Colour in deer antlers

I took a roe head that I shot in April 2016 to have it scored. The man who did it thought it had been artificially stained, which I was adamant it had not been. The head was very dark and had been when I shot it. After some discussion he agreed that the head was as it had been shot and awarded it 3.5 points for colour. Is this a common problem when heads are measured and how is it best dealt with?

Of all the subjective points in a trophy assessment, colour can be the most difficult. The prevailing light conditions, the colour perception of the judge, as well as personal opinion and preference all come into it. While the general expectation is that trophies which are shot early in the season will be pale and score poorly for this aspect of the evaluation, this is not always the case. For a variety of reasons, including the porosity of the head, it may take on a lot of colour very quickly.

Now the other possibility, which the measurer may have to consider, is that the colour has been enhanced, in which case he or she will award zero points for that element. Discussion between the hunter and the measurer can normally resolve this, but not always. The best advice I can give is to consider taking a picture on your phone, as many of us do, when a trophy is shot. That will show the head in the skin and help establish the colour the animal had when it was taken. IW