Scoring is not the way--re-scoring and then re-scoring again is the new key to making a record book entry.

Darkness gripped Montana when our pickup arrived at the ranch house that carried the monster buck I had killed. It was night of the presidential election. By the time we got into the house where the television was on, Al Gore had won Florida, and then George Bush, Jr. had won Florida, and then the race was a toss-up in that state. Fortunately we decided not to sit up for the final results. Early the next morning while a stunned nation learned that a court fight was eminent to determine who would next live in the Whitehouse, we were in the barn green scoring my buck. I was delighted, when my scoring tallied 178 3/8 points. However, my guide's measurement total was 178 5/8 points, and a friend of his came up with a 177 7/8 point total. So big deal, at the very least I had a 177 7/8 buck--or did I? Plagued by the differences in our scoring efforts on my buck, upon my arrival back home in Pennsylvania, I called my long time friend, Miguel Cortez. A Cuban expatriate living in Miami, Florida, he graciously agreed to re-score my buck. A few days after I shipped the antlers to Cortez's Florida home, I received a telephone call from him. "Bob, this is quite a buck you have killed. Tell me, the county where you killed this buck in Montana, was it a predominantly Democrat or Republican voting county?" asked Cortez. "Gosh, I am not sure." I said. "Does it make a difference?" "Of course it does," said Cortex. "I held your antlers up against a bright light. There is a couple of swinging door, or partial chad points. Also, there is at least 15 dimple, or pregnant chad points, which in my opinion the buck intended to develop into votes, er, I mean points." "Well, presuming that my buck was shot in a predominantly Democrat Party voting county, what do you think the green score is?" I asked. "It could be contested, but counting all the point scoring possibilities, in my opinion you have a 221 2/8 score on this buck," said Cortez. I was stunned. Unfamiliar with standard antler scoring techniques in southern Florida, I could only guess at what my friend meant by dimple points, pregnant chad points, and swinging door chad points. Still, I was not comfortable with Cortez's scoring system. When the Ryder Truck pulled up in front my Pennsylvania home, I un-boxed my antlers. Again I scored the antlers. Again I came up with 178 3/8 points. Picking up the telephone, I called a friend of mine, Ralph Dillinger, who lives in Texas. Explaining the scoring problem to him, he suggested that I box the antlers and send them to him in the Lone Star State. Three days later, he called me. "Bob, this is quite a buck you have killed. Tell me, the county where you killed this buck in Montana, was a predominantly Democrat or Republican Voting country," says Dillinger. "Gosh, I am not sure." I said. "Does it make a difference?" "Of course it does," said Dillinger. "Uh...I think it was a Democrat voting county," I said, trying to be consistent. "Ummmmmmm. I see," he said. "You know Bob, I have looked at these antlers pretty closely, and while they are certainly impressive, I think you were a little generous in your scoring total. The tally I come up with is 146 6/8 points--nice but not a record book animal when taken with a rifle." "Did you say 146 6/8 points," I asked? "Yeah, but you can appeal that score, and may be even getting it re-scored," he said. "Well, send them back, and thanks for re-scoring them," I said. Pouring a fresh cup of coffee, I wandered into my trophy room. Surrounded by trophy bucks, bulls, bears and much more, I allowed my mind to wander. I looked at the telephone. Then I looked at the animal heads. Then I looked at the telephone once more. "Hello, Cortez, this is Bob Foulkrod. Say my old friend, I was looking around by trophy room and it just occurred to me how many of these animals were killed in Democrat voting counties. Say, If I were to send you a plane ticket, would you come to Pennsylvania to re-score a few of my trophies..." Editor's note: Bob did kill a 178-buck in Montana, and he could not resist poking a little fun at the current election confusion.