Do you believe that the moon plays a big part in deer activity times?

I feel it changes their movement times, but really have no records or anything to go by as of yet...gonna start keeping a log this yr tho

 

No way for me to prove it but yes. Seems to me it does anyways.

 

I know for sure that it effects fish.

I fish out at a family members house (quite often) and have been doing so for years. Two or three days before a new moon or full moon the water seems eerily empty. Hardly any bites at all. The new or full moon almost always brings better fishing regardless of tide, temperature or season.

If it can affect fish, it can affect deer.

 

call me crazy... but if deer can see better at night with a full moon, why not get up and feed then? i have walked out of the woods late a few times and done some shining when i was younger and seen a ton of deer. i would say full moons mean less movement during the day, as far as hunting and pressure. just my thoughts, i could be WAY off though...

 

From what I have read...seeing better at night has nothing to do with it. Deer see very well at night regardless of what the moon is doing. They actually see much better in the dark than they do on a sunny day.

It is the position of the moon which supposedly has an effect on their activity patterns whether it be 1st quarter, last quarter, new, or full...not now much light is being put out.

 

It is the position of the moon which supposedly has an effect on their activity patterns whether it be 1st quarter, last quarter, new, or full...not now much light it is putting out.[/QUOTE]

Yeah i think your right....my dad use to talk about the moon phases, when the day's get shorter and when the rut starts to happen....but im sure it does.

 

My offical stance on the moon theory

 

Yeah i think your right....my dad use to talk about the moon phases, when the day's get shorter and when the rut starts to happen....but im sure it does.[/QUOTE]

You're reffering to the autumnal equinox, from what I have read, the second full moon after the autumnal equinox is what "sparks" or triggers the rut. How true this is....I don't know, but that would put the heat of the rut ( the rut rut, not the pre-rut) starting on or about Nov 4th this year...that sounds about right.

My position on the issue would be that, I believe it plays a significant role in deer movement, but there are other factors that contribute to this also. I'm a big believer in watching the barometric pressure. In my past experiences, significant drops in barometric pressure seem to increase movement and deer sightings.

 

see i told you i didnt know!!!!!!!!!

=-)

 

Very interesting thoughts guys...From what I've read several times is that the rut is triggered by weather and shortness of the days! I've often been told about the barametric pressure too, and with fish it holds true, so why wouldnt it be the same for deer?

I have a buddy that lives by the moon guide, and claims it is very accurate, but what is the harvest moon? I hear drury bros talk about it all the time?

 

Well then that must be the truth about it huh Germ? Is it just me or are you like 6 ft off the ground in that pic?

 

Yes, that is what I have heard also. I wasn't very clear but that is what the autumnal equinox is, a . As the days get shorter after the summer, the autumnal eauinox is the day that there is supposedly equal amounts of light and dark. Then the shortness of the days eventually triggers the rut....from what I have read. I think that most people would agree that the weather is also a factor.

 

No I am 24ft up, just looks funny. I took that picture after sitting in a stand all day on when the moon was suppose to kick the rut in gear, LOL I saw diddle.

 

haha...did you find O' Ryans belt, the big dipper and small dipper...?

 

Ic sure didnt look like it LOL is all!:D

 

The bank on the othr side of the river is about 40 yds from me. I know it looks like I am on the ground.

 

I think it does. I don't know the technical aspect of it all, but I do know that TYPICALLY when there is a full moon, I don't see squat when I hunt the AMs.

 

Gary you officially get the Award for best of the best pix! LMAO.. as far as the moon goes, I think it can affect movement during the daylight. I noticed last month on my trail cameras of about 1000 pix... that when I had the full moon in, I had considerably more mid day pix of big bucks moving in their bedding areas. maybe just a coincidence but maybe not.

 

I've been studying on this for some time now. This isn't scientific And I'm no expert but I have kept records of deer movement in my area in western Kentucky. Deer move more early in the morning when the moon is in first and second quarter. On new moon they seem to move later in the morning. On full moon they move late in the day. It seams to me they bed down early when the moon is full the get up to feed around midday. As far as rut goes it has nothing to do with the moon stage its the amount and type of light that is passing thru the atmosphere. There is different UV light in the summer and winter and when it starts to change thats what triggers the rut the change just happens to coincide with the second full moon after the autumnal equinox..

 

I read something on the moon being visible during the daylight hours & that has something to do with movement...... I wish i could find where i read it - I have hundreds of magazines from way back to 1989 ....

Can anyone elaborate on that??