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A newly formed congressional caucus comprised of those who generally share the views and agenda held by the country’s most outspoken and politically active anti-hunting organization has yet to make any serious legislative inroads on Capitol Hill, but deserves the continued watchful eye of sportsmen. 

There was relatively little fanfare surrounding the formation of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus earlier this year, but it attracted the attention of many in the hunting and wildlife conservation community, not as much because of its name, but because of its primary ally. 

Sportsmen’s groups are acutely aware that the Washington, DC-based Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is the most politically entrenched and fiscally powerful anti-hunting organization currently in operation. The animal-rights behemoth has helped finance the anti-hunting side of literally every hunting-related ballot initiative effort for the past two decades; on subjects ranging from dove-hunting in Ohio and spring bear hunting in Colorado, to lion hunting with hounds in Washington and trapping in Arizona. 

So, when the leaders of the HSUS roundly hailed the formation of a congressional caucus whose main agenda includes “animal welfare issues,” it sent up bright red warning flags to hunters and wildlife managers across the country. 

Chaired by Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA) and Elton Gallegly (R-CA), CAPC purports to raise awareness of animal welfare issues in Congress and attempt to build coalitions in support of “common sense, humane animal welfare laws.” 

On his Web site, Rep. Gallegly is identified as a champion of animal rights. Rep. Moran’s biography notes his “near-perfect ratings from the League of Conservation Voters and other similar scores from organizations committed to animal protection (and) gun control.” 

Just weeks ago, caucus member Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), an outspoken critic of trapping as a wildlife management tool, introduced her second anti-trapping bill in the past three years. Lowey’s HR 3710, the “Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act,” would make it illegal to use any trap that will “kill or capture wildlife by physically restraining any part of the animal” within the National Wildlife Refuge System. More than half of the bill’s 39 current co-sponsors are members of the CAPC. 

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We here at the Big Buck Zone promised to keep you apprised and updated on some of the monster bucks shot across the country this fall. Here's the latest on the big Wisconsin deer we told you about last week directly from the good folks at Boone and Crockett Trophy Watch.....

"Numerous recent articles have been brought to our attention claiming that this buck has a green score higher than the Milo Hansen World Record Typical. While it is indeed a very impressive trophy for any hunter with any method of harvest, it unfortunatley will most likely not approach the 200 inch mark for typical whitetail deer. It has an unmatched point on the left side of the rack and a point off from the normal G2 on the right side. For the typical category, these will both be abnormal points and therefore deductions. From the photo's we have seen, a non typical score of low 200's is possible but a typical score of over 213 does not seem realistic."

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Ask anybody in the know and it was billed as one of the best days, if not the best day, of the seeking and chasing phase of the rut to hunt this year. Yep, November 11 was it, made all the better because it fell on a holiday when many people would actually have the day off from work and could go out there without spending a precious vacation day. 

Given the variations in weather from place-to-place, moon phase and local herd dynamics, it’s always risky to pinpoint an exact day that is supposed to be “the” day to get outside and kill the buck of your dreams. But editors like it for cover blurbs on their magazines and wanting to be good soldiers and a service to their readers, writers try to comply. So they consult with biologists and all of the hardcore hunters they know. They look at the moon and consult long-term weather projections. And then with all of the certainty of an exact population count of any wild animal species, they reach into their butt and pull a date out (metaphorically speaking of course!) 

For probably 80 to 90 percent of the whitetails range, it’s usually a safe bet to say that somewhere between Nov. 9-13 will fall what might be the best days of the season. In fact, if you can get the week off, you’re probably better off taking it then and being out there everyday.

For my part, I planned to test the experts’ projections and get out there and hunt the entire day of the 11th. Mother Nature had other plans. A massive nor’easter, one of the worst in a decade the weather guy says, rolled into the central mid-Atlantic region. It promised to be a three-day storm arriving the night before the 11th (and still raging as I write this).

No way was I going to sit a stand in that madness—driving rains and 50 to 60 mph winds, but I did take a gander that the evening just before the storm arrived would be a blockbuster. It wasn’t, though I did see (and missed, another story altogether) a single 9-point buck. Other hunters I spoke to saw little increased activity, blowing another hole in the usually reliable theory that deer will move like crazy on the front and back edges of a front. (My experience tells me this is still usually true, though I suspect the unusually warm weather had a little to do with the lack of observable deer.)

In speaking to hunters in other parts of the country who were out there on the 11th, it was a decent day. No better, no worse. From what I’m hearing, the deer were doing what they were supposed to. If it was warm, hunting was slow. If it was cool (not the case most places), they were on the move.

Did you make it out there Nov. 11? I’m curious to hear how the rest of the BBZ crowd did on that day or even this week. Let us know by sharing your comments below or if you have photos of a whopper you took, send me the story and photo to hunteditor@gmail.com. I’d love to share it with everybody else.

Regardless of this little weather delay in the mid-Atlantic, bucks should be ready to go all in throughout most of its range. Weather, evil bosses and understanding wives permitting, everyone should get outside as much as they can over the next week or two. Hunt safe and good luck. And to all of our nation’s veterans and soldiers, thanks for everything you do for our country. I hope you more than anybody got the chance to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors.

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Many deer hunters will tell you that luck is definitely a factor in any successful hunt. On the other hand, the die-hard hunters who consistently tag top-heavy bucks season after season will also tell you that a lot of hard work is involved as well. Everything has to fall into place at just the right time to connect with a mature whitetail. Locating and patterning a bruiser buck is tough enough, but knowing exactly where to hang and when to hunt a particular stand is also a difficult task. Many hunters feel this is where luck enters the equation. However, some hunters like Spook Spann who are dragging giants out the field every season disagree with this theory.

Hardcore whitetail addicts like Spann share several common characteristics. Success for these hunters usually boils down to a lot of time scouting, taking advantage of every opportunity, perseverance, and the ability to adjust or modify their individual hunting strategies to meet any challenge. It’s these characteristics that have enabled Spann to fill a trophy room full of extraordinary whitetails. For example, a few weeks ago, Spann found himself in the rolling hill country of southern Illinois chasing a particular buck he had passed on the year before. During the early summer months, he decided to create a small opening along a tree-line in the middle of a thicket that bordered an agricultural field. A combination of late-summer scouting and trail-cam surveillance allowed the hunter to establish a predictable pattern. 

Spann snuck into the area before his hunt and setup some stands in the small clearing he had made earlier in the year. Like clockwork, the long-tined buck walked to within 6 yards of his stand and started quartering away creating the perfect shot. One year of growth had transformed a nice deer into a real jaw dropper. Spann’s 12-point buck will easily score in the 170s and will be a great addition to the countless other trophy-class monsters he has accumulated over the years. Congratulations Spook on another phenomenal bow buck to add to your collection. You’ve got to love it when a lot of hard work and a plan finally come together!