Highcountry Velvet

[dana]

Here's a rough and dirty clip of a 5x4 muley from a few years ago. With the quick view what are your first impressions? What do you think this buck will score? Is he a first day shooter?
http://www.monsterhuntclips.com/video/566/BC-Highcountry-5x4

[NaStY]

Definitely looks like a good buck. Really hard to tell how big with the clip as to what he will score....

I wouldn't hesitate to shoot him though...:mrgreen:

[Untouchable]

Tough call. Not if you're the famous Dana, but you might tell the nephew where to find him. I'd say he's in the 175 neighborhood. Give him another couple years.

[Shooter]

I couldn't see him?.. Was he hiding behind that dink buck?



:razz:
:razz:

That guys a shooter on any day in my neck of the woods. Mind you I don't run around in the interior but given the chance I'd drop him.

[Caveman]

Good looking buck Steve! The forks look a little deceiving for length. As has been said it's hard to tell what he may score from the video, but opening day I might pass hoping to see his dad. High Country also may mean no one else may know his where abouts. I don't think he'd be that 200 inch typ, or 230+ non typ buck we're looking for.

[kennyj]

I might shoot him on the first day( probably would).I'd say 180 gross.Left G2 a little short,big buck though.What are your thoughts Dana?
kenny

[Brambles]

Not a good enough view to make a decision if its a first day shooter.

[leadpillproductions]

shoot away he good

[BlacktailStalker]

Bit weak in the back (press pause and you can see better) but better than any mulie I've ever shot

1st day of a how many day hunt would be the big question.

Paused on 18seconds is the best view.

Gotta set a personal bar somewhere... Boom.

[dana]

Not a good enough view to make a decision if its a first day shooter.

When I saw this buck he was working in and out of the subalpine fir. He was moving fast. Moving the spotter to predict when and where the next opening he was going to go through was a major challenge. By the time I located him again with the binos and then got the spotter pointed the right dirrection, he was back in the trees. I've had this happen more times than I can count where you just get to see short pieces of a buck and that's it. If you watched him go into a patch and not exit, do you sit on your hands and not plan a stalk, or is what you saw, worthy enough of trying to get in on him??? You can tell this buck has huge fronts, good width, average mass and even though he's got a short G2 on one side, his G2 is very long on the other. The inline gives him some added character. IMO this buck is pushing 190 gross. Yup, he's a first day shooter.

[dana]

Here's another one for ya. This buck gave me a longer view to video him. What do you think he'll go? Is he a first day shooter or should you keep on hunting looking for a bigger one?
http://www.monsterhuntclips.com/video/495/Tall-N-Narrow

[tomahawk]

Of course he's a first day shooter, lots of steaks, roasts and burger there!!

[Caveman]

Here's another one for ya. This buck gave me a longer view to video him. What do you think he'll go? Is he a first day shooter or should you keep on hunting looking for a bigger one?
http://www.monsterhuntclips.com/video/495/Tall-N-Narrow

There's first day shooter. If he has mass on his side, I'd put him in the 190 net typ range, that may even be a little conservative, very even little deductions viewing the video for the first time. Resembles my 4X5 that grossed 196 5/8

[Untouchable]

The second buck is more than the first in my opinion. Width doesn't have a lot to do with score, as you know from your last monster muley. If it was between those two bucks the second one would definitely hit the dirt. Thanks again Dana for the awesome footage!

[BlacktailStalker]

That one is a beauty, no question.
Approx what elevation do you find most of these alpine summer hogs ?

[Brambles]

Here's another one for ya. This buck gave me a longer view to video him. What do you think he'll go? Is he a first day shooter or should you keep on hunting looking for a bigger one?
http://www.monsterhuntclips.com/video/495/Tall-N-Narrow


Yeah I'd probably pull the pin on him, but not sure if I would early season if it was this season though, I would have to see what my heart tells me to do at that exact moment. Its gotta be a pretty big buck or pretty late in the season to make me shoot it. I have a certain buck that gave me the slip twice last year that has me bugged. And once I get "bugged" its pretty hard to pull the pin on another buck.

In a normal year, providing I didn't have a particular buck "bugging" me I would probably shoot that buck. Even better if its in the early season because once I do kill a good buck early season that is the year I"m going to do my Tour de Muley.

[dana]

Brambles,
Let me put it this way, even I would consider that buck a first day shooter. I think Caveman is very close on his score guess. I don't know if he would net over the B&C min but he'd be close. I wish I could have got footage of his hichcountry partner. He did a disappearing trick on me and either bedded behind some trees and let TNN walk off or else he bailed out the back door without me noticing. He was a 5x5 with a mid 180 mainframe and 10-12 inch matching inlines. I would have considered either buck a first day shooter.

[dana]

That one is a beauty, no question.
Approx what elevation do you find most of these alpine summer hogs ?

Treeline is pretty much 1900m in these parts. They can be found even at the tops of the peaks living with the goats.

[kennyj]

Are you kidding me? That second buck is my dream buck.4 long even points on each side.I'd shoot him any time in a heart beat!Awesome clip as usual.
kenny

[BlacktailStalker]

Do you find they have a preference for certain direction faced slopes in summer (heat/sun has to be an issue even at those elevations) or just anywhere in those alpine bowls/meadows with all the necessities, water, food, bedding/cover, escape routes etc?

Right now with this heat (here on V.I) a lot of the blacktails that spend the majority of life in the same spot year round, are up on the glacial fields to escape the heat. Deer tracks everywhere up there and normally they're far and few between up there.

[frenchbar]

Steve ,i think i would dump em both opening day!The second one looks like the one that was hanging with the buck i got last fall ,which i recently found out got taken last fall:frown: .