/8


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## itchytriggerfinger (Sep 12, 2007)

36 6/8ths


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

36.5


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## avidhntr3 (Sep 26, 2007)

35 5/8


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## waspocrew (Nov 26, 2011)

37 5/8


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

39 3/4" = (39 6/8" although not politically correct)


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## jsc (Nov 13, 2007)

36 7/8


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

35 6/8


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

32"


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## hatch000 (Aug 4, 2011)

31 5/8


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## Mr Muleskinner (Feb 14, 2012)

36"


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## sanpeteboy (Dec 26, 2007)

37 1/4


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## mtnrunner260 (Feb 15, 2010)

36 & 0/8


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## utjer (Jun 30, 2010)

36 7/8


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

I'll go 37 1/8. B&C = 221 7/8

Thanks for the post. This is fun.


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## Beast (Apr 4, 2010)

34" 1/8


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## meltedsnowman (Jun 1, 2012)

35 5/8


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

32 3/8"


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## El Matador (Dec 21, 2007)

32-4/8


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

37-5/8
bang !!!!


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## stablebuck (Nov 22, 2007)

37" even


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

I hate to use this because someone already guessed this but 35 6/8.

Has someone guessed it yet??.:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:


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## ridgetop (Sep 13, 2007)

31 7/8 and I would think he'd score in the low to mid-190s.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

33-7/8"; 187-7/8


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## burge (Sep 11, 2007)

34 7/8


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## dank80 (Oct 31, 2007)

40 1/8


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

People are guessing close to 40"!? Were guessing the inside spread right? I'll say 31 2/8"


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

bowhunt3r4l1f3 said:


> People are guessing close to 40"!? Were guessing the inside spread right? I'll say 31 2/8"


I was assuming outside spread, but I guess that was never articulated. If we're talking inside spread, my guess would change a little bit.


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

TS30 said:


> I was assuming outside spread, but I guess that was never articulated. If we're talking inside spread, my guess would change a little bit.


When people talk about a "30 inch buck" this is supposed to refer to the inside spread measurements. I think everyone always just assumes outside.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Outside spread. That is how wide a buck is-- on his outside spread. Never heard of people using inside spread to describe the width of a buck. Inside spread is for scores and books.


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## Hunter Tom (Sep 23, 2007)

37 3/8


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

bowhunt3r4l1f3 said:


> People are guessing close to 40"!? Were guessing the inside spread right? I'll say 31 2/8"


Shhhh!! Be quiet!


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## muleymadness (Jan 23, 2008)

I'll take 33 5/8" for fun. My other guess was taken.


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## mycoltbug (Jan 21, 2013)

32 6/8"


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## Truelife (Feb 6, 2009)

32 7/8" wide


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## Schleppy (Jul 16, 2008)

37 4/8


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## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

37 3/8


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## Dahlmer (Sep 12, 2007)

I'll say 34 5/8...Pretty sure he'll fall between 34-36.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

33 4/8


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

packout i will take the in shop credit. for this year buck or my pronghorn buck next year.:mrgreen:


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

33 1/8


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## FSHCHSR (Aug 30, 2008)

31 4/8


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## CurrentCreekHunter (May 4, 2013)

34 3/8


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## kk11 (Sep 17, 2007)

33 7/8


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

40 5/8ths


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## provoflyfisher (Jun 12, 2008)

35 4/8


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## blackdog (Sep 11, 2007)

bowhunt3r4l1f3 said:


> When people talk about a "30 inch buck" this is supposed to refer to the inside spread measurements. I think everyone always just assumes outside.


You're kidding, right??? How long have you been hunting Mulies? People pay you to scout for them?


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## Idratherbehunting (Jul 17, 2013)

I'm going with 37 7/8

And thanks for starting this thread. It took me from longtime lurker to new member.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Idratherbehunting said:


> I'm going with 37 7/8
> 
> And thanks for starting this thread. It took me from longtime lurker to new member.


Welcome to the forum!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

36 2/8


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## Jonwo (Apr 29, 2010)

39 1/8


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## bowhunt3r4l1f3 (Jan 12, 2011)

blackdog said:


> You're kidding, right??? How long have you been hunting Mulies? People pay you to scout for them?


Dude try reading some Field and Stream magazines. I've read it a hundred times in multiple articles. 
"Most mule deer hunters get caught up in the outside spread when in reality, _the actual measurement taken will be on the inside spread_ of the main beams."
http://gothunts.com/field-judging-mule-deer/

The score is always taken from the inside spread. How long have you been hunting Mulies?


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## Dahlmer (Sep 12, 2007)

bowhunt3r4l1f3 said:


> Dude try reading some Field and Stream magazines. I've read it a hundred times in multiple articles.
> "Most mule deer hunters get caught up in the outside spread when in reality, _the actual measurement taken will be on the inside spread_ of the main beams."
> http://gothunts.com/field-judging-mule-deer/
> 
> The score is always taken from the inside spread. How long have you been hunting Mulies?


True, for scoring purposes we use inside spread. However, when discussing mule deer if someone asks you how wide a buck is, they are ALWAYS referring to the outside spread. When scoring a deer, outside spread is actually taken and recorded, but is not used in calculating the score.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

who cares about score !!!
wide, heavy, and tall is much better.
I like 'em ugly.
I have only ever had one scored and entered


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

33 7/8, 193ish...

Good thread!! Bout time someone broke up the summer logjam around here.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

wyogoob said:


> 36 2/8


the fuzz dont count Goob! ;-)


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## C_Wiser (Nov 5, 2011)

39 1/2 inches


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## D_520 (May 5, 2009)

40 5/8"


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## hunter24 (Oct 20, 2010)

41 3/4"


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## hawkeye (Feb 18, 2008)

35 7/8".


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## 4pointmuley (Sep 18, 2007)

33 7/8"


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Longgun said:


> the fuzz dont count Goob! ;-)


I was waitin' for someone to bring that one up.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

33 3/8......in other words, way bigger than anything I have ever killed. 

Don't feel bad Dukes Daddy. When I was in College, we gave Pacific Fishers the date rape drug, knocked out a tooth, then stuck a probe up their butts.....all in the name of science. With that in mind, being killed and stuffed don't seem so bad does it?-----SS


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## polarbear (Aug 1, 2011)

The suspense is killing me...:-x


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

CONTEST CLOSED

I don't want Polar Bear to die from anticipation and 70 guesses is enough for this bit of fun. Lots of guys hitting really close to the width.

The buck was 35" on the button. Nambaster and Burge were closest with guesses of 34 7/8. I had my 8 year old daughter draw the name and out came Nambaster. So Nambaster, I'll PM you and get your answer on if you want the cash or the credit. Either way is fine with me.

I will start a new contest in the morning for the weekend crowd.

Here are some more photos of the Buck. He wasn't close to being done growing and would have increased his width by inches before he was done growing. He green scored in the low 220s (some variations of score put him in the 220-223 range) with his velvet on. He had numerous balled-up cheaters forming on both sides. I think he would have easily put on another 40-50 inches of "score". This is what a 250-270 buck can look like in July-- if inches are your thing. He was one of the few deer I have noticed which looks wider from the front than from the back. I thought he was 36-38 when I saw him on the hoof.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

congrats and thanks for doing this packout it was fun.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

No worries. It was fun watching the guesses. I'll start another one in the next couple days.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

5/8 of an inch off.....must have been the fuzz that did it!  

Great buck. That's what dreams are made of right there.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Awesome contest!!! Can't beat winning money or services off of the internet!:mrgreen:


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

AF CYN said:


> I'll go 37 1/8. B&C = 221 7/8


Congrats, Nambaster! I'm pleased as pie that I was so close on the B&C score. I'm feeling lucky on the next contest.


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Great contest. Thank you, it was really interesting to see everyone's guesses. This gets me even more excited for the upcoming hunts! :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

Thanks again Packout.
I appreciate your efforts to provide this fun contest. I also remember a few times when you reached out and offered to help out guys on the forum. You're a stand up guy and a great taxidermist in my opinion. My whitetail has been on the wall for several months now and I still look forward to seeing him everyday.---SS


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