I've always believed in the moon's effect on deer movement - not that it's the only impact but I believe it does have some... Who uses solar lunar calendars? Do you believe in it? I found a good site i've used for years - my writeup link is below: Bowhunting Blog | Bowhunter's Using the Moon BHOD!
When I head to Ontario in a couple weeks and hunting deer that have never been pressured, the most active we will see the deer is during the "peak" times. In natural, unpressured deer, I believe in the game tables 100%.
Impact on daytime movement? The part I struggle with is trying to find times when they are active late in the morning and early in the evening... Or even better - all day - mid-day!
I believe it likely has an effect but it doesn't effect the way I hunt. Late Oct through Thanksgiving I spend as much time in the stand as possible regardless of moon phase.
I've seen deer when I didn't expect to and I've not seen deer when I expected to so I think there are too many factors such as weather, hunting pressure, changes in habitat, etc, that also play a part in deer movement. As mentioned above, although I do think the moon phase probably has something to do with it, I don't let it change my hunting plans.
Same here I pay attention to the lunar but come late October mid November im in the wood as much as possible because you never know.
Neal - do you find that using the first graph has helped you at all in the past? I haven't had time to read the entire writeup yet.
Yes, daytime movement. Myself, family, friends and clients killed a lot of big bucks at "peak" movement, according to the solunar tables. Many right in the middle of the day.
When I went to Iowa on the 26th of October last year it was close to the full moon or it was the full moon. Before going over to Iowa Veterans place to hunt I met a friend in zone six a day prior to going to Marks. We drove around 2 hours before dark. You would've never known it was close to the full moon. Big bucks out everywhere while we were driving around. I looked at him and said your Iowa bucks and deer in general don't follow the rules like our Minnesota deer do.
I seem to see the most daylight activity around the full moon and new moon, but usually when the moon is underfoot in the mid mornings our early evening. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4
I believe there is a correlation for sure. It's another thing I looks at to help me decide when to hunt. Yes, I hunt during "bad" times, and sit out during "good" times. However, all things equal, I'm choosing the day with better lunar times.
Funny how some think the full moon is a good thing for daytime deer movement. For whatever reason deer movement in the places I hunt flat out stops. Has been going on for as long as I can remember, so I've given up hunting the week around full moon. The only exception I would make is if the full moon falls between the 5th and 20th of November. Then I hunt as often as possible regardless.
I used to worry about moon phases and moon times a lot more than I do now. Simply because my hunting schedule basically revolves around weekends, 2-3 weekday afternoon sits per year, and a week's worth of vacation. I'm generally taking that vacation time during the end of October/early November ever year regardless of the moon. So basically I'm saying that I'm going to hunt every opportunity I get whether the moon says its good or not. If it happens to be a good moon then great. If not, I'll try to kill a deer anyways.
when there's a full moon, grazers will be out grazing all night long b/c there is enough light to let them see predators. When there's a new moon, they're more likely to not be out at night. What does that mean? Well it could mean catching a deer on his way back to bed in the morning, but maybe not. I thought I recall Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine saying (in a general sense) the rut starts the week after the last new moon in October/early November
I have noticed a correlation with muture buck sightings and moon more or so when the moon is over head and under head. It causes them to return to their bed a little later in the morning and get out of there bed a little bit earlier in the afternoons.
when I had an Android phone, I had the time2hunt app. iphone doesn't have it. Every big Buck I have ever shot at has come at a "peak" time. Look it up next time you encounter a big buck....I am sure there are stories that say otherwise, but I bet more time than not, stay out there when the moon says it is time2hunt!
Yes that app is really good and if you look at why the times are better than others it correlates with the over head and under head moon times.
The rutting moon is the second full moon after the autumn equinox, and the week following is supposed to be peak rutting. This year it falls on Nov 17 which here in IL would bode well for firearm season. That's too late for my liking, I'm sticking with the first 10 days of November for my vacation. While I do believe the moon influences behavior, I think annual cycles play a bigger role. I don't think deer have a special lunar gene that separates them from other mammals. Regardless, days that I think the rut absolutely is nonexistent, others will have the best hunt if their life.
