The Orion Syndicate (#12) - 2020 & 2021 Champions

Idk about you guys but I’m excited to hear from Brett. I’m excited for a new season of hunting stories, hearing about other people’s encounters and just the camaraderie!


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Well fellas I'll profile some bucks here in the team thread. I don't share a ton elsewhere as I've been burned (long story) from followers.

First up I'll start with not the highest scoring but the coolest buck I've ever pursued due to the length and uniqueness of him and the story. Purchased just shy of 23 acres in an urban type area in 2016...well a buck that I suspect was 2.5/3.5 that year got hit by a car one night and literally broke at the base is one antler entirely, and the other some points but still had most of it. Blood coming out of his skull we were worried about him making it. It was November and it was a deep snow type winter. Amazingly the dude pulled through and while his name was Gary previously the summer of 2017 is when his name switched to Bertier (Gary Bertier...Remember the Titans....think strong side/left side scene) in 2017 he would grow off one side a gandalf like staff side and just an incredible other side. I pursued HIM and HIM alone really that year. Only caught a fleeting glimpse of him after bumping him bedded literally in the fencerow my stand was in on one lone hunt. 2017 was the last year we got images of him during the rut and his leg was a "peg leg" could support but not be used. Well Mr. Piggy a bastard of a 100 inch if lucky mature eight pointer is seen a clip after Bertier all bristled up and next images is Bertier limping away oppposite...from that day on Bertier never has used that one leg again. He defied odds again and 2018 we would catch a few images of our favorite buck back that summer defying coyotes and further injury.

2018 is when the switch in him happened. With Cicero (buck I would kill that year) a booner of a buck laying claim to some of Bertier's summer bedding spots and another buck Highrise (more on him another post) laying claim to the property Bertier didn't have the ability to hang around once the velvet rubbed off and the testerone started upticking...early October and he was gone....a ghost...

.....BUT early 2019 we get an image of a buck I knew instantly...already shed but alive there was Bertier...back at his home. He seemed very thin and with months left of winter I just hoped. Again 2019 would play out like 2018....this time though Cicero was no longer and Bertier's favorite daytime bedding spots were able to be used again. I would get cell phone video of him on multiple occasions and again though...once the velvet dropped and testerone started other bucks (Highrise being one) would push him out...mid-October or so was the last images I got of him. I did get confirmation from multiple folks as to where he was going. South and through a small wood lot was a subdivision with a creek running through and a bottom along it. Apparently multiple sightings of a three legged buck was confirmed...so I that old smart fool was clever and knew where safety was and that was close to humans during the rut.

Not knowing if he'd lived I got images of him before dropping coming back in the winter yet again...and so we are playing it all back out again. He seems to be bedding differently...but development and such has changed since last year which is no doubt influencing his daytime bedding but we have quite a few sightings of him. The trick will be getting him before early October runs out if tradition holds up. He is in an urban reduction zone spot, so if I shoot an antlerless quick (9-15 opener in reduction zones) I immediately earn a buck tag in them and could chase him. The odds time wise isn't in my favor...but what a final chapter it would be to end this story going on since 2016....

 

MIHOYT89 has my vote. Hope he knows the captions needs to help me drag deer.

 

Cool looking buck ty

Captain J

 

I’ll vote with the majority, MIHOYT89 as captain.
Tennessee opens the 26th, I may do a couple afternoon hunts that weekend but I don’t plan on spending a lot of time in the woods until it cools down some. I got some new info over the velvet hunt last weekend, I’ve debated moving one of my preset sticks to that location, but it may be best to leave it alone until I’m ready to hunt it. I wish I could follow the trails and look for bedding, but they cross on neighboring property and I’m not crossing that line.
For now, I really need to tidy up my gear for the season, I’ve been slacking.

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. This will be my first year as team captain. Just a couple things that we need to get figured out are our team name and an avatar. Ty has compiled a list of names that have been mentioned so far, if there’s any others just throw them out there.

I’m glad to see that everyone is checked in and ready to roll!

I recognize some names and some I don’t so I just wanted to introduce myself a little further. Mitch 30, from SW Michigan. I hunt on permission farms some that I grew up hunting and some that I am still learning. I hope to get cameras out this Monday to learn what deer will be around for the fall and winter months and also check/replace and hang a couple new stands.

As I said in an earlier post I am a single dad that spends as much time with my kids as possible so there may be a day or two at a time that I don’t respond much if at all, but I guarantee you guys that I won’t disappear. There’s one big kicker for me this year, I’m waiting on mri results from a work related knee injury. Whatever the results I assure you that it will not keep me out of the woods but it may limit me some the first half of the season depending on if I need surgery or not.

We’ve got a lot of long time forum guys here but if you’ve got any questions or complaints for me don’t be afraid to speak up.

I really think that if we all shoot a doe, and even half of us can kill a mediocre buck we have a great chance at willing this thing. Most importantly let’s just have fun and be thankful that we get to do something that we love to do. Now let’s get out and kill, kill, kill!


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Got in the stand at 1630...about 30 minutes before I planned. I forgot my seat cushion so by the end of the night I was wishing I had got there 30 minutes late...my butt was sore. The adjoining property (state park) has horses and they stopped by to visit around 1900. At 1915 coyote strolled to the east of me at 65 yards and continued to walk east. At 1950 a very tall 4x3 without brow tines showed up walking from the south. I have no sight picture from the south as I have several trees for concealment. That plan for concealment bit me in the ass last night. As I was sitting and the bow was still in the hanger. I watched this 4x3 be joined by a smaller 5x5 and togther they milled around at 15 yards. I was able to stand up, grab the bow, get the release hooked onto the D loop and then they trotted off as the coyote returned....I need to be better prepared. The coyote ran off as i was drawing back on him. A picture of my view is coming.

 

Man the fun has started!!!!!

 

Man I love it! That’s what keeps us coming back for more


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What size do you use? I have 7 pallets of heat shrink in my warehouse. Might be able to get a roll up there. It’s general purpose for wiring etc., I’ve used it on a climber before, good for about a year depending how hard you are on it.

 

I’ll look tomorrow, I know I have 1.5”, might have to pull a box down but I’ll have it.

 

Summit doesn’t mention the size, just length. I think I used 3/4” or 1” on my old API. I’ll measure and get the closest to what you posted.