MoonPhases and movement

I hate the full moon for hunting, but it does not keep me from the woods. It has been my experience that there is less than normal early morning activity, but more than normal midday,early evening movement, tapering off to very little again just before dark. Nothing scientific about my findings, just observations from 30 plus years of bowhunting.
I much prefer dark of the moon/new moon and several days on either side, but if waited for perfect conditions I wouldn't get out much.

During the peak of the rut, anything I just said goes right out the window. :biggrin:

during the full moon mid day activity is up. new moon its morning and evening. a deer will eat about every 6 hours. that being said there are a ton of factors that play into this. weather, human pressure, the rut lots of things. i'm in a tree regardless of moon phase if i have the time.

my understanding is this.A study was done by charles alsheimer and to paraphrase it,when the second full moon after the autumal equinox rolls around its prime rutting activity.this has to do with the dwindling amount of daylight triggers the pinal gland.Search his name and read some more about it

michiganbowbender said:

I hate the full moon for hunting, but it does not keep me from the woods. It has been my experience that there is less than normal early morning activity, but more than normal midday,early evening movement, tapering off to very little again just before dark. Nothing scientific about my findings, just observations from 30 plus years of bowhunting.
I much prefer dark of the moon/new moon and several days on either side, but if waited for perfect conditions I wouldn't get out much.

During the peak of the rut, anything I just said goes right out the window. :biggrin:

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That's the same with me I am going to go reguardless I don't get that much choice. I know some guys that swear by that stuff but to me it's like waiting on perfect weather you can think yourself right out of an oppertunity. You can't kill a deer if you not out there hunting.

nice link BB:thumbup:

ronn said:

during the full moon mid day activity is up. new moon its morning and evening. a deer will eat about every 6 hours. that being said there are a ton of factors that play into this. weather, human pressure, the rut lots of things. i'm in a tree regardless of moon phase if i have the time.

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Well said.. Lot of factors, be in the stand if you can..

Deer move better when the moon is over head no matter what the moon phase is, but typically they will move better dawn & dusk with a new moon. A full moon the deer do move after dark but i've found that they will also move in the middle of the day, especially since there aren't many hunters in the woods. I have seen more bucks between 10am & 3pm that at any other time.

joel the signman said:

my understanding is this.A study was done by charles alsheimer and to paraphrase it,when the second full moon after the autumal equinox rolls around its prime rutting activity.this has to do with the dwindling amount of daylight triggers the pinal gland.Search his name and read some more about it

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I was at a Sportmans banquet in Upstate New York earlier this year and Charle Alsheimer was the Keynote speaker. There are very few if any people that know more about Whitetails than this man. The book that summarizes these findings relating to the moon phases as well as temperature, hunting pressure, and other factors is called "whitetail Strategies." I heard the presentation of the book with an amazing poerpoint presentation from the man himself. I don't have the book yet, (its on my wish list) but can highly recommend it to all. I hope to be able to read it by November first before the rut starts. It also contains a chart that predicts peak rutting activity for many years to come.

full moon frustration

When I hunt on a full moon I automatically program myself to stay in the stand longer because more deer will move in the middle of the day, also I think you have a better chance at sighting a big deer at this time. How many hunter do know that have the famous story about seeing a big buck while getting out of their stand, I know several. Many years ago I kept hearing this same talk about the full moon so I did my own experiment and hunted from 9:30 till 1:30, I have never seen as many deer in one set on this property as I did that sit.