Has anyone ever hunted using the moon guide? I personally have not, nor know anyone who has im just curious to your all's input.
I've never owned the moon guide but understand the concept behind it. I think the theory behind it is solid, I wouldn't not hunt because of poor moon days but I will push into my better areas after target animals when the moon, weather, and season timing is best.
The idea behind it is when the moon overhead/underfoot is within a hour of the sun rise/set are the best moon days for deer movement. When the moon rise/set is within a hour of the sun rise/set are a secondary moon day. During the rut you can expect cruising times to be during moon overhead/underfoot no matter the time of day with a secondary time again during moon rise/set. Again, it may push me to stay in stand later or get setup earlier but I'm not going to not hunt because it's not a "good" moon time.
If you haven't done your homework prior it wont help you anyways. If you are going to set up where deer don't travel it wont work =).
I've used it the past few years with no success at all. Perhaps, its just bad luck for trying. There were days I hunted that those moon apps say are not favorable and BAM I saw bucks chasing everything in the woods, making noise like a elephant crashing through the woods. My hunting buddy and I (he's a solid believer) always pick our all day hunting trip based on this theory, and 1 out of the past 7 years we've killed a deer on that super day. they were both Does. Think of it like one would think of Jesus. You can't disprove it and you can't honestly prove it at the same time; regardless, if you're a believer then everything you do is because of this belief. I'm not saying to true or false. I"m simply implying one should figure it out on their own. everyone has different result I suppose. If anyone was to tell me they slept with an alien from another planet last night. I would certainly have my doubts. Even though I am married to one.
It sounds like exactly what I thought, I know ive read a lot about it and some people are die hard believers and others are not. I don't think I will be following the moon phase anytime soon. I never have and always seen deer out and about. I almost feel like its no different then hunting the wind.
I think moon position can play a slight factor in when deer move in the morning and afternoon, especially on low pressure ground. All of the information can easily be found for free though. No reason to purchase the moon guide.
I believe the info in the moon guide is accurate, but only when other conditions are favorable as well. When the temperatures, barometric pressure and moon are all favorable for deer movement you can pretty much bank on having a good hunt. Like others - I don't bank on the moon when planning my hunts but I do like to keep an eye on it. When things all line up I try to make time to be in the woods.
Here is my take on it. This is a factor, my grandparents used the moon as a way, to determine when to plant crops. My take as far as hunting game, I used it more for hunting wild hogs. It seems that i would get more night activity with the moon shining sky-high from above. So, I do believe that the moon phase has a factor on hunting game. And, also what he said "I believe the info in the moon guide is accurate, but only when other conditions are favorable as well. When the temperatures, barometric pressure and moon are all favorable for deer movement you can pretty much bank on having a good hunt. Like others - I don't bank on the moon when planning my hunts but I do like to keep an eye on it. When things all line up I try to make time to be in the woods." (JZ) Justin Zarr
I agree that it's a factor, but it has less weight in my decision than temperature and barometric pressure. Cold front with rising pressure and you better be in there. If I'm limited in hunts for family and work obligations I certainly factor everything I can into the equation.
I very much agree. Those who seek to disprove the concept often do not take all the other factors into consideration that effect deer movement. When Jeff Murray published his book "Moonstruck" in the 1990's, I bought a copy and read it from cover to cover. It didn't pan out so well on the heavily pressured public land I was hunting, but a few years later I had the chance to buy into a lease where there was good deer numbers and very little pressure. That is when I began to see the wisdom behind the moon phase theories. One Saturday morning in particular, the moon phase was full and I saw nothing the evening before and only one doe that morning. So I went back to my Jeep for a snack and went back out about 11am, since the moon guide had the moon "underfoot" about noon. Sure enough I saw several does and the first buck of the season out in mid-day. Since that time, I have confirmed the moon phase predictions many times and my wife has even become a reluctant believer. Several times she has come home from work or wherever and reported deer moving at such and such a time, only to correlate it with the moon phase. I don't stay home if the moon isn't optimal, but I do know that things will likely not be as active unless there is a front moving in or the rut ramping up.
Like I said. It's like Jesus Christ. Your either a believer, undecided, or completely a infidel. Choose wisely
Hunting moon phases or not has no eternal ramifications to the decision making process.......your illustration does. Indeed..."choose wisely".
^THIS^ After doing a picture graph of a buck I am chasing, I noticed hoe the moon and barometric pressure affected when he showed himself in daylight. A lot of it lines up with what the Moon Guide stated so I bought one this year and I am giving it a try.
