The Douglas Score was developed by hunter, and NZDA member, Norman Douglas over a number of years, during which he formulated a system of measuring trophies. The Waikato Branch of the Association, of which Norman Douglas was a member, adopted the system in 1949 for its own competitions. Over the next few years the system was hotly debated at the Association's Annual Conference, before being adopted as its official measuring system in 1959.
A lifelong study of flora and fauna of New Zealand and a deep love and appreciation of our big game animals has brought about the development of a system for measuring trophy heads of New Zealand that is truly unique in the hunting world. Through observations of nature, the late Norman Douglas appreciated symmetry of nature, and with critical analysis and experimentation, he created a system that rewarded balance and penalised imperfection.
The Douglas Scoring System is now widely regarded as the South Pacific measuring system for trophy heads - something to be valued by recreational hunters in New Zealand. NZDA appreciated Norman Douglas's vision and ingenuity in a life-long dedication to the development and refinement of a unique method of measuring the antlers, horns and tusks of animals found in this part of the world.
The system has been developed using the Imperial Measurement of One Inch and its fractions. The Douglas Formula has proven, in the generations it has been in use as a judging and recording method, to be the only formula that caters to all the needs, even the most fickle, man's individual ability to make a commonly acceptable judgement.
To order Douglas Score products, download the following form and send it in with your cheque to NZDA, PO Box 6514, Wellington.