2019 alpine opener buck

[twoSevenO]

Just a very short story on this buck:

Brad and myself packed up our stuff and hit the road for the opener. Hike up was brutal for me as i experienced a lot of back discomfort and sciatic pain down my right leg. Had it been a solo trip, i would have turned around. But we bushwacked our way up and I managed to make it.

When we set up camp, i knew this was going to be a slow trip for me. I just couldn't risk putting myself in a worse position and not being able to hike out. We made camp and tried to glass. Weather was spotty and thick blankets of fog rolled in frequently. And when they did, your visibility was 50 yards at best!

Here's a shot of the fog rolling in ... within a minute that entire bowl would be 0% visibility.

https://i.imgur.com/BnY3kkx.jpg

I spotted this 4 point and radio'd over to Brad. He wasn't seeing much so decided to come back and take a look. He looked through my spotter and said he was OK with that if i didn't want him. "All yours", i said. I ranged him at just over 1000 yards.

He is the top buck. Bottom buck is a decent sized 3 point. No, he's not dead, just snoozing with his head in the dirt.

https://i.imgur.com/M4Ouuj9.jpg


With the help of some fog cover Brad closed the distance from 1000 yards to 168 and got the job done on the first day of the season! Not a huge buck, but that was great for the packout.

Here you can see the blanket of fog moving in again from the very top of the pic.

https://i.imgur.com/9oebfMX.jpg

Thankfully, my back felt great by the time we left, so i was very happy about that.
Bonus pic .... me in one of these new ultralight shelters.

https://i.imgur.com/P3yyiw1.jpg

[Weatherby Fan]

Great pictures of an Alpine hunt, congrats to both of you
I love the smell of the Alpine on an early Sept morning

Thanks for sharing
WF

[ghost]

nice job love the alpine

[adriaticum]

Very cool. This is exactly what I want to do this coming season.
Congrats!

[dino]

Good hunt boys.congrats. i hear ya about the pain while hiking. It doesnt get easier, and mountains dont call as hard for you as they used to. As you get older Its not the success of the kill, its the pain you endured to get there that is memorable. Keep on keeping on.

[twoSevenO]

Good hunt boys.congrats. i hear ya about the pain while hiking. It doesnt get easier, and mountains dont call as hard for you as they used to. As you get older Its not the success of the kill, its the pain you endured to get there that is memorable. Keep on keeping on.

I was doing really good for a few years, but the last 6 months have been awful. Had my MRI. Seeing a specialist soon. Hopefully can do something to manage it so i'm ready for summer scouting season :D

[rageous]

Nice buck Brad! Congrats

[RackStar]

Thanks for sharing!

[DannyO]

Beautiful!

[Kopper]

Nice pics, nice deer, congrats to both of you.
Its nice when people share their stories on a so called hunting site...
Good job

[guest]

Thats my tent your using there! Lol. Has worked for me for 30 years.

Love that alpine splendor. Good share.

The grinds in and out of these areas are worth their weight in gold.

Thanks for sharing

[jimzuk]

Great story loving the tent. I have one just like it lol. Thanks for sharing

[GEF]

I love it !Good job gents .I love spot and stalk alpine Mule deer .
I am saving up for a tent like that for next year.

[wideopenthrottle]

great working gettin up there and gettin it done

[HarryToolips]

Great pics, thanks for sharing, love the velvet on his antlers...

[Rattler]

Nice buck. Nothing quite like Alpine hunting...one of my favourite hunts.

Thanks for sharing.

[twoSevenO]

Nice buck. Nothing quite like Alpine hunting...one of my favourite hunts.

Thanks for sharing.

That's a dandy one in your avatar! You should post up some details about that one!

[sfire436]

I have yet to find a good way of resting my head on alpine hunts, yours does not look comfortable either!!

Brad is an absolute machine.

[the bear]

Radio? thought we were not suppose to use them to hunt. Clarification anyone?

[twoSevenO]

Radio? thought we were not suppose to use them to hunt. Clarification anyone?

Well, you brought it up .... so you post where it says so lol

[Husky7mm]

Well, you brought it up .... so you post where it says so lol
haha dont phone or text either.

twoSeven0 thanks for posting. Something about the Alpine get my heart fluttering everytime I see it. Early apline mulie is sure fine eating. Could those bucks be mulie blacktail hybrids ?

[twoSevenO]

haha dont phone or text either.

twoSeven0 thanks for posting. Something about the Alpine get my heart fluttering everytime I see it. Early apline mulie is sure fine eating. Could those bucks be mulie blacktail hybrids ?


Yup! This particular area, there are definitely some BT/mulie hybrids mixed in.

Here is one that I would say is a hybrid

https://i.imgur.com/JaovEgt.jpg

[dino]

Any tcam pics for us? Possible future prospects?

[Striksfromabove]

Looks like a beauty spot! Hope you get your pain figured out. If you don’t mind me asking what pack are you running?

[Arctic Lake]

Nice pics and deer there two seven0 . Nice country !
Arctic Lake

[Husky7mm]

Yup! This particular area, there are definitely some BT/mulie hybrids mixed in.

Here is one that I would say is a hybrid

https://i.imgur.com/JaovEgt.jpg

I just love that area but am a long way from there now. Very hard to find really big bucks there, I think its in the genes but have limited experience there as I moved away. ( still worth every bit of effort hunting)

My brother in law went through the same back issues as you shared. He went to work on a service rig after the real estate market went flat in his area and it cured it albeit painful at first. I think the movement in ways you never move and the strengthening of muscles rarely used must have had something to do with it. Perhaps some pyhsio and a tailored exercise routine?
The body is a machine and can morph and adapt to rise above.

[DeepJeep]

Congrats man.

[twoSevenO]

Looks like a beauty spot! Hope you get your pain figured out. If you don’t mind me asking what pack are you running?

I use a Stone Glacier pack.
Brad packed this one out on a Kuiu pack. He was happy with it.

[twoSevenO]

Any tcam pics for us? Possible future prospects?


Lets shoot them first, then share ;)
lol

[Redemption]

Nice buck and great views!

[nature girl]

Really nice deer and scenery.

[Mark-R]

Nice alpine hunt. Wishing you a healthy 2020 with strong back and heavy pack!

[MontyLake]

I was out at our fave alpine spot for Sept. 1 and we saw nothing for four days. Then on the fifth day as we were striking camp we looked up to the bare knob of one of the hills about a two-hour climb away from our camp and saw a herd of deer run across it. some stopped in the open to feed.

We were too burned out from the past four days of up and down over and over again so watched them for a while through the spotter.

Kind of contrasts with the conventional wisdom that "they're all down in the timber" that we hear a lot.