Abstract:
An elongated, flexible, graduated rule having an adhesive back is applied in appropriate lengths to measure the main beam and other features along the surface of an antler that are considered in a scoring system. The measurement from each of the lengths is read and recorded.

Description:
[0001]     This invention relates to a method of measuring the antlers of game animals in the field in order to obtain an accurate estimate of the final score, which is determined under standards established by hunting clubs and societies.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The Pope &amp; Young Club, Boone and Crockett Club, Longhunters Society and Safari Club International all use a system for scoring the antlers of game animals. The system is used as a means for determining antler quality for management purposes, record books and awards. Pope &amp; Young publishes a score sheet containing the official scoring system for bow hunting North American big game. Likewise, Boone and Crockett publishes an essentially identical score sheet for scoring North American big game taken with firearms.  
         [0003]     Antlers are scored by an official scorer of the club. Official measurements are not taken until after a rack has air dried for at least sixty days after the date of the kill. However, immediately after the kill a hunter with a possible big game trophy is eager to learn if the rack may qualify for entry into the club record book, but it is difficult to rough-score a rack in the field to give the hunter some idea at the time of the kill as to whether the animal is of trophy category by club standards.  
         [0004]     The minimum score for entry into the Pope &amp; Young record book for a typical rack is 125 points. For a non-typical rack, the minimum score is 150 points. The final score is determined by summing a number of measurements as set forth on Pope &amp; Young and Boone and Crockett score sheets. For example, the length of each point of the rack is measured as well as circumferences along a main beam between points, thus a trophy rack may be the summation of a number of precise measurements.  
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     In an embodiment of the present invention the aforementioned problem of rough scoring a rack in the field is addressed by providing a method of measuring an antler in the field. The hunter is provided with an elongated, flexible, graduated rule having an adhesive back. A length of the rule is applied to a main beam of an antler along the length of the beam from burr to tip. Additional lengths of the rule are applied at other locations along the main beam as required by Pope &amp; Young and Boone and Crockett standards. These measurements are repeated on the other main beam of the antler, and all of the measurements read from the lengths are recorded. The measurements taken may be entered on a standard Pope &amp; Young or Boone and Crockett score sheet and combined with overall measurements which are easily obtained (such as tip-to-tip spread, inside spread of the main beams, and greatest beam spread) to provide totals for estimating the final score.  
         [0006]     Other advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the right half of an illustrative rack of a whitetail deer.  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the complete rack.  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a detail showing a short length of a measuring tape.  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is an illustration showing a roll of the measuring tape.  
         [0011]      FIG. 5   a  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  showing the application of a first length of the tape to a main beam of the antler.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5   b  is a view similar to  FIG. 5   a  but showing the addition of measuring tape to three locations to measure circumference.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5   c  is a view similar to  FIG. 5   b  but showing the further application of measuring tape along the tines that present the points of the antler.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a detail of one of the circumferential measurements. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]     Typical antlers of a whitetail deer are shown in full in  FIG. 2  in a frontal view, and include a right antler  10  and a left antler  12 . The right antler  10  extends from burr  14  at skull  16  to the tip  18  of antler  10 , as best seen in the side view of  FIG. 1 . Accordingly, a main beam  20  is presented extending from burr  14  to tip  18 .  
         [0016]     The main beam  20  of antler  10  has a pair of spaced points  22  and  24  presented by tines  26  and  28  respectively, that project upwardly from main beam  20 . A first point  30  projects upwardly from main beam  20  at a branch closest to the burr  14 , thus points  22  and  24  are referred to as the second point and the third point, respectively.  
         [0017]     Similarly, the left antler  12  has a main beam  32  extending upwardly from burr  34  and terminating at tip  36 . The right antler  12  has a first point  38 , a second point  40  and a third point  42 .  
         [0018]     The antlers are measured in the field utilizing a flexible, graduated rule  44 , a roll thereof being illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The rule  44  illustrated comprises a measuring tape provided with an adhesive back to which a removable backing strip  46  is adhered prior to cutting a length of the tape  44  from the roll and applying it in a manner to be described hereinbelow. Each inch is marked as seen at  48  and an “X” is printed on the tape at 10-inch increments as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Each inch is graduated in eighths of an inch pursuant to the club requirements that measurements be made to the nearest one-eighth of an inch.  
         [0019]      FIGS. 5   a,    5   b,    5   c  and  6  show the manner in which lengths of tape  44  are applied to antler  10 , it being appreciated that similar measurements are made on antler  12 . First, as shown in  FIG. 5   a,  a length  50  of tape is applied to the main beam  20  along a length thereof from the burr  14  to the tip  18 . The backing strip  46  is removed from the tape as it is applied in accordance with Pope &amp; Young and Boone and Crockett requirements, i.e., from the center of the lowest outside edge of burr  14  over the outer side to the most distant point  18  of beam  20 . (It will be appreciated that in  FIGS. 5   a,    5   b  and  5   c  that the antler  10  is rotated to the front from horizontal to better show the positions of the tapes.) Utilizing a plastic tape  44 , it may be easily cut with a small scissors or pocket knife to fit exactly as shown. From the graduations on the tape, the length measurement is read and recorded on a score sheet, such as provided by Pope &amp; Young or Boone and Crockett.  
         [0020]      FIG. 5   b  illustrates the application of three lengths  52 ,  54  and  56  of tape to three locations as shown. Length  52  is applied to the main beam  20  at the location between the burr  14  and the first point  30  where the circumference of the main beam is the smallest, which may be seen as adjacent the burr  14 . The length  54  is applied at the location between point  30  and point  22  where the circumference of the main beam is the smallest. Similarly, the length  56  is applied to the main beam  20  where the circumference between points  22  and  24  is the smallest. If there were additional points, the minimum circumferences would likewise be measured. Readings from these measurements are also recorded on the score sheet.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a detail view showing the application of tape length  56 . The length of tape is cut such that the opposed ends abut at  58  thereby providing an accurate measurement of the circumference.  
         [0022]      FIG. 5   c  shows the use of tape  44  to apply lengths  60 ,  62  and  64  thereof to the tines that present the three points  30 ,  22  and  24 . Each of the points illustrated is a normal point projecting from the top of the main beam  20 . Each is measured by applying a length of tape along the tine from the top edge of the main beam  20 , over the outer curve of the tine to the tip. These measurements are also read and recorded on the score sheet.  
         [0023]     With all measurements recorded, the hunter can total the recorded data and have an accurate estimate of the score. Using the graduated, self-adhesive tape as described above, the difficult measurements along the contours of the beam and points are readily made in the field. Although the use of a self-adhesive tape is illustrated herein, it should be understood that other self-adhesive rulers could be utilized, such as a plastic filament with a bead of adhesive on one side, the other side bearing marks corresponding to the one-eighth inch increments.  
         [0024]     It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto, except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof.