Speak the Language: Essential Deer Hunting Lingo

Deer hunters are a breed unto their own. I am hesitant say we are peculiar, though someone who does not share our passion might think we are a little weird at times.

This holds especially true when a casual conversation suddenly turns to deer hunting. Like computer geeks, deer hunters speak a different language than many folks are accustomed to hearing.

Here is a glossary of 10 common deer hunting terms to help keep a non-hunter out of the woods when whitetails are the topic of discussion:

* Rut: The rut is the whitetail breeding season. Driven by an overdose of testosterone, a rut-crazed buck is prone to lose its natural fear of humans, visit places it normally would not visit and make mistakes it normally would not make. Though the peak rutting period is short-lived, more big bucks are killed by hunters during this window than during any other time of the season.

* Rub: A rub is a visible signpost that occurs when a buck deer rakes its antlers against a tree or bush and removes the outer layer of bark. A buck makes rubs in late summer when removing the velvet from its newly hardened antlers. Bucks also will make rubs during fall, to build their neck muscles or in an attempt to intimidate other male suitors that might be watching nearby.

* Scrape: A very reliable sign that a buck has been in the area. Bucks make ground scrapes during the rut by pawing the ground to leave scent. The result is a bald spot that might be as small as a toilet seat or as large as the hood on a pick-up. A buck will urinate in the scrape to advertise for does in estrus. Most scrapes are located beneath low hanging limbs.

* Spread: Used to describe the width between both antlers. Though the outside spread measurement might sound more impressive, the greatest inside spread measurement is the one that counts when scoring a rack according to the Boone and Crockett scoring system.

* Mass: Used to describe the thickness or circumference measurements on a set of antlers. The heavier the antlers, the higher the mass. The thinner the antlers, the less the mass.

* Gross/Net Score: The B&C scoring system penalizes a rack for a lack of symmetry on both antlers. The "gross" score is the total of all antler measurements before any deductions for lack of symmetry. "Net" is the score after deducts.

* Texas Big Game Awards: TBGA is a conservation program operated jointly by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Wildlife Association. Its purposes are to promote quality wildlife management, spread awareness of the role hunting plays in habitat conservation and to provide recognition to hunters who harvest quality game animals as well as the landowners who produce them.

* Shooter: Used to describe a buck whitetail that a hunter deems worthy of harvest.

* Point: An antler projection that extends at least one inch from the edge of a main beam or another tine.

* Cull Buck: A cull buck is considered a genetically inferior deer on private lands that are managed for quality or trophy deer. On many ranches, any mature deer with fewer than 10 points is considered a cull buck.