Bow season comes in Saturday which is right dead on with the full moon. How will this effect the deer? How does the moon phases play a part in general? Thanks.
Alot of talk about if moon phase effects deer and if moon positioning effects deer... I hunt more on moon positioning.. Overhead/under foot major feed times. And east/west horizon minor feed times.. Now, per the hunting chart (Hunting calender), opeing weekend is supposed to be good and the following week great.. Thats just me, More time in the woods ups your odd's... But I have seen more deer move when overhead/underfoot positioning..
Lot of debate on whether the full or no moon is better, which I can get into but it causes some people to get to fired up sometimes. All I will say is the moon phases is one my primary factors in hunting now. I follow Bill Vale's proven calendar, man's got years and years of data on it. I will say this much though, if you believe in the bible than this verse is enough reason to believe the moon has an impact on every living creature: Genesis 1:16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. Now while it states that the sun governs the day, the moon is the second most powerful thing created to govern the Earth...which doesn't mean it is only active at night. Just ask fisherman or sailors, the moon is a great factor is fish movements, timings of big bites and tides across the world!
From my experience, moon phase has an effect on deer movement, but it wouldn't be the main factor I would look at to decide whether I am going to hunt or not. You need to take into account things like weather, barometric pressure, hunter pressure, if crops have or have not been harvested in the area, food sources, etc... No matter what the moon phase, if these factors are not favorable to deer movement, then they won't move. That being said, and all other things being equal, I prefer to hunt on a new moon as opposed to a full moon. From the logs I have kept I have seen a lot more daytime activity in a new moon phase. Having the moon overhead is your friend too.
I appreciate the advice, and really enjoyed the connection with the Bible. I will ask however, as for the barometric pressure, when is the best time concerning it? Thanks.
Deer are already changing their patterns here in KY. Many beans are turning yellow and a lot of corn is being shelled. The biggest thing seems to be the acorns are dropping and they are hitting them now. I've talked to several guys and they are all saying they are not seeing the bucks they were seeing on trail cams because they are changing their feeding patterns. I think this has a much bigger effect on them over the moon phase.
Deer instincts are what dictate where they go, when they go and what they do. Food sources change naturally their movements will change...weather changes naturally change their movements....wind changes naturally change their movements. Deer, especially pressured deer, are not robots...every single decision they make has the same underlying reason: survival. Think about it, we go hunting and if we make a mistake or miss a deer "no biggy" a mature buck, doe or yearling of either sex make just one mistake and their lives' are over.
My approach lately ahs been, if I have available time I hunt. Between family, work and other obligations, I cant be pickey on were I hunt or not based upon the moon. I have found more success in the woods than when I'm on the couch.
As far as Barometric Pressure is concerned, you want to keep an eye out for when it is changing rapidly. This usually is accompanied by some kind of weather event, such as a storm or front moving in. A sudden drop in pressure the night before a storm moves in can be one of the best times to be out in the woods, or even on the lake fishing for that matter.
Historically, I have not been a believer in moon phases and when to hunt. This year I plan on hunting implementing the moon phases (more of the overhead and underfoot versus full/new moon) in my schedule. I have logged in the past that during full moon stages I would see more AM activity than during waxing, waning and new moons.
I dont like hunting during a full moon but i do..Any chance to go hunting I do it,I may alter which pc of ground i go to so i dont over hunt my best spots i still get out there.
Agreed.... Any chance I have, I am in the woods.. Guess We are just trying to say the chances are better during certain moon phases.. Just my belief.. I will hunt with the moon 1/4 full and 1/2 way between east horizon and overhead.. Per the tables, its not the best time.. But my BUTT will still be in the stand when the sun comes up.. I enjoy the outdoors way to much..
Full moon or no moon i go if i can,cause you never know when you might have two hang it up,and only have memories.
New moon----------Slow mornings/Evenings better Waxing crescent-----Times equal till about week before full moon. Full Moon----------- Mid Day an late afternoon an evening. Waning crescent-----Three or four days after full moon best for rut activity the first 2 weeks of November. Movement good till few days before new moon. This has been my observation at the farm where I hunt for going on the 5th year. I will hunt when I can just keep a log an this is my observation.
Solunar Tables Major and minor feeding times are based on the gravitational pull of the moon relative to your position on Earth. Additionally, a waning Moon is better than a waxing Moon. Good news for 15 Sept opening day hunters: Moon will be dark and directly overhead near sun rise 5-star day. Tables are rated in stars, with five being the best. Free Solunar tables adjusted to your zip code at: huntfishsport.com Site requires free registration, but I have never received any spam from registering. In the past three years of using the tables, either me or my buddy have arrowed deer on five star days. The tables work and you will notice increased animal activity of all types during the major feeding cycles. Having said that...all bets are off if the hunting pressure is too high. Regarding barometric pressure...a drop (normally indicating a storm) is seen as favorable, as the critters will want to feed before bedding down to ride out the storm. The best possible case would be an impending storm on a five star day in a tree stand above a food source.
The best I've ever seen was last season on November 11th, morning after the full moon. It was a double wammy with the full moon overhead, and the hottest part of the rut. Best hunting I've ever seen, and a I had a buddy that was hunting about 30 miles away, and he had a similar experience.
Skywalker, on a whim, i decided to back test the Nov 11 date you mentioned: Guess what...it was a 5 star day; top rating. There is no doubt that the Solunar tables will help you in your hunt http://www.huntfishsport.com/web.aspx?cmd=calendar
