Contributors to this thread:
I’m going on a Central Canada Barren Ground caribou hunt this year in northern Manitoba and I’d like to practice field judging. Could you guys help me out by sharing your caribou photos and their scores? CCBG caribou would be ideal but any subspecies will help. Thanks!
Look at score sheets to see what points are measured and which are merely counted. To me I like huge frames, but if there are lots of caribou, I look for 2 long top tines/side, rear points, double shovel, Bez length and then maybe number of points.
Pictures don’t do as much for score, as knowing how to score a caribou
http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforums/thread.cfm?threadid=466081&forum=10
If this link works there are some pics and scores are towards the end of the thread.
I’ve measured enough caribou to know how a caribou is scored, but I find it easier to practice field judging from photos where I can compare to the body size of the animal, instead of just looking at the skull or skull plate.
Huntinelk, that link worked, thanks!
When the 1st one walks by, it will look HUGE. We never scored our Quebec Caribou. We just had an awesome time (Me & son when he was 16)
Mountain Caribou - NWT
Mountain Caribou - NWT
I have no idea. If he looks big enough, and you like him, shoot! I shot this one the first day of a 12-day hunt. The one standing next to him probably would have scored better and was half the distance at the shot but was narrow and I liked this one better. He scored 365” and change. Not all-time because I left the velvet on for the mount.
Fantastic animal and fine trophy pic!
Barren Ground, but 388 net, just under 400 gross.
Central barren ground. 325 P&Y More going on up top than on the bottom
Another central barren ground. 304 P&Y hard horn score. The one above I kept the velvet on. Interesting thing about this one is the non-typ extra bez on the left antler. While interesting and adds character, it adds exactly zip to the score.
Smallerer'er aka sausage.
Few more months and we'll be at it again. Caribou are really fun to hunt! Good luck.
Awesome to be an AK resident, huh, Nick! Still working on it myself:)
Dang Nick seeing your pictures make me excited to get back up to Alaska in a couple months with the air guard this time so I won’t have to leave in 3 years lol!
I’m just gonna get really really good camo and follow Nick around and pick off the ones that skirt him!!
Nick, could you please give us a pic of one less than 80”? Just a little smaller is right up my alley ;)
—jim
Here's one around 80" Jim. They aren't very big in early July :)
But the bugs are terrible!
Central Barren Ground 355”
Central Barren Ground 355”
Manitoba Caribou. It was the 7th biggest shot in Manitoba that year. 355”
Kenai Peninsula Barren Ground Caribou. 428" Gross. 393 Net P&Y. Big deduction for only having one bez.
Earl, What a 'bou! Congrats on him! Kurt
Barren ground, Kilbuck Mnts Alaska. Not sure on the score.
Just curious about something mentioned above. Does the velvet have to be removed to score it?
The way I read Pope & Young’s website, it does not as it has a (*) beside that category
They have a velvet category.
Nick,
Do they actually include the velvet entries in the book now?
I thought that they would only include the hard-horned entries in the book for whatever species (caribou, mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, etc.) and you would have to strip them off to enter in the all-time book.
Here is the best advice you are going to get. If you want to shoot him, shoot. Scores are only lines on paper. They don't mean jack spit.
Yup. Have fun and good luck!
I sure think so Tavis. I entered mine, got a cert and it was listed in the Ethic under Velvet BGC. I guess I'm not totally sure but they do accept velvet entries.
P&Y has a separate listing for the velvet entries for each of the caribou species after the hard horned list. They are not listed with a rank but are arranged from biggest score to smallest. For instance in Mountain Caribou, velvet the largest is 432 2/8. Minimum is 300 for them. Treeline, your bull at 365 would be about 9th on the list if entered per the 2017 P&Y book.
Here - if you want to know what not to shoot ;) 200". Unless it is the only caribou you see in your hunt like it was for me. Then you're absolutely ecstatic! And I had to wade through water to an island to be able to stalk it. Not letting him get away!
Congrats and wow on some great bulls. I need to make it back to Alaska. I had a bull much like Nick’s walking towards me at about 40 yards when the wind shifted back in1997. Nick’s big velvet bull picture brought that moment right back on the front burner. I need to do caribou in the next couple of years.
"Here is the best advice you are going to get. If you want to shoot him, shoot. Scores are only lines on paper. They don't mean jack spit."
No need to get so riled up... MBMULE asked for scores and pics and that's what these guys are doing. The fact that these scores are being used for comparison between other animals proves that the scoring system is doing what it was originally designed to do.... so it does mean more than "jack spit." Ed F
And to add on velvet entries, I believe they only are listed in one record book. The 8th edition will have a whole "nuther" list of new ones. Ed would know for sure.
Q/L 303 3/8",almost half the score was beam length and spread.
""And too add on velvet entries, I believe they only are listed in one record book.""
That was the other thought, is it just PY that does the velvet ones and not BC or SCI? Is this where Pat's beef is at with refusing to officially score his animal?
Pat, I thought you were serious when you said you didn't score it out of protest. No worries. I personally never understood why years ago when they started up the PY/BC folks used deductions. IMO that method scores for perfection and not total score. They can't go back and redo it otherwise there would lawsuits out the kazoo. John
Absolutely no way I would pass him up!
Heck, I’ve only gotten one chance to shoot a caribou! Thank goodness I was able to make it count on a good one!
Under 200
Under 200
270
270
Good to know Kurt, thanks for clearing that up. I had no intention of stripping the velvet, in fact I got his antlers taken care of as soon as possible in order to preserve the velvet. My wife says he looks great on the wall, looking forward to seeing it myself in a week. That said, I'd strip a 440" bull :)
The top 100 velvet entries are listed in every printed book. Below that it's a one time printing. All entries are listed in the digital book, which in the past has been a CD. We are currently looking into e-books...
Caribou are very unique critters and are a challenge when they get big because they often grow unusual points that are not scored. They do have a common structure that is scored and represents normal growth. Caribou have more measurements than any other animal in the records program. We could have legit conversations all day long about what should be scored and what shouldn't... Beautiful animals no matter what the score is. Ed F
Barren Ground 359 6/8. If it had a double shovel, more inside spread, longer back points... it would score higher. "It is what it is", Haha... Ed F
259!? 75" short of P&Y, that's a tremendous looking bull and I'd be shooting.
That makes more sense. Ha