# Hunters Moon Guide



## Juneauhunt (Aug 3, 2010)

Every time I see deer walking around at noon, it's been during a full moon. That's all I got.


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## 22donk (Feb 20, 2014)

This has been beaten to death for a long time. From all I remember reading is the studies were technically inconclusive. Too many variables from weather, hunting pressure, annual rainfall, disease, food supply etc. 

Lotta guys swear by it, lot think it's BS


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## Gary in Ohio (Jun 29, 2009)

22donk said:


> This has been beaten to death for a long time. From all I remember reading is the studies were technically inconclusive. Too many variables from weather, hunting pressure, annual rainfall, disease, food supply etc.
> 
> Lotta guys swear by it, lot think it's BS


That's basically what I've heard. It's so far down the list of things that make deer move, that it's not worth the effort to talk about.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

I don't think the moon guide is worth the money. Time2hunt is a great app that gives you lunar info.

There are some guys that like the overhead/underfoot moons during the first and last hours of daylight. Some, like the Drurys swear by the moon rising around sunset and moonset around sunrise.

I've been paying attention to moon phase for the past 6 years and relating it to my hunting and trail camera data. 

I have seen more mature buck movement during these periods, especially a lunar transit during morning or evening. About 80%+ of my daylight scrape activity pictures of mature bucks have corresponded with those times. It might be 5 am or 2 pm, but they almost always do.

I also agree with the Drurys on the evening moonrise and morning moonset. It seems to get deer moving to food earlier in the evenings and staying out later in the morning before coming to bed.

I would never advise anyone to hunt solely based on the moon. Cold fronts are definitely more influential on movement than anything else. A favorable moon during that time just makes a good thing better.


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## brodie1978 (Jul 24, 2008)

save your money, spend it on all the farm upgrades you got going on!


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## irishhacker (Sep 4, 2011)

Only influence the moon has on deer is feeding patterns..Its time we put the effect the moon has on the rut to bed. It has zero to do with any part of the rut. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk


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## BOWCHIEF (Oct 6, 2006)

22donk said:


> This has been beaten to death for a long time. From all I remember reading is the studies were technically inconclusive. Too many variables from weather, hunting pressure, annual rainfall, disease, food supply etc.
> 
> Lotta guys swear by it, lot think it's BS





Gary in Ohio said:


> That's basically what I've heard. It's so far down the list of things that make deer move, that it's not worth the effort to talk about.


Agreed. In a perfect world without all of the other factors it may be a good planning aide.


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## doecollector (Jan 24, 2010)

KYBowhunter89 said:


> I don't think the moon guide is worth the money. Time2hunt is a great app that gives you lunar info.
> 
> There are some guys that like the overhead/underfoot moons during the first and last hours of daylight. Some, like the Drurys swear by the moon rising around sunset and moonset around sunrise.
> 
> ...



I agree 100%


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## DoubleRR (Dec 23, 2004)

Check out Dr. Grant Woods research on deer activity during different moon phases....all on wild free range whitetails


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## BigBrian (Jun 15, 2013)

KYBowhunter89 said:


> I don't think the moon guide is worth the money. Time2hunt is a great app that gives you lunar info.
> 
> There are some guys that like the overhead/underfoot moons during the first and last hours of daylight. Some, like the Drurys swear by the moon rising around sunset and moonset around sunrise.
> 
> ...


I agree with everything here, except the Drury's, they annoy the heck out of me. They plug more products in their show than any other show, it makes it unwatchable now.

Find when the moon is overhead/underfoot and it coresponds with the first hour or so of daylight or the last hour or so and as long as the weather is decent, you'll see some good movement.


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## QSA01 (Apr 28, 2016)

The "moon" effect used to really grab my interest. I do think it has some general effect on deer movement, but at the end of the day it is a combination of all factors that will drive any deers movement. There is one thing that I can say with earnest. When I was growing up in Alabama it was perfectly legal to "spot light" for deer. You had better not have a firearm or even ammo in the truck however, which I would be totally against. But, as a teen it was a common activity for us and pretty much all young males, to go spot lighting on weekends. We definitely saw many more deer and some awesome bucks on dark nights. Just something to consider. Additionally when I have believed deer to be feeding primarily at night, I would hunt more mid day. When all is said and done a deer must feed and will get up to feed when they need to. All conditions will affect these times but they have to eat. My advice is to keep to the basics and press on. Don't overthink anything and enjoy your time in the field. But.....very good question IMHO.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

But you mentioned two things that are more important than moon. Deer are crepuscular/ nocturnal. Combine those times with favorable weather and you will have deer movement, regardless of moon phase.

I agree with you, they plug way too many products. But if you listen to Mark's podcasts, you can tell he has a system that works for him. I know he has a whitetail paradise, but he does get to observe way more mature deer over a season than a lot of hunters do in a lifetime. I am in no way riding his junk, I just take heed to what he says because I know he has experience to back it up.

I will say that I prefer the overhead/underfoot at sunrise/set, but the rising moon evenings are pretty good to me as well. I do notice that the deer usually move a little later during this time. I have been pinned down a bunch of full moon evenings for a good while with deer moving all around my stand. 

My bottom line is that keeping up with moon phases is one more piece of data I can track to stack odds in my favor. I hunt anytime I get an opportunity, which is mostly weekends and some evenings after work as well as a two week rutcation. No other factor out there can top time spent on stand. I'll take a cold front with a new moon over a warm front with a quarter moon all day long. Having a cold front with a favorable moon just adds a little more anticipation to the hunt that is based onmy past observations.


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## Alaska at heart (Aug 25, 2009)

To write it off completely as hogwash is as foolish to me as saying that scent control measures are a total waste of time. As KYBowhunter stated above, it is a piece of a complex puzzle that has far more variables than just the moon. When Jeff Murray first published his book "Moonstruck", I happened to be engaged with the only leasing opportunity in my hunting life thus far. It was the closest to a "honeyhole" that I have ever experienced and a lot of what Murray claimed was proved to be factual. However there was very minimal pressure with lots of food sources and deer were allowed to behave as normally as possible for the state of Michigan. During the waxing and waning moon phases, I saw many more deer at dusk and dawn. When the moon was full or new, I saw significantly less at dusk and dawn, but hunting mid-day was pretty good in thicker cover where deer felt safe moving about to feed on mast and browse. In short, it is another tool in a smart hunter's toolbox.....not a cure-all and certainly not dribble. Skeptics like to make blanket statements and make sweeping generalizations.....the effects of the moon is subtle, but valid.


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## dwgh88 (Nov 21, 2016)

brodie1978 said:


> save your money, spend it on all the farm upgrades you got going on!


I was leaning this way as well. I am a big believer in barometer, and checking it is free. 
intellicast.com has a great graph on their hourly and weekly forecast that I live by in the fall.


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## dwgh88 (Nov 21, 2016)

Thanks for the feedback guys, I agree that it has somethings to do with movement, but weather trumps all and thats when I plan to engage my vacation.


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## nicko (Feb 17, 2006)

The Drurys have forgotten more about deer hunting then I will ever know. And I don't say this to disparage their knowledge but they hunt on highly highly managed properties that they manage just for deer hunting, A situation that does not apply to 99.9% of us. I will say from my past experience that I noticed better deer movement anywhere from 5 to 8 days on either side of a full moon but that was when the deer did not have nearly as much pressure. 

I think in order for any small advantage the moon might give you to work in your favor, it's got to be on just the right property.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

dwgh88 said:


> Thanks for the feedback guys, I agree that it has somethings to do with movement, but weather trumps all and thats when I plan to engage my vacation.


Well it seems that "movement" would be something one would want to follow versus having them stay bedded while hunting. I base all of my hunts on wind direction first and then the USPrimetime solunar tables.

Rut is based on the lessening of light - I've never read that it's based on lessening "sunlight" only. Since the moon phases are based on a 28 day cycle, a full moon can be on any day of the fall months, (I'm sure you know what a blue moon is), it seems like the addition of moonlight could help to extend the total available light or the lack there of could speed it up - and alter that point of no return amount of lessening light.

So rather than take the time to really understand how it could affect things, it's easier to just say it's the same every year.


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## dwgh88 (Nov 21, 2016)

nicko said:


> The Drurys have forgotten more about deer hunting then I will ever know. And I don't say this to disparage their knowledge but they hunt on highly highly managed properties that they manage just for deer hunting, A situation that does not apply to 99.9% of us. I will say from my past experience that I noticed better deer movement anywhere from 5 to 8 days on either side of a full moon but that was when the deer did not have nearly as much pressure.
> 
> I think in order for any small advantage the moon might give you to work in your favor, it's got to be on just the right property.


I feel like not applying to 99.9% of people is a little high. I know plenty of people that hunt on farms that are 100% managed for hunting, my own farm included. I don't feel like the .01% JMO


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## SD_Bowhunter (Apr 12, 2011)

I thought the moon guide was more focused on the position of the moon not the phase of the moon. Please correct me if I am wrong...this moon stuff gets confusing. I have been using it the last two years and have noticed a pretty strong pattern with mature daytime buck pictures and "red moon" times. Anytime I would see a buck this winter at an odd time I would go check the moon guide and most of the time the moon guide lined up with the time I saw the deer. I use it more for early season hunting if I have a decent pattern on a buck in October and want to get him moving in daylight.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

SD_Bowhunter said:


> *I thought the moon guide was more focused on the position of the moon not the phase of the moon. *Please correct me if I am wrong...this moon stuff gets confusing. I have been using it the last two years and have noticed a pretty strong pattern with mature daytime buck pictures and "red moon" times. Anytime I would see a buck this winter at an odd time I would go check the moon guide and most of the time the moon guide lined up with the time I saw the deer. I use it more for early season hunting if I have a decent pattern on a buck in October and want to get him moving in daylight.


I don't know what the "moon guide" represents, I do know the solunar tables reference moon position - overhead, underfoot, combinations of a rising/setting moon with a rising/setting sun. Some combinations are better than others - but for the naysayers it basically a moot point. Good luck.


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## nicko (Feb 17, 2006)

dwgh88 said:


> i feel like not applying to 99.9% of people is a little high. I know plenty of people that hunt on farms that are 100% managed for hunting, my own farm included. I don't feel like the .01% jmo


ok. 90%+.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

nicko said:


> ok. 90%+.


By the way, all of my trail camera data that correlates with this is on public land. I am definitely not in the 10% and still see a trend.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

SD_Bowhunter said:


> I thought the moon guide was more focused on the position of the moon not the phase of the moon. Please correct me if I am wrong...this moon stuff gets confusing. I have been using it the last two years and have noticed a pretty strong pattern with mature daytime buck pictures and "red moon" times. Anytime I would see a buck this winter at an odd time I would go check the moon guide and most of the time the moon guide lined up with the time I saw the deer. I use it more for early season hunting if I have a decent pattern on a buck in October and want to get him moving in daylight.


Moon phase and position are actually one in the same.

A full moon is always overhead at midnight and underfoot at noon. Rises in the evening and sets in the morning. A new moon is the exact opposite. 
The moon's overhead and underfoot times change by about 50 minutes each day. Same with the rise and set. Thus the 28 day cycle.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

Your red moon times will be around the quarter to half moon. When the moon is waxing, you will have an underfoot moon at sunrise and overhead at sunset. Waning will be the opposite. There is usually a one to two day window where the times actually overlap. These will be the highest rated days if you follow Time2Hunt app. They rate the waning quarter/half moon higher than the waxing on average.

Time 2 Hunt is a great app for following the lunar cycles. You can go back in time and look at future lunar times as well. I highly recommend it.


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## boonerbrad (Nov 30, 2006)

Ask the guys that swear by it if they stay out of the woods except those optimum times?


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

Deer crepuscular activity is usually better when the moon in overhead/underfoot at that time. As a general rule your chances with deer that have become nocturnal would be on those days.


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## kspseshooter (Aug 6, 2010)

Boonerbrad said:


> Ask the guys that swear by it if they stay out of the woods except those optimum times?


Exactly 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

Ask the guys who say the rut is the best time to kill a buck if they ever hunt outside those three weeks......


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## useyourbow (Jun 2, 2010)

Riddle me this. 
Why do I see deer in fields every afternoon during the summer even when the "Moon Guide" says they shouldn't be? 
Does a deer's stomach magically expand during full moons enabling it to eat all night?


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

I doubt anyone or any guide is saying that deer will never move or eat except at certain times. The peak times guides are especially valuable when hunting deer that are more nocturnal due to hunting pressure or certain bucks that will move only after dark and get back to bedding before daylight. Another thing to realize is that even if these type of deer move more at these peak times they may not be visible to those who scout from a vehicle by driving around or be on trail cams because they may just get up earlier and browse closer to bedding. Just because you do not see deer out in the fields in broad daylight while doing your daily vehicle 'scout' does not mean that they are not up and moving.

Also nothing is 100% but there are definetly trends that may help a hunter that keeps an open mind and can adapt to the situations as they develop.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

Zap nailed it. 
Only a fool would advocate hunting based solely on moon phases.

It is a slight positive influence. It is like 51%/49% on a favorable moon vs 50/50 on an unfavorable one. When hunting mature deer, that can go a long way.


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## Alaska at heart (Aug 25, 2009)

zap said:


> I doubt anyone or any guide is saying that deer will never move or eat except at certain times. The peak times guides are especially valuable when hunting deer that are more nocturnal due to hunting pressure or certain bucks that will move only after dark and get back to bedding before daylight. Another thing to realize is that even if these type of deer move more at these peak times they may not be visible to those who scout from a vehicle by driving around or be on trail cams because they may just get up earlier and browse closer to bedding. Just because you do not see deer out in the fields in broad daylight while doing your daily vehicle 'scout' does not mean that they are not up and moving.
> 
> Also nothing is 100% but there are definetly trends that may help a hunter that keeps an open mind and can adapt to the situations as they develop.


Well stated, Zap. Once again, the typical AT "all or none" thinker has to assert that something works every time for it to be worthy of consideration. Do you call a turkey in every time you use a pot, box or diapragm call? Well then they are certainly worthless and you might as well forget it. Does a deer grunt call or antler rattling produce a buck every time you try? Well then toss them away and post negatively on AT about those who get results. Same thing with moon phases....it is more subtle than many seem to be capable of grasping....especially those who sit on field edges and wait for a parade of deer. Bowhunting deer is more about nuance than herd migrations.....try caribou if that is what you are looking for.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

KYBowhunter89 said:


> Zap nailed it.
> *Only a fool would advocate hunting based solely on moon phases*.
> 
> It is a slight positive influence. *It is like 51%/49% on a favorable moon vs 50/50 on an unfavorable one. *When hunting mature deer, that can go a long way.



KY - Once again - deer movement/feeding times are based on the moon's position, not the phase. Do you think the tides only rise on full moons? 

Could you post a link to those percentage facts?


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## Doorny22 (Jul 9, 2010)

I bought one last year just out of curiosity. I used it a few times and tried to play by the instructions but I honestly did not see any improvements during those hunts. The rut will be during the same time frame year after year. I just try to hunt as much as I can during Holloween and Nov 14. Cold fronts are best but access to and from stands are king. I have been paying more attention to that and have been seeing more success.


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## ngurb (Sep 3, 2004)

i have noticed pattern changes based on moon. Also on weather. Also on time of year. Also on pressure( both hunting and barometric) . 
i like sitting til lunch on morning sits during a full moon. i like getting out early 2sh for pm dark moon sits. i just have noticed more movement in those scenarios. 
they are even better just before or just after rain or snow. They are even better if you havent set in the stand a dozen times. And obviously even better again after Halloween when calling is more effective and big deer are more likely to be on there feet during daylight.


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

I think that overhunting stands may be a common thing.


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

tpcollins said:


> KY - Once again - deer movement/feeding times are based on the moon's position, not the phase. Do you think the tides only rise on full moons?
> 
> Could you post a link to those percentage facts?


The moon's position as it relates to dawn/dusk is directly related to the phase. Deer are crepuscular and having favorable moon conditions around dawn and dusk are the point. It's just like trying to focus on high tide around dawn/dusk. It only happens at certain points in the moon's phase, they're directly related.

The reason this is such a hotly debated topic is that it's mostly "proven" through anecdotes, i.e. personal observation. The possible effects are too small for most past GPS research on deer to show any correlation, so the scientific research isn't there to back it up. Could it be true? Maybe. Could it be purely placebo? Maybe. Some have had good luck using moon position, some have had good luck ignoring it. Until somebody goes out and does a GPS study with 1 minute increment fixes, both will continue to be "right".


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## Inn.Outdoorsman (Feb 4, 2016)

Its been my experience that the absolute best time to hunt deer (as it relates to the moon) and one that I never violate and works every single time I employ it, and has resulted in 100% results in regards to kills, focuses on moon placement or location. Its so consistent and reliable as to defy questioning. 

In fact its the only aspect of the moon that I apply to my hunting since it’s a lock. All others means of trying to employ moon data (such as the paper wheel people are talking about here) have been proven by me to be unreliable and a coin flip while the moon method I use never fails.

Im working on printing up my own paper wheel to sell. I will offer a money back guarantee if you are unhappy. Don’t even bother hitting the woods if the moon is not in the position printed on my guide. 

Here is the basic premise of my system. Only hunt on days when the moon is orbiting the earth. If the moon is not orbiting the earth, don’t bother putting your camo on and go shopping with the wife instead.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

tpcollins said:


> KY - Once again - deer movement/feeding times are based on the moon's position, not the phase. Do you think the tides only rise on full moons?
> 
> Could you post a link to those percentage facts?


So the full moon phase is not always overhead around 12 a.m.? New moon is overhead at 12 p.m. As the moon waxes from new to full the overhead time usually comes about 50 min later in the day until it reaches full 14 days later. 

What I was getting at on the percentages is that a favorable moon position is a subtle nudge to increase deer to move during daylight. To me bow hunting is all about stacking odds in your favor. Even if it is something as subtle as lunar position, it is all part of a big picture that you can keep track of to increase your success.


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## KYBowhunter89 (Sep 21, 2008)

Thanks quicksilver. 
I never referred to lunar position as the end all of hunting theory/technique

All I'm saying is that through my observation from my stand and running cameras, I have seen seen more mature buck activity during daylight when the lunar position is favorable. I don't hunt based on the moon at all, I just keep track of it's position.


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

KYBowhunter89 said:


> Thanks quicksilver.
> I never referred to lunar position as the end all of hunting theory/technique
> 
> All I'm saying is that through my observation from my stand and running cameras, I have seen seen more mature buck activity during daylight when the lunar position is favorable. I don't hunt based on the moon at all, I just keep track of it's position.


:thumbs_up

I'm still on the fence about moon position (if you couldn't tell that from my post). I've been watching for the last couple years and haven't noticed anything conclusive. Although, I haven't had the time (or desire...) to sit down and look a my trail camera pics and see if there's much correlation. It's hard to get into a deer's head and figure out what make him get up and move. I'm not sure that there will ever be a conclusion to this debate, but it sure is interesting to ponder and discuss. The older I get, the more I realize how rare "always" and "never" should be in our vocabulary when it comes to wildlife.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

Quicksliver said:


> The moon's position as it relates to dawn/dusk is directly related to the phase. Deer are crepuscular and having favorable moon conditions around dawn and dusk are the point. It's just like trying to focus on high tide around dawn/dusk. It only happens at certain points in the moon's phase, they're directly related.


They could be related, but the effect of gravity from the moon is consistent regardless of it's phase - whatever that happens to be. I'm not trying to convert anyone, it's just what I've found and will continue to follow - ymmv. 

I've gone thru and compared feeding times history with trail cam pics and found probably 65% - 70% of the photos coincided with them. What I've found even more consistent and at even higher percentages were pics that were taken between the good and excellent barometric pressure readings .

And Zap is right - over hunting a stand will screw up everything in quick order.


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

tpcollins said:


> They could be related, but the effect of gravity from the moon is consistent regardless of it's phase - whatever that happens to be. I'm not trying to convert anyone, it's just what I've found and will continue to follow - ymmv.
> 
> I've gone thru and compared feeding times history with trail cam pics and found probably 65% - 70% of the photos coincided with them. What I've found even more consistent and at even higher percentages were pics that were taken between the good and excellent barometric pressure readings .
> 
> And Zap is right - over hunting a stand will screw up everything in quick order.


I'm not sure I'm following you, I was saying that phase and position are directly related. Deer movement will most highly correlate with dawn and dusk. There's a significant part of the month that either moon rise/set or overhead/underfoot will correlate with dawn and dusk so it's very likely that >50% camera data will appear to correlate too. Camera data is entirely dependent on the location of the camera. The camera is a stationary point (much like hunters in a treestand) and deer movement past a single location is a poor reference in the grand scheme.

I'm not trying to change anyone's mind about the effects of the moon (I don't even know what that answer is...), but trying to put context around what we see and point out that the plural of anecdote is not data. FWIW I do believe that the moon should have some sort of impact on deer movement due to it's effects on everything else and am surprised that we aren't able to pin it down. I encourage everybody to keep doing what works for them and be open to the idea that other things may (or may not) be going on.

I'd also agree to Zap's point as well as the baro, which is often a reflection of passing weather systems.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

Quicksliver said:


> Deer movement will most highly correlate with dawn and dusk.
> 
> There's a significant part of the month that either moon rise/set or overhead/underfoot will correlate with dawn and dusk so it's very likely that


I'd go along with the last part, maybe not so much about the first.

I've hunted the opening day mornings of Michigan's firearms season in southern Michigan on "poor deer movement" days and never seen a hair as well as hardly hearing any gun shots. I've also hunted on prime deer movement days and have deer all over the place and have it sound like a war zone in the surrounded areas.

Our city owns a little section of land at the end of my street where there are 2 apple trees and the Dentist office next to it illegally puts out piles of corn and salt blocks for his patients to view. I see deer there all times of the day. I always note that time and when I get back home I check the solunar tables and it always coincides with either a major or minor feeding time. I just smile. :wink:


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

Overhead and underfoot peak times only happen to correlate with dawn/dusk four day in 30 days.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

zap said:


> Overhead and underfoot peak times only happen to correlate with dawn/dusk four day in 30 days.


:thumbs_up

Since the earth rotates as the moon revolves around it, those times will increment about 45-50 minutes each day.


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## 148p&y (Aug 8, 2005)

I got a free moon guide last year. Shot my buck right at the beginning of the red moon time. With in a half hour the biggest buck on my buddies lease walked by him only time he has ever seen him outside of trail cam pics. Had a few other buddies with big deer sightings that were at odd times and when you looked them up it was a match. I d buy one or go in halves with my buddy. I remember a couple years ago using the solunar tables and seeing a major mid day. I sat mid day and it was a buck parade within that 3 hour window. At prime time never saw a deer. I'm blessed to have a good property to hunt, lots of deer. On full moon mornings I can get dressed by my truck and walk to stand with out blowing does everywhere. Now do this on no moon and I cant even get out of truck with out spooking deer. I end up sitting by my truck till daylight and still hunting in.


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

tpcollins said:


> :thumbs_up
> 
> Since the earth rotates as the moon revolves around it, those times will increment about 45-50 minutes each day.


Exactly, some moon cycles the overhead/underfoot only correlates close to actual dawn/dusk twice a month.


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

tpcollins said:


> I'd go along with the last part, maybe not so much about the first.
> 
> I've hunted the opening day mornings of Michigan's firearms season in southern Michigan on "poor deer movement" days and never seen a hair as well as hardly hearing any gun shots. I've also hunted on prime deer movement days and have deer all over the place and have it sound like a war zone in the surrounded areas.
> 
> Our city owns a little section of land at the end of my street where there are 2 apple trees and the Dentist office next to it illegally puts out piles of corn and salt blocks for his patients to view. I see deer there all times of the day. I always note that time and when I get back home I check the solunar tables and it always coincides with either a major or minor feeding time. I just smile. :wink:


So deer aren't crepuscular? They aren't most active at dusk and dawn? 

Your reports of deer movement on good vs bad days are simply anecdotes. It's equivalent to my experience of seeing no difference and declaring it bunk (which I'm not). It's just a hard thing to prove.


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

zap said:


> Overhead and underfoot peak times only happen to correlate with dawn/dusk four day in 30 days.


Moon calendars are funny. One I just glanced at said that out of the next 28 days, 13 were better than average and 15 were average. Not sure where they went to school, but you generally have to have as many below average as you do above. I don't doubt that there's only a few days where the majors directly align with dusk and dawn, but at what point do you cut that window off? 1 hour? 2 hours? At what point would you attribute deer movement to the moon or not? When would you credit the minor feeding periods for movement?


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

I think the actual window that will produce as far as overhead/underfoot alignment with sunrise/sunset is 30 minutes or so not hours. I actually like a just after sunrise/sunset alignment. Ya'll realize that the moon's gravitational attraction is what causes tidal flow right? greater than 10' change in sea level in a few minutes in certain places. Many things are hard to prove but you need to track trends with an open mind. The best is to have a property with very little hunting pressure and the be able to observe the deer at various places on that property. I am aware of people that have done that and they found the correlation produces greater movement......


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

Quicksliver said:


> So deer aren't crepuscular? They aren't most active at dusk and dawn?
> 
> Your reports of deer movement on good vs bad days are simply anecdotes. It's equivalent to my experience of seeing no difference and declaring it bunk (which I'm not). *It's just a hard thing to prove.*


Is it just as hard to disprove then?

Do you see deer EVERY morning or evening? Other than the traditional October opening of archery and the firearms season, I don't hunt unless it IS a favorable time. I only have about 120 acres where I hunt and and good surrounding crops bordering it.

But like Zap alluded to, I will not over hunt my stands. Based on the wind first and then the optimum feeding times, I pick and choose which days to hunt. I do hunt mornings and evenings, I just don't hunt ANY morning or evening. Good luck this year. :thumbs_up


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## ILOVE3D (Feb 4, 2009)

KYBowhunter89 said:


> Thanks quicksilver.
> I never referred to lunar position as the end all of hunting theory/technique
> 
> All I'm saying is that through my observation from my stand and running cameras, I have seen seen more mature buck activity during daylight when the lunar position is favorable. I don't hunt based on the moon at all, I just keep track of it's position.


Like also said before in this thread, Lunar phase, solunar tables are both just another tool available to us. Those that choose to use them are just tipping the odds in their favor. Yes, there are many variables that can and will effect the movement to some sort. The bottom line is, I will hunt whenever I have the opportunity and not just when the tables say I should do so. Also and most importantly, when the tables show a movement say around midday, you can bet I'll be out hunting rather than heading back to my vehicle after a non eventful morning. Years ago when I killed a large buck midday when he was out feeding I had heard about the solunar tables. I went home and looked them up and sure enough the time coincided with a major movement. I kept a diary for 3 years following that event and around 80% of the times I observed animals up and moving about feeding etc coincided with the moon phases, solunar tables. Same with picts on trail cameras, most were within the times of the tables give or take 30 minutes. If it might work, why would anyone not choose to look into it and use them is beyond me.


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

Hunt whenever possible but hunt smart always.

:cocktail:


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

tpcollins said:


> Is it just as hard to disprove then?


How can you disprove something that's never been proven? 

I'm all for focusing on the best times to hunt and maximizing opportunity, but this is starting to feel like an episode of "Finding Bigfoot".


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

ILOVE3D said:


> Like also said before in this thread, Lunar phase, solunar tables are both just another tool available to us. Those that choose to use them are just tipping the odds in their favor. Yes, there are many variables that can and will effect the movement to some sort. The bottom line is, I will hunt whenever I have the opportunity and not just when the tables say I should do so. Also and most importantly, when the tables show a movement say around midday, you can bet I'll be out hunting rather than heading back to my vehicle after a non eventful morning. Years ago when I killed a large buck midday when he was out feeding I had heard about the solunar tables. I went home and looked them up and sure enough the time coincided with a major movement. I kept a diary for 3 years following that event and around 80% of the times I observed animals up and moving about feeding etc coincided with the moon phases, solunar tables. Same with picts on trail cameras, most were within the times of the tables give or take 30 minutes. If it might work, why would anyone not choose to look into it and use them is beyond me.





zap said:


> Hunt whenever possible but hunt smart always.
> 
> :cocktail:


I agree entirely, always try to find an advantage.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

Quicksliver said:


> How can you disprove something that's never been proven?
> 
> I'm all for focusing on the best times to hunt and maximizing opportunity,* but this is starting to feel like an episode of "Finding Bigfoot".*



Just for you skeptics, I have actual trail cam pics of a Bigfoot! :set1_rolf2:


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## Quicksliver (Nov 22, 2006)

tpcollins said:


> Just for you skeptics, I have actual trail cam pics of a Bigfoot! :set1_rolf2:


:cheers:

That made my day! Thanks tp!


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## tmead (May 10, 2010)

I listened to a podcast the other day with a biologist that studied it. He said the moon probably has some impact, but it seemed to vary so much by region. Essentially it was impossible to make a generalized statement about it. His advise was to go hunt when you can and don't worry about it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Muzzy Remington (Sep 3, 2018)

Man you guys are crazy, if I sat and thought about the moon as much as some of the peeps on here I would have to be a ware wolf !! Just hunt every chance you get and enjoy yourself , I personally keep a logbook and I log every hunt and all conditions then I review it at the end of the season, my suggestion is do your own research , it's fun , interesting, and the facts don't lie.


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## tpcollins (Aug 3, 2007)

I think too many people confuse the moon's "phase" with the moon's "position" in the sky. I've found that I tend to see more deer when I should based on the moon's position, and less deer (or no deer at all) when I shouldn't. I've gone thru the time stamps on trail cam photos and compared them to the solunar tables and found a high percentage of photos were taken during those preferred times.

What I've found even better was the increase in deer movement that occurred during the "good" and "best" barometric pressure readings. Other than opening day, I usually only hunt during favorable times - IF the wind direction is favorable. And I don't give a rat's azz in trying to convince others, it's just how I try to plan my hunts. Good luck this year.


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## zap (Mar 13, 2008)

May the full moon light your way on a dark night!

:wink:


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## 101 airborne (Dec 3, 2014)

Every thing has to be somewhere so hunt .


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## nodog2 (Dec 12, 2016)

just for fun...this thread is old...what was the moon last night? Sept. 9 is a new moon...coincidence 

I've followed it just to see...am surprised at the number of times it was right.


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