The moon and deer movement.

Growing up, I knew that the moon was a critical factor in deer behavior. After all, it makes total sense that the amount of light available would cause animals to move more or less. In fact, this was Gospel to many avid, master hunters I had the pleasure of learning from.

Then one day I read an article that claimed this was not the case. I filed it away, and didn't mention it to many people. Those I did typically scoffed and dismissed it. I kept reading, it seems many scientific studies were done, and each time the results told the same story. It's pretty much a solid fact among deer biologists these days.

Personally, I still seem to have better results during dark phases, but my info is far from scientific, and I tend to believe what I see is more confirmation bias than proof these studies got it wrong.

I still see a huge number of Texas hunters talk about the moon, and I wonder if they have read or heard about this, and if so, how has that affected their opinions or outlook? Do any of the professional ranchers on here have any opinions or data they've gathered?

For what it is worth, i read the book "Moon Struck" by Jeff Murray about 15 years ago, it is all based on hunting the moon, thing is, they say the area (Llano) they studied in Texas produced different results, due to our deer have been hunted over feeders for decades.

I have tried hunting the moon charts with no luck. I think the rut and feeders have a far greater influence on deer.

According to the research, and irrespective of rutting behavior. Temperature was the biggest factor in deer movement.

Read some of Ben Lee's writing years ago and I still agree with what he said. Natural deer movement ie. not spooked or pushed there are 2 things that get them up an going the rut an hunger. The rut is obvious hunger is to a point. Where they are so conditioned to feeders they can be conditioned to move for a feeder going off for easy food.

I also believe the moon has something to do with deer movement. Several of my biggest bucks have been taken during the full moon between 10am and 2 pm. During quarter moon times seem to be when I see more movement early and late in the daylight hours.

Even though I always cringe when I see "bad" moon phases for the best parts of the rut that I choose to hunt, I've got to side with the scientists on this one. I've seen and killed deer during all moon phases (in many different states too) and my experience has never led me to believe one is better than the other. My cameras have never showed increased midday movement during full moon phases. Ever.

I think there are other factors which influence deer movement much more than the moon (as if it has any influence). For me, weather seems to be the single biggest factor regarding deer movement. I've had great luck hunting the weather boundaries.

Agreed, before and after weather have been good with "right after a cold front moved in" being the best for me. I have multiple cameras on 2 different places going on 5 years now and hardly ever see mid day movement, and if I do it is very rare that it's a mature buck.

Ive sat many mid day hunts during full moon and never seen much of anything and darn sure never shot anything over the noon hour.

Both my biggest bucks were shot between 3 and 3:30 in the afternoon.

I've sat many of times in the blind all day and night and from my experience they won't show up until around 4-5am when the full moon goes down and the sun has yet to come up.

Do you think that is the effect of the moon? Or perhaps another variable that maybe you attributed to it?

From what I have observed I think they are influenced by the position of the moon, not the size of it.

I have observed deer movement mid-day when the moon is peaking mid-day, regardless of size.

Temps have a strong influence as well. Those cold frosty mornings they seem to move early to warm up and feeding helps with this as well.

I still use the Moon Phases and rely heavily on it..
We planted our Crops due to the Moon and also castrated our Hogs and Cattle when the sign was in the Foot.

I'm obviously a believer.

I wish I knew a tenth of all the old beliefs based on the moon. My grandparents (all born in the late 1800s) and parents lived by the moon and the Almanac for pretty much anything associated with gardening, planting crops, hunting, livestock (weaning to cutting), etc. Of course they lived outside of the internet days and had to do things according to how they were taught. Both of my grandmothers used to amaze me with some of their sayings based totally off moon & Almanac beliefs, I wish I had paid much more attention!!!! I grew up hunting not necessarily based on the phase of the moon but if the moon was up.

Why?

Not to single you out, but you seem the most invested.

Check out his signature

The moon' influence on hunting/fishing and the solunar theory is widely misunderstood and often misquoted and bastardized. The Solunar Theory was originally developed by John Alden Knight in the 1930's. He wrote a book entitled "Moon Up, Moon Down" -- which I have studied and read cover to cover.

An avid outdoorsmen and sportswriter, Knight perfected his theory of fish and game activity over a period of many years making observations while hunting and fishing. He found that all fish and game -- including deer -- are more active during different times of the day and night. He examined 33 variables to see their effect on hunting times and fishing times. Of the 33, the position of the moon (tides) were determined to be of the utmost importance. The only other variable he found signif ant was barometric pressure. He noted that there are two 'major' time periods and two 'minor' time periods each day that fishing and hunting are most likely to be productive. Because of the effect of the sun and the moon, he named these times 'Solunar Periods,' which have been used by outdoorsmen for almost 8 decades now.

"Other conditions not being unfavorable, fish will feed, animals will move about, birds will sing and fly from place to place, in fact, all living things will become more active, more alive, during Solunar periods than at other times of apparent equal value. Those anglers who have had the breadth of vision to follow the schedule, have found that it is a guide to the best fishing of each day, and the quality of their sport has improved..." - from "Moon Up, Moon Down" by John Alden Knight

The Major Periods last 2-3 hours and peak when the moon is positioned overhead (transit) and positioned underfoot. This is when the combined gravitational forces of the sun and moon are the strongest. The Minor Period times occur roughly half way in between when the moon passes the horizon at moonrise and moonset. Minor Periods generally last half as long as the Major Periods.

The best hunting times and best fishing times occur at the peak of the Major and Minor Periods. These roughly correlate with high tide and low tide times. Tides occur roughly every 12.5 hours, but because they are caused by a complex set of interactions - the sun and moon's gravitational forces, rotation of the Earth, and the shape of the near-shore bottom - the tide times will vary somewhat from the solunar table periods. Solunar periods have been equated to 'equilibrium tide times', which are the times that tides would occur for a specific longitude if the entire Earth was covered by water.

Interesting explanation RedSnake, thanks. I have never had any luck hunting moon times, but I will keep trying. It is bound to payoff someday.

Did he give any theories to which these two markedly different animals used to sense this period? It sounds as if you are saying an animal can feel gravitational changes in the environment. I am curious how?

Did he publish these studies? Were they subject to peer review? The common observations among today's research indicate that this theory has been wholly disproven. I will admit I do not know anything of fishing and the moon. I have not studied that at all.

I also want to reiterate now that I am genuinely interested in learning. I understand my bias and don't wish to in anyway make this an attack on your beliefs. I just want to know the truth because as I see it, both theories can't be right.

I absolutely believe in the moon and fishing, but have never noticed or paid close enough attention to the moon when deer hunting. I've always thought that a bright moon at night meant deer feeding at night

I've used this app for a couple years.. As far as deer movement on our place, It's almost 100% on major and minor feeding times. On the 1/4 days, I have never seen a deer or pig come to the feeder outside of those time frames since I've been using the app (and paying attention). Whether it's because of the light available at night, or some other unseen force, at our place, the solunar tables are pretty dang accurate.

I agree with you that both theories can't be right. That's because they are theories, not undisputed facts. One cannot be right and the other wrong until one is proven to be factual and the other not. Unless deer decide to start speaking and tell us themselves.....Lol.

Until then, we can only base our beliefs from our own experiences.

My thumb hit submit before I was finished with the SECOND half of the solunar theory... But here is a summary (full explanation below for those that want to read more)

SOLUNAR THEORY = theory that ALL fish and game exhibit periods of increased activity based on
1) MOON POSITION - most active when moon rises and sets (Minor Periods) and when overhead or underfoot (Major Periods). These are roughly the same as high/low tide times.
2) MOON PHASE - activity period intensity is greatest at Full/New moon and weakest at 1st/last Qtr Moon, thus intensity cycles up down up down throughout the month with moon phase

MONTHLY VARIANCE DUE TO LUNAR CYCLE
Knight purported that the intensity of the solunar periods also vary day to day throughout the month depending on the phase of the moon - with the most intense activity occurring around a Full Moon and New Moon. Conversely, around the First Quarter Moon and Last Quarter Moon, activity levels are the least intense.

The lunar cycle (time between two full moons) averages 29 1/2 days and varies month to month because the moon's orbit is elliptical. Because the average month is ~30.5 days, the lunar cycle shifts by approximately one day each month. As a result, there is one calendar day each month that the moon doesn't rise and one day that the moon doesn't set. This affects the solunar tables such that there will be two days each month during which there is only one Major Period and two days in which there is only one Minor Period.

My favorite App
And it has so much more when you start to "learn: it and utilize it ...Hands down one of my favorite tools when it comes to Hunting

Well we may not have to wait quite that long... Looks like Penn State is doing a deer study with radio collars...

http://news.psu.edu/story/348430/2015/03...n-phase-weather

This looks very interesting. Please update us when the data comes out.

From my experience, I believe there is a strong influence on deer movement by the moon.

It is interesting. But I still don't see how a man's observations almost 90 years ago trumps the peer-reviewed collared studies conducted in modern times which found no statistically significant correlation between moon phases/location and deer movement. Even among hunters, these moon observations are not consistent. While folks swear by the moon, my personal experience in 20 years of hunting in many different states has never shown any predictable or plausible connection. And as far as I am aware, there are no peer-reviewed studies that make the correlation.

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijecol/2010/459610/

I have found the only sure fire way of seeing deer is to be in the blind. Luckily 2 out of my 3 good bucks on the wall were taken at 10:45 am due to waiting for a buddy to pick me up. Otherwise I would be at camp at 10 if I drove myself.

My very personal observation after 50 years of hunting and 30 years of land ownership is that hunting activity is a/the major consideration/predictor. But, I have found that moon phases, ceteris paribus(all other things consider equal), CAN be a predictor. However, it has not been a consistent observation. I have found that wildlife and cattle feed more heavily before a storm. That makes sense. But I have also found that cattle will sometimes lay down longer during the day prior to a heavy storm. An old rancher told me that they knew that they were going to be standing up for a long time facing away from the winds. Maybe so but forecasting what a cow will do can be an exercise in futility. I have found that does will hit corn more consistently prior to a storm.

Other personal observations that have nothing to do with solunar periods.:

A fertilized wheat patch will draw more deer. I have varied this for experimentation. I have, on several occasions, fertilized half of a food plot and the results have been predictable. Time of day or moon phase doesn't seem to matter and for a couple of years I kept records re fertilizer. No cereal grain that I have planted trumped another. And, they prefer wild rye and other natural browse more than food plots. I know nothing about natural browse nutrition. A heavy acorn crop means I see dang few deer.

All older/large bucks are mostly nocturnal anyway. Only a hot doe seems to change that. At 6.5 yoa, I rarely see them even on cams or food plots.

I have 6 corn feeders and cameras on 133 acres. On 3, I dump rice bran on the ground. I alternate it at the feeders for experimentation. Prior to the rut, according to cams, large nocturnal bucks hit it hard but mostly ignore/avoid the feeders during the rut and hunting season. Does consistently hit the rice bran feeders more often than the others both day and night. Coons go nuts for rice bran.

Riding a 4 wheeler to a hunting location is a good way to see fewer deer. This goes back to my opening sentence.

An open window on a box blind will just about guarantee that you will see fewer deer.

Hunt the wind. Scent control products are useless.

Again, just my observations.

Sans the open box blind window, I agree with a lot of your observations. For me personally, the number of deer I've ever seen were more predicated on my movements/my sounds within a blind than windows being open or not.

My most productive hunts for big bucks have always been during full moon cycles when the moon stays in the sky into the morning hours like still up past daylight. Also may not see as many but during those full moons, biiger deer (in my experiences) have been seen more in the 10-2 pm time periods. when not hunting a place with timed feeders the absolutely pay attention to major and minor feed times. just my experiences