6mm06, I asked about shooting Vmax's thinking they would be safer for treetop shots. Since you are in the mountains with plenty of land you don't have to worry about that as much as long as you know where nearby houses are located. In MN I don't have that luxury, but would stick to shots at crows perched lower on branches, posts, or on the ground.
For a scope I was thinking a Burris Fullfield II 4.5-14x AO would fit the bill nicely. They currently have a $100 off rebate so it's only $200 and I've read reviews of the ballistic plex reticle matching the 17 HMR's trajectory pretty well. Seems like a good magnification range and excellent glass for the price.
All this talk of crow sniping has me excited to get a 17 HMR ASAP!