Does hunting the moon phases or moon position really affect deer movement? I've contemplated this for a long time and think it's hogwash myself. What's your take on the subject? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've read studies that both prove and disprove that theory. I don't believe there is any one single factor (Other than a hot doe) that gets deer moving. I believe that it's the combination of multiple factors. Moon, Temp, Barometric, Weather, Food, Pressure, Stress, Water. There are probably other things that I haven't mentioned. Point is to do our best to put ourselves where they want to be on any given day, to the best of our knowledge and observation of our own local deer. JMO Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
For me I really cant consider either. Ive just got dates set in advance that I can hunt and have to go with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Regardless of the rut, I believe a full moon & clear skies encourages more deer activity during non-shooting hours.
I believe the availability of light at night has some affect on deer movement. I have witnessed some very intense movement pre-dawn mornings of a full moon on several occasions.
Doesn't even make the Top five list of variables for consideration... so with that in mind since it trumps nothing then it really isn't that important.
From my experiences, bright nights allow for more deer movement before daylight but will also have them up on their feet during mid-day.
OK......so do this informal "study" for yourself over the next 4-5 months prior to hunting season. As you travel in deer country, watch fields and edges for deer activity, noting quantity and what time you see them. Then compare your notes to a moon phase chart and see if there is any correlation. During hunting season, again make note of the days and times you see the most deer.....especially prior to the rut....and also when you got skunked. I started doing this after reading Jeff Murray's book "Moon Struck" back in the late 1990's and found that moon phase was a pretty solid predictor of deer movement patterns on a consistent basis. The detractors are always going to counter that they see deer during non-ideal times or just before strong weather changes or when food xources are changing, which certainly factor into the big picture.....just as the surging flow of testosterone changes things. However seeing a deer or two in comparison to seeing signifcant movement on a predictable basis is not hard evidence. I hunt non prime times as well, since I have limited free time in the woods, but I know certain days are likely going to be more productive at the key times when hunters tend to be in the woods. I would also bet that guys that do all day sits and take notes might just be surprised at when the moon is over-head or under-foot in relation to their mid-day sightings. For those that presume a full moon makes it more conducive for deer to move......they are not well versed in the structure of a cervid's eyes. On a full moon the moon is directly overhead about midnight, triggering prime feeding times.....as will noon when the bright light of day would likewise give them plenty of optical advantage.......
I have noticed the night time movement increase with a full moon and later movement in the morning that same day.
I've had all day sits around the full moon...Very little deer movement...Made me feel like they were playing around all night & were sleeping all day!
I have never looked into it much. Curiosity may get me to reference back to those over head under foot moon times. It isn't all that important to me though because if I have time to get out I would go regardless off moon phase or position. You may have saw this before as this is a copy / paste of a study I did a while ago on temperature and barometric pressure, though I did note the moon phase when putting it together. While this does not list overall deer sightings in relation to the moon phase it does at least show when a good buck was on it's feet during those moon phases. BUCK: No score, Private Land (The buck on the right side of the photo, the buck on the left was my Step Dads) DATE: October 16, 2003 TIME: 930 AM TEMP: 50 High. 11 degrees under average. WIND: 12 mph MOON: Waning Gibbous PRESSURE:30.17. Mostly steady BUCK: 162" Private Land DATE: November 3, 2004 TIME: 7ish AM TEMP: 53 High. 1 degree under average WIND: 5 mph MOON: Waxing Gibbous PRESSURE: 30.2 Lowest pressure recorded during daylight hours. Pressure then rose to 30.3 for an hour and then fell all day. BUCK: 135" Public Land DATE: October 31, 2006 TIME: Last light TEMP: 60 High. 4 degrees above average. WIND: 8 mph MOON: Waxing Gibbous PRESSURE: 29.95 rising throughout the afternoon. BUCK; 128" Public Land DATE: November 8, 2008 TIME: 7 AM TEMP: 50 high. 3 degrees under average. WIND: 9 mph MOON: Waxing Gibbous PRESSURE: 29.7 falling BUCK: 160" Private Land DATE: October 17, 2009 TIME: Early evening TEMP: 46 high. 15 degrees under average. WIND: 9 mph MOON: Waning Cresent PRESSURE: 30.2 rising throughout the day. BUCK: 137" Private Land (DID NOT RECOVER UNTIL SHED SEASON) DATE: September 28, 2010 TIME: Early evening TEMP: 61 High. 7 degrees below average. WIND: 5 mph MOON: Waning Gibbous PRESSURE: 29.7 Heavily rising throughout day.
BUCK: 156" Private Land DATE: October 30, 2010 TIME: Evening TEMP: 55 High. 1 degree under average. WIND: 14 mph MOON: Waning Gibbous PRESSURE: 29.7 Lowest pressure recorded on this day. Pressure heavily dropped. BUCK: 139" Public Land DATE: October 21, 2011 TIME: Early evening TEMP: 48 high. 11 degrees under average. WIND: 13 mph MOON: Waning Cresent PRESSURE: 30.05 Rising heavily throughout the day. BUCK: 145" Private Land DATE: September 30, 2012 TIME: 6:50 PM TEMP: 64 High. 3 degrees under average. WIND: 10 mph MOON: Full PRESSURE: 29.9 Steady pressure. BUCK: 145" Private Land DATE: November 15, 2013 TIME: 3 PM TEMP: 51 High. 1 degree above average WIND: 14 mph MOON: Waxing Gibbous PRESSURE: 30.1 Lowest pressure recorded on the day. BUCK: Public Land DATE: November 8th TIME: Early evening TEMP: 48 high. 5 degrees under average. WIND: 9 mph MOON: Waning Gibbous PRESSURE: 29.8 Pressure fell all day to this point then rose a little afterward. BUCK: 158" Public Land DATE: November 12, 2016 TIME: 5:10 PM TEMP: 49 High. 6 degrees under average. WIND: NNE 2 MPH MOON: Waxing Gibbous PRESSURE: 30.5. Mostly steady
Looks like a lot of your bucks fell at the tail end or beginning of a front. Interesting to see how your temps were typically below average on most days you harvested. I think I remembered seeing this post from you before, Scott. Good stuff. As for me, I've been keeping logs for 6 years and have just recently started going back to trail cam photos to try to find a correlation, and while it may play a role, I don't see as much of a connection as I do fronts and weather.
The only thing a full moon tells me is that I won't need my headlamp on the walk in and out. Unless it's cloudy Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
