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Jesse's Hunting > Hunting Articles > Tales from our Members > 1999 Zone 6 Surprise Valley Hunt
1999 Zone 6 Surprise Valley Hunt
Rob Dellinger
- Sacramento, CA
September 17, 2002
I was hunting Zone 6 up in Surprise Valley. I hunted all day on Saturday the opener. I saw absolutely nothing. Sunday August 22, 1999 0430hrs, my hunting partner and I hiked down into Snake lake located about 6 miles south of Eagleville. We set up on the north side of the lake about 50 yards from the edge of the water. When I scouted the area, I saw the lopes feed in this area every night and morning. We set up in a small pine tree that was surrounded by Manzanita. It made an excellent blind to hide both of us. About 0730, we watched as a herd of lopes, (30 to 40 with 6 nice bucks) came over a ridge to the north/east of us about 3/4 of a mile away. Things were going great until for some reason they stopped heading our way. They turned and started to head back up hill. Dean my friend decided to hike over the ridge to our back and try and circle them to cut them off. Things were going good until they spotted him and headed towards Nevada like there was no tomorrow.
I decided to head up the hill were they were hoping there might be a straggler. I decided to Glass the hill one more time. I spotted a buck and two does laying down about a half mile up. They had not spotted me or Dean. I saw Dean walking the ridge behind them following the other heard to see if they had stopped anywhere. I couldn't signal him to let him know there was one between us. The buck would surely see me. Finally Dean glassed and spotted him. Dean headed towards the buck. The buck and does spotted him and headed straight towards me waiting at the bottom of the hill. It seemed like forever as I watched them racing my way.
The does were the first to pass me. The buck was about 200 yards behind them. He was heading straight at me. He wasn't running like the does were. He was a little more cautious of what he was doing. The only mistake he made was when he stopped next to the lake to look back up hill. I ranged him at exactly 45 yards. I moved out from behind the tree at full draw and let the arrow go. He heard the release and turned in my direction only to have the arrow enter his left shoulder and exit his right rear. The arrow got one lung and the heart. He ran about 50 yards and dropped. My friend said he watched the whole event from his binoculars. He said it was one of the neatest things he has ever seen. He got to see the whole hunt from a distance. Arrow release entry and exit of the arrow. He said it seemed like it was in slow motion.
I shoot a Mathews MQ-1 with a 29 inch 2315 Easton XX78 tipped wit a 125 grain Muzzy broadhead.
Rob Dellinger
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