How to Submit Your Trophy for Official Scoring or Record Books: A Complete Guide for Serious Whitetail Hunters

There’s an undeniable moment every hunter lives for—kneeling beside a buck you’ll never forget, hands wrapped around his antlers, heart beating like you just finished the stalk of your life. When a deer hits that rare threshold of maturity, symmetry, tine length, mass, and pure whitetail character, the next question comes naturally:

“Should I have this buck officially scored?”

If the answer is yes—or even “maybe”—then you owe it to yourself, the deer, and the record books to follow the right process. Submitting a trophy for official scoring isn’t complicated, but there are rules, timelines, organizations, and small-but-critical details that every hunter should understand.

This guide will walk you step-by-step through how to submit your trophy for official scoring, what qualifies for each record book, and how new technologies like Trophy Scan’s 3D digital scoring can make documenting your buck easier, more accurate, and more accessible than ever.

Why Submit a Buck for Official Scoring?

Every hunter has their own reasons, but most fall into a few key buckets:

1. Preserve the Legacy of the Animal

An official score becomes part of the buck’s permanent story—something you’ll pass down through generations.

2. Compare the Deer to Regional and National Records

Official scores allow you to see how your buck stacks up against legends taken in your county, state, or across all of North America.

3. Contribute to Wildlife Management

Record books provide historical data that helps biologists understand long-term changes in genetics, nutrition, age class, and habitat.

4. Validate Your Trophy in a Standardized Way

A certified score means no debates, no guessing, no exaggeration—just the truth about the buck’s antlers.

5. Enter a State or National Big-Game Program

Your buck may qualify for the local state record book, Pope & Young, Boone & Crockett, Longhunter, SCI, or others.

For hunters who live and breathe whitetails, an official score is more than a number—it’s a badge of honor earned through time, patience, skill, and luck.

Step 1: Learn the Major Record Books and Their Requirements

Not all record books are the same. Before submitting your deer, understand which organizations your trophy qualifies for.

Boone & Crockett Club (B&C)

Applies to: Rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, crossbows, and all legal harvest methods except archery-only categories.

Minimum Scores for Whitetail Deer:

• Typical: 160” (Awards), 170” (All-Time)
• Non-Typical: 185” (Awards), 195” (All-Time)

This is the gold standard for firearm-harvested whitetails.

Pope & Young Club (P&Y)

Applies to: Archery-only entries, including compound, recurve, and longbow.

Minimum Scores for Whitetail Deer:

• Typical: 125”
• Non-Typical: 155”

If you shoot it with a bow, this is where it belongs.

Safari Club International (SCI)

Applies to: All legal weapons, including crossbows.

SCI scoring is more straightforward and doesn’t subtract symmetry differences.

State-Level Big Game Programs

Most states run their own record books with lower qualifying scores. These are great for recognizing regional giants.

Trophy Scan’s 3D Digital Registry (Optional but Powerful)

A fully digital antler record that stores exact measurements and geometry—not just tape scores.

Hunters use the 3D scan to:

• Document the rack before shrinkage
• Compare exact symmetry
• Get highly accurate tine lengths and beam curves
• Maintain a permanent digital backup
• Add credibility when entering competitions or history books

Using a Trophy Scan report alongside your official score sets a new standard for accuracy and transparency.

Step 2: Let the Rack Dry the Mandatory 60 Days

Before a buck is eligible for any official scoring, it must undergo a 60-day drying period.

Why the Drying Period Matters

Antlers naturally lose moisture after the kill. While the amount can vary, shrinkage happens—and record books want consistent, dried scores.

What Counts as Drying Time?

The drying period begins:

• After the deer is caped
• After antlers are removed from tissue
• After any skull cap or European mount is completely clean

Green scores (measurements taken before drying) are fun for bragging rights but not eligible for official entry.

Step 3: Schedule an Appointment With an Official Scorer

Official scorers are trained, certified individuals recognized by B&C, P&Y, or SCI.

These people are often:

• Wildlife biologists
• Experienced hunters
• Conservation officers
• Regional club representatives
• Professional scorers

Where to Find an Official Scorer

• Boone & Crockett website (search by state)
• Pope & Young website (archery-only)
• SCI scoring resources
• Local wildlife agencies
• State conservation groups
• Large hunting expos and deer classics

Most scorers are volunteers, so be respectful of their time.

What to Bring

• The antlers or mount
• The skull plate (no flesh remaining)
• Legal harvest documentation (tag, license, records)
• Hunter affidavit (for archery entries)
• Previous measurements if you have them
• Your 3D Trophy Scan report if you’ve had one completed

Step 4: Understand What Happens During the Official Scoring Session

A certified scorer will walk through the same steps described in the first article—inside spread, beam lengths, tine lengths, circumferences, symmetry deductions, and non-typical points.

But here’s what sets official scoring apart:

1. Accuracy is Mandatory

Scorers don’t estimate. They measure every detail exactly as defined by the record book.

2. Scorers Use Certified Tools

• Steel tape to 1/8-inch
• Calipers
• Scoring blocks
• Official forms
• Scoring cable for beams

3. You’ll Receive Two Scores

• Gross Score (all inches of antler)
• Net Score (after deductions or additions)

Gross score is the hunter’s favorite.
Net score is what the record books care about.

Step 5: Fill Out Submission Forms for the Record Book

Each organization has required paperwork.

Boone & Crockett Submission Requirements

• Score sheet
• Hunter affidavit
• Photo of the trophy
• Payment for entry fee
• Fair chase affidavit
• Weapon/season information
• Scorer certification signature

Pope & Young Requirements

• Score sheet
• Hunter’s statement
• Bowhunting equipment affidavit
• Fair chase affidavit
• Score verification
• Photos of the buck

SCI Submission Requirements

• Score sheet
• Photos
• Payment
• Weapon used
• Location and date

Trophy Scan Digital Record

(If the hunter chooses to upload)

• 3D scan file
• Antler model data
• Hunter information
• Harvest details
• Trophy photo
• Optional: video of recovery or hunt

This creates a permanent 3D record—something no tape measure can match.

Step 6: Determine If Your Trophy Is Eligible for Awards or All-Time Lists

For B&C and P&Y:

Awards Book

A stepping stone between regional ranking and all-time legends.

All-Time Record Books

Reserved for the highest-scoring trophies ever entered.

Even if you don’t make the All-Time list, entering the Awards program is still an honor. Your buck becomes part of a conservation legacy that dates back more than 100 years.

Step 7: Keep Copies of All Documentation

Make a digital folder containing:

• PDFs of your score sheets
• Photos
• Harvest documentation
• Trophy Scan 3D model files
• Emails from scorers
• Receipts from entry fees

Record books can take months to publish updates, so keeping everything organized ensures nothing gets lost.

Step 8: Consider a 3D Trophy Scan for Archiving and Comparison

Traditional scoring is never going away—but technology is changing the game.

A Trophy Scan provides:

1. A Perfect Digital Replica

Every tine, bump, burr, curve, and bit of mass is preserved forever.

2. Accurate Measurements With Zero Human Error

Because the scan captures geometry, the system gives measurements that cannot be misinterpreted.

3. Shrinkage-Proof Documentation

If your buck shrinks during drying, your digitized rack still reflects the moment you recovered him.

4. Shareable Models for Social Media & Websites

Hunters love the ability to spin the rack digitally on their phone and show friends.

5. Greater Credibility When Submitting to Competitions

A printed or digital Trophy Scan report adds weight to any record submission.

Common Mistakes Hunters Make When Submitting Their Trophy

You’d be surprised how often these slip-ups keep big deer from the books:

• Not completing the 60-day drying period
• Bringing a mount with hidden or covered bases
• Failing to remove debris or velvet
• Not filling out affidavits correctly
• Not bringing proper harvest documentation
• Missing abnormal points or mass measurement locations
• Measuring the rack yourself and expecting that to be “official”

Official scoring is a detailed, standardized process—prepare ahead and you’ll have no surprises.

Final Thoughts: Submitting a Trophy Is Part of the Experience

A buck capable of making the record books is rare. Most hunters will never tag one in their lifetime—which makes your achievement even more meaningful.

Submitting a trophy for official scoring isn’t about bragging rights. It’s about honoring the animal, contributing to conservation history, documenting your hunt, and becoming part of something much bigger than yourself.

And now, with the help of Trophy Scan’s 3D digital scoring, hunters can preserve their buck’s legacy with an accuracy and clarity the old-timers could only dream about.

Whether your deer becomes a state record, a Pope & Young qualifier, or simply a meaningful chapter in your hunting life, the process of submitting it for scoring adds depth and permanence to the moment you pulled the trigger or released the arrow.

If you’re ready, the record books are waiting.