Husband saw this on a hunting show. He asked me to ask "my online people" if anyone uses it? I see it comes in an app or an actual in-hand product. On the website it looks good and of course the hunting show talked it up. If you use it, do you feel it's legit and accurate?
I refer to the moon at times throughout the season, mainly for the “rutting moon” but I won’t plan a hunt based of moon phases. I know there’s hardcore moon/hunting guys out there. I have found that some info correlated to my hunts on those given days and I also found contradictory info. I’m sure it’s different in every area.
I’m currently listening to the Wired to Hunt podcast with guest Adam Hays who endorses it. Or created it, or both. The guy has multiple 200+” bucks under his belt. While he has the cred to back it up, I guarantee you it’s not only due to the moon. I’m paraphrasing but he says he only goes in to hunt these bucks when they are most likely to be on their feet in day light, and he believes the moon helps with that.
it's a pure money maker. I hunt when I can. to hell with the moon. It may have an influence but I ain't hunting 200"+ deer and do not have the luxury of choosing the days I get to hunt. It's a lot like bass fishing, there are many variables that can influence activity, but in the end, none of us can predict what nature will do at any given time.
To each his/her own I guess. I’m a firm believer in moon phases as some on here know. That’s not to say that I won’t hunt when the moon phase isn’t perfect. I’ve killed a lot of deer when the lunar calendar said hunting wouldn’t be good, but paying attention to the predicted movement times on a lunar app has really payed off for me over the years. I will go out of my way to hunt a new moon, and most of my new moon hunts are all day sits. I’d almost sacrifice my firstborn to hunt a new moon during the peak of the rut. It’s a perfect storm.
Well I just recently started tracking the activity on the 1 camera I have staged, to include temperature, wind, rain, snow, barometric pressure, humidity and yes Moon Phase. Guess we will see how it plays out over next several months.
I don’t know why I never thought of doing that. I guess I just don’t run enough cameras. I’d almost be willing to bet you that you’ll get more daylight movement pics during the three day new moon phase.
If I knew what I was betting for or against I would take you up on that... I am a data driven kind of person, and I could really on everyone else's research or just do it myself. Would imagine every year and every location will vary. So should be interesting to mull over.
The moon certainly plays a part, but only a part, in deer activity. Even more so when it's mild/early season. By and large I don't see much movement in the mornings on a full moon. But that doesn't mean a buck won't get bumped from his bed by whatever and travel from Point A to B. Since I travel at least 2 hours to do any hunting, I try to plan my pre-November trips around weather and moon phases. Moon goes out the window during and post rut.
I appreciate reading everyone's thoughts. I just go out when I can since my time is limited. He recently started his own taxidermy shop and has shot some real nice deer throughout the years. He seen this on the show he was watching and got quite interested as he feels that it plays an important role. I am going to research his last two archery kills and see what the moon was then. Just for my own personal knowledge.
I look at the moon tables and tend to hunt mid day on a full moon. I have shot several deer between 12- 2 pm on the full moon days.
It's all about the total picture. Time of rut, hunting pressure, weather, doe numbers and yes light and moon phases equal light. The barometric pressure which is weather related. Then there is available food and water.
My findings (both same area - private land): 2019 - Shot at 730am. Full Moon. 42* 29.24 pressure. 2020 - Shot at 645pm. Waxing Gibbous. 43* 29.41 pressure. So both of these were shot when the moon was 99% or more. I'm kinda intrigued by this now!
The moon thing seems to be a crapshoot to me. I'd rather hunt the weather and a many other factors before considering the moon. I do know a couple very successful elk hunters that put a toon of stock in the moon phase.
That's the site I found the temps. I guess I just looked for the word barometric and didn't see it since it's just under "pressure". So both were 29.24 and 29.41.
Like I said, I believe moon phases matter, but the right weather will trump the moon phase every time.
