I look at deer and depending mass and spread….I either start at 80 or 90 and then add tine length……usually gets me pretty close…..for the mentioned deer I started at 90…… but I could easily be way off…either way it’s a very pretty deer 👍🏻
I believe that method will get you in the ballpark: "Wimpy's Rule
Jerry Stafford of southern Illinois has killed a ton of huge bucks. His dad Wimpy has killed his share too. Both Jerry and Wimpy guide for big Illinois bucks, and when a mature buck steps out, they use Wimpy's Rule to evaluate it. The rule is to take 100 and add in the total of the tine lengths. This 100-inch figure includes inside spread, main beam length and mass measurements. As you can see, this quickly simplifies scoring a deer on the hoof. If he has three points up and they are 10, 8 and 6 inches, this total 24 inches. Adding a 4 inch brow tine makes 28 inches for one side. Double this and we have 56 inches plus 100, giving us a net score of 156 inches, a great buck.
Don't Miss: Score Your Rack
How accurate is Wimpy's Rule? You may wonder. Pretty darn accurate for their area. The only thing they change is if a buck looks a little thin, they go to 95 inches, and if he looks a little bulkier than normal they go to 105 inches.
I have taken the scores of many local bucks and developed my own formula for the southern Indiana hill region I hunt. If a buck is a good healthy 3 1/2- or 4 1/2-year-old whitetail, I use a Wimpy's rule score of 90 inches, then add in the tine lengths. Since it is so hard to see brow tines, I use an average length of 4 inches for them. I score for Pope & Young and have found by looking over my score charts that Wimpy's Rule is a very accurate way of determining net score once you determine the figure to be used for your region.
For Alabama the figure might be 80 inches, while for Canada it may be 105 inches. Take time to study several score sheets from your local hunting area and average out the main beam, inside spread and mass measurement totals and you can accurately come up with your own Wimpy's Rule figure. You may want to fine tune your system like Wimpy does by adding or subtracting 5 inches or so from this figure if a deer's rack looks thin or heavy. Try this system on your future hunting trips and I believe you will find it to be the best way of speed scoring bucks on the hoof that you've ever tried."
