At the hunting and fishing tackle show in Pryor a couple of weekends ago

At the hunting and fishing tackle show in Pryor a couple of weekends ago, I witnessed the ODWC fellows measure a set of deer antlers that was around 200 inches. If you wonder just how your antlers from an Oklahoma deer, elk or pronghorn measure up, you need to make plans to attend Rack Madness. While it does involve points and scores, it has nothing to do with the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament.

It’s the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s free antler scoring event. Rack Madness will run from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. this Friday, Feb. 24, at 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City. This is a scoring opportunity for the public. Anyone wanting to have a rack of deer antlers scored by a certified scorer is invited to register and bring their antlers, both of which must be attached to the skull plate whether mounted or unmounted.

The scoring service is always free, but everyone who plans to bring an item for scoring is asked to sign up ahead of time for planning and organizing purposes. Anyone who doesn’t pre-register is welcome to bring a rack to be scored, as time permits, on a first-come, firstserved basis. Please be aware that some of these racks might not be measured due to time constraints.

The event will employ certified deer measurers from the ODWC who will be able to interact one-on-one with each rack owner. The score certified by the Wildlife Department will be the score used to qualify the rack for the state’s Cy Curtis Awards Program, which recognizes hunters and the trophy big-game animals they harvested in Oklahoma.

A number of outstanding deer racks are expected to be on site. Oklahoma hunters have reported some impressive racks from the 2022-23 hunting seasons on social media, with many racks greenscoring in the 200’s. It’s quite possible a new Cy Curtis state record could be revealed during Rack Madness. Cy Curtis qualifying scores are 135 points for typical deer and 150 points for nontypical deer.

This event welcomes anyone to bring in their antlers, horns or skulls for professional scoring by ODWC personnel. Registrants entering an item for scoring might end up winning an Oklahoma Lifetime Combination Hunting and Fishing License valued at $775, provided by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation. The lifetime license drawing will take place at 7 p.m. and participants must be present to win. Anyone who checks-in at the event after 6:45 p.m. will not be eligible to participate in the drawing.

Anyone who brings a rack, horns or skull for scoring will automatically be entered in the drawing upon registration. There is only one entry per participant, except for youth. Any youth (under 18) who attends the event (no rack required) who harvested an antlerless deer during the 2022-23 deer season is also eligible to enter the drawing. As a bonus, if the youth enters a rack, horns or skulls for scoring and they also harvested a doe, they will get two entries into the drawing. The winner must be eligible to hold a lifetime license and will have the option to transfer the prize to someone else who is eligible.

Participants should pre-register online at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com. Scoring will be handled on a first-come, firstserved basis. There is a two-item scoring limit per participant. To qualify, antlers must both be attached to the skull plate, whether mounted or unmounted. In addition to white-tailed and mule deer antlers, scoring will be available for elk antlers, antelope horns and bear skulls. Harvest must have occurred in Oklahoma.

Hunters whose officially scored items meet the minimum score and drying period requirements will be eligible for the ODWC’s Cy Curtis Awards Program, which recognizes trophy Oklahoma mule deer, elk, antelope and black bear as well as the hunters who harvest them. The program began in 1972 and is named for a former Department wildlife biologist who is recognized as the person most responsible for restoration of white-tailed deer populations in Oklahoma. For more information about how to apply for a Cy Curtis Award, visit https://www.wildlifedepartment.com/ hunting/cy-curtis.

Reach Kilgore at jkilgoreoutdoors@yahoo.com .