Moon Phases do you follow them

[freedomrules3]

the last 2 years i have paid more attention to moon phases and transit times. although this isnt scientific at all i have to say bull crappy to it.

i havent noticed anything special about the moon transit time . i still see deer in the mornings (if i ever get up) and in the evenings in all phases of the moon. i havent noticed any big influx of daytime activity during certain phases when it should be. fact is i havent noticed too much special about phases that are supposed to have deer running during the daytime at all.
I have seen the bigger buck twice during a certain transit time. if moon phases and transit times mean anything at all the big boy goes down this friday at 5:10 pm . i will continue to use these times juat as an experiment but would never disregard the best times to hunt because of a certain moon phase, i see no evidence that tells me otherwise.

[hatracked]

I always take it into consideration and I have definately seen a change in activity during full moon phases. However , I dont think there is any moon phase and or weather pattern that will override a deers assemsment of when its safe to move and feed. Local influence dictate this first whenever man has regular influence.

One of the biggest proponents of this moon phase stuff on the internet fails to take into account the absolute lack of deer fear of humans in his area when considering deer movements. I will say in that area deer move rather prediuctably with the moon transits but move over 10 miles to hard hunted deer and it all goes out the window. Much like you state and much like our own SC deer they move early and late as the light is dim.

I think it basically boils down to every other tip tactic or trick for deer hunting, it may or may not apply in all situations because the variables in each herd and their living conditions are too many for a blanket answer to fit 100% of the time.

[ncboman]

don't want anything to get me.

that's no 1 in a wild deer's mind.

all movement revolves around that regardless.

I've noticed with 5 days either way of a full moon, deer may move anytime and often early/late hunting is very very poor.

The rest is magazine fodder.

There are mice in you house and you have a bb gun and they know it. You've noticed a big one that looks to be pregnant and want to kill her straightaway. You're all set up for when she comes from behind the stove.

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do you really think the moon phase is going to effect when she shows?

[Twanger]

I think deer respond to pressure. Big bucks are smart enought to remember the pressure from last year. That or they only get big if they don't move in daylight - natural selection. I've noticed that in heavily hunted areas that I can almost count on a big buck only moving in the last few minutes of shooting light... or later. In the morning, they seem to linger a little longer. The does are also very pressure sensitive to, and all I've got to do is kill one over corn and then they come in at night.

On the way home from work I drive by the National Institute of Standards & Technology. It's a big complex with alot of land and absolutely no hunting but they have a big resident deer population inside the fence... and some HUGE deer. Deer are out in the fields and open woods at all times of the day there. They have no appreciation of moon phase that I can see.

[campkingmd]

To answer your question first is NO. Pressure as twanger said has more to do with it than anything else

Honostly if you have enough time to hunt moon phases, storm fronts and windless days my hats off to you. I personally have limited time to hunt so no matter what the moon, weather or time of year it is I got to go when I can go. Im not in a position to pick and choose my hunting days per say. So for me it boils down to making the most of what is dealt to me on a particular Saterday . I hunt the best area acording to the wind and time of year.

Now throw in Sunday hunting and watch the odds stack up.

[freedomrules3]

I hunt whenever i get a chance to . i have just been trying to look into the phases more but havent found any evidence that it means anything at all. maybe in some areas it may but not where i hunt it doesnt seem to.

when i started looking into them i was actually hoping there was some promise to it. sure would have made picking and choosing days to hunt easier, although i would have hunted if possible anyway.

[BillCartwright]

Of course pressure affects any deer, as does weather and wind, but I'm a firm believer in phases of the moon. I don't let a phase keep me out of the woods, but I may very well fashion my hunting time in regards to it. The affects of the full moon itself should be enough to make a hunter consider the transit times.

Look at fish spawns. How many of you bluegill fish in the months of April, May and June around a full moon for bream? Bass are the same way. Their spawn is usually associated with a full moon in the month that water temps in your area hit that magical temp range ideal for spawning. Or is it just lore? Like when the dogwoods are blooming, the spring crappie run is taking off or those old longbeards are beginning to sound off their spring ritual.

I had 54 hunters through my camp this fall and in all cases moon phases were taken into account. I took detailed notes of hunters, time spent on stand, game seen,etc. Even noting from the hunters what time game was seen while on stand. I myself hunted 22 days out of 24 during one stretch in November and more than 90% of the time I seen deer when the transit times were in play. Many of these days were spent on stand daylight to dark across Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. The #1 thing I avoid is booking a hunter during a full moon unless he is 100% willing to hunt mid day hours.

In the end, hunting is hunting. You do so when you can. A full moon will not keep me from hunting traditional morning and evening times, but if I don't see anything, I'm fully aware what the cause likely is.

Just like this weekend, the major moon transit for my area is 6:16 a.m. I fully expect to see most all deer activity before 7:30-8am. If I am fortunate enough to harvest a deer, I expect it to be before 7am.

My .02cents.

[tailnbone]

I personally don't follow them. Never really got into it that deep. I think hunting pressure, as said earlier, has more to due with deer movement.
However, I have noticed something in the past two years. Two to three days before the full moon in mid November I see most of the peak rut activity here in Ohio. Could just be coincidence though.

[Rock Chuck]

I've noticed with 5 days either way of a full moon, deer may move anytime and often early/late hunting is very very poor.

I heard an interesting theory about this. Deer like it dark. When the moon is near full, there is no definite line between light and dark and it kind of screws up their schedule. If they wait for full dark, it doesn't come and they tend to stay hidden longer on both ends of the day.

Dick

[hatracked]

I got to kinda lean with Bill in the respect that given an undisturbed situation deer move very predictably to the moon. In fact looking around the animal kingdon both land and water one would almost be a fool to say it has no effect or bearing. Its a rythym of the earth that we may have grown so domestic we dont pay it much attention ourselves, but I think the rest fo the animal world considers it there date planner.

But, how many of us are really hunting undisturbed deer that are acting naturally? I know these deer around here are scared to death to break a woodline. Half of the year they are on the menu and being hunted relentlessly. Regardless of what mr. moon is saying they should do they keep their heads down. As an outfitter I also avoided full moon bookings, because on a very predictable basis these were the poorest producing hunts. I dont think its accurrate to say it has little or no effect on deer movement and any hunter given a choice would be unwise to pick a full moon day to hunt over a half moon.

[BillCartwright]

Here is something else I found in regards to moon phases.

When I had Cameras setup over a food source, better than 90% of the time, I captured deer on film during moon transit times. This was whether in day light or under full darkness.

In addition, when myself, hunting partners or clients were hunting off-peak transit times (late morning, mid day, early afternoon), close to bedding areas, these times produced deer sightings and harvests. Why? Because deer will get up and mill around close to bedding areas during the off-peak transits.

If you don't believe in the moon phase for hunting and you have cattle in the area, keep an eye on them. Cattle and deer are similar in many ways. If you find cattle on their feet moving about, it is VERY, I repeat VERY likely the deer in the area will be as well. And it just so happens that if farmer brown isn't ringing their dinner bell on the hay truck, their movement/feeding will be associated with the moon transit.

[freedomrules3]

obviously Bill has more data than i had, how do we get that grant anyway . i have added a moon phase chart at the foot of the site. thought it would help out some, besides its interesting to watch the different phases and how much it changes daily.

[BillCartwright]

No grants for the school of hard knocks. ;D

One of the biggest reasons I started really looking at moon phases is because most all of the areas I hunt privately are little to no pressure. I could hunt 3-4 days in a row and see deer regularly, almost setting my watch by many. Then you'd always hit a day or two when you'd see nothing. Knowing it wasn't me for the interruption in pattern, there had to be something else.

I've actively been watching the moon phases for about 8 years now.