Rack measuring was performed by certified PGC scorers and was usually a 2-3 person affair.
Due to antler restrictions and the amount of time that had passed since the last scoring session, the PGC was expecting a large turnout at the scoring sessions around the state. Consequently, hunters were required to “rough-score” their trophies and make a reservation if they wanted to attend a scoring session. Minimum net scores for bucks taken with a rifle are 140” for typical racks and 160” for non-typicals. For bow-killed bucks, the minimums are 115” for typicals and 135” for non-typicals.
David Farrell with his Erie County buck that had a 25 5/8” outside spread.
David Farrell was one of the lucky hunters I spoke with at the measuring session. He harvested a huge Erie County 8-point last season that he estimates weighed over 200 lbs. He hunted the wide-racked buck during archery season, but the deer eluded him until the opening day of rifle season. David took advantage of the opportunity and dropped the buck with one shot from his 7mm magnum. The buck had an inside spread of 23 2/8” and a net Boone & Crockett score of 149 4/8”, which qualified David for the PA record books. An interesting note I also thought worth mentioning was that his taxidermist estimated the deer’s age at 3 ½ years after examining the jawbone and teeth wear. I can’t even imagine how big this buck would have been at 5 or six years!
“Beanie” Shay with his high-racked 10-point taken in Crawford County; A steel cable was used to measure the main beams and curving antler points.
“Beanie” Shay was another hunter I met at the event, and he brought two trophies to be scored. The largest was a tall-tined 10-point that he harvested in 2006 on the last day of the season. The buck scored 159 4/8”, securing Beanie’s spot in the record books. His other buck, taken in 1986, scored 138 2/8” and was just shy of the 140” minimum. Beanie has taken over thirty bucks during his hunting career and he offered some insight into his success. “I like to hunt where the other guys won’t go,” he explained as he described one of his favorite spots in a thick swamp, “I never saw another hunter on the opening day last year.” Beanie also hunts from the ground and carries his trusty 35 Remington to wade the thick brush in the swamps.
Dan Douthett of Mercer County and Brad Holcomb of Crawford County show off their bucks’ unique racks.
Several archery hunters were also at the scoring session, and Dan Douthett was one of them. He harvested his trophy during the rut in 2006 with a well-placed arrow at 10 yards. “It was a very windy day,” Dan recalled, “and a snow storm blew in later that night.” Dan’s buck scored 132 1/8” gross and 114” net, which was just short of the 115” archery minimum. Brad Holcomb also brought an archery buck to be scored. His non-typical 16-point was taken on the last day of the season in 2007 and scored 155 7/8”. Brad got within bow range of the big buck by using his grunt call and stalking the deer on the ground.
Masking tape was applied to the racks so pencil marks could be easily removed after scoring was complete; Walter Schuckers displays his huge Jefferson County 13-point.
The highest scoring buck at the event was harvested by Walter Schuckers in Jefferson County during the 2006 rifle season. Walter’s massive 13-point had a net score of 171 4/8” and easily qualified for entry into the record books. The rack was also measured by an official Buckmasters scorer, who set the buck’s score at 173 1/8”. It’s important to note that there are several types of systems for scoring big game animals. The PGC uses the Boone and Crockett system which includes deductions for abnormal points and imbalances between the rack’s two sides. Other scoring methods like those used by Buckmasters and the Safari Club International (SFI) do not take deductions for natural “imperfections”.
After all of the trophies had been measured and the calculators cooled down, each of the hunters found out if their names would be entered into the record books. And although not everyone’s buck scored high enough for the books, I didn’t see anyone hanging their head at the end of the day. Most of the folks were too busy retelling the stories of their hunts and reminiscing of the fond memories they’ve made in Penn’s Woods. And although huge racks always draw a crowd, it’s the good times we’ve shared with our friends and families that usually keep us coming back for more each season. As for me, I’m already making preparations for next fall. And just in case you haven’t been counting, there are only 96 days until the regular archery season. Wow, I better get busy!
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