Do you count all the points ,when talking about the antlers? Why is there an eastern count and a western count - a 3x3 with ey

[elkaholic_2]

Do you count all the points ,when talking about the antlers? Why is there an eastern count and a western count - a 3x3 with eye guards is a 8 point eastern and 3 point western - A forky is a 2 point with eye guards western and a 6 point eastern or is it a 2 point eastern - -Thats just white-tails - With mule deer they never count the eye guards even though some are quite large - And last question - what states divide the eastern/ western count areas ? quite confusing !- gary

[charlie elk]

Yes I count all the points 1 inch & up. Traditional in MN & WI.
As near as I can tell the dividing line is approximately the Missouri River.
The western count sometimes catches on here especially if a buck has different points on each side. 4x5. In this case seems more accurate way to describe the deer.
A fork is a fork every where I have hunted.

[WVOtter]

I've always gone by the system charlie mentions. In all the states I hunt here in the east, the regs say anything over a 1 inch is a point...whether you're talking about a very young spike buck or a brow tine on a larger rack.

[seadog]

I don't get out west much but I count em the same as Charlie says--anything 1 inch or over is a point. In some WMA's the rule is 3 points on 1 side, but if it's a 3x3, I'd still call it a 6 point.

[andersonjk4]

Here in Washington State everybody I know uses the side by side count. An "eastern" 8 point would be considered a "3x3 with eye guards" around here. And it is the same for both whitetails and mule deer.