1. Do you find there is some merit in solar/ lunar tables that suggest the "best" times to hunt?

2. Do you typically focus hunting morning/evening or stay in the field as long as you can, even dawn to dark?

I've got my observations, I want to learn yours.

1. Yes, activity does generally seem to pickup/drop with the solunar tables.

2. I vary my hunting times. Sometimes in a stand, sometimes spot and stalk. Had my best kills walking the woods..

I just took the wooded route on my way back to the truck, instead of the easy route through the open pasture. Saw nothing on the way to the truck.

I pay no attention to the Solar/Lunar tables. I typically hunt morning until they stop moving, the afternoon to dark. If it's cold and/or wet, drizzly, rainy I may hunt all day. If it's cold and wet and the rut is on I will hunt all day. If it's hot/warm and sunny then I head to camp for lunch and a siesta.

I believe there is some merit to the tables. If you notice deer activity seems to peak when the Moon is at it highest point over head and again when directly under foot and that is about the most active times listed on the tables.

As to when to hunt, as much as possible. Of course it is easier to stay longer if you are seeing some action. Quite a few of my bigger bucks have been taken between 10am and 2pm on full moon times. Spot and stalk is real fun, still hunting is also great, have slipped in to less than 20 yards of bedded deer and that is a trip. Still hunting I do mostly on rainy days or after a rain, but will sometimes do it on way to and from a stand. Rattling and calling is also a lot of fun. A nice 8pt died this past Monday afternoon within bow range comming to a primos Doe Bleat can.

There's a free app for my phone I downloaded "Time to Hunt" it supports what you're saying that the peak time are with the moon directly overhead or underfoot. This morning it showed a peak between 7 and 9. I saw a buck 40 yards out at 0750.

I rattled a couple of times, nothing. I sounded the Primo's doe bleat a couple of time, nothing. Gonna go back at 3 and try it again.

I tried to eased through the woods hoping to find that bedded buck you speak of, but never found him.

So you saw A buck during the peak time. That isn't exactly impressive supporting data.

I have looked at such data and compared it with game camera imagery and found no positive correlations.

I just went back and looking at my hunting information for hog kills. If anything times of high animal activity negatively correlate, but even then the pattern is very inconsistent but I have more negative correlations than positive.

See...
http://www.outdoorswithmartin.com/2009/07/22/solunar-tables-for-fishing-and-hunting-do-they-work/

I have a buddy with a lucky bowling shirt. He says it works.

I prefer to hunt in the cold, past that I hunt when I can.

I've been using Solunar Tables for 30+ years. My observation is that they're excellent for predatory species like fish and varmints. Not so much so for the grazers like deer.

Good to know.

Yes I saw A buck during the time the table suggested was a good time. I was on location from 0600 to 1130 and I saw nothing else. T

his evening the table showed a decent hunting time around 4, a low at 5, and a peak at 6. We saw does at 5 but they were out of arrow range.
I've always felt the table was a guide, but not something to base your hunt from.

The only time I have observed a real correlation with deer is on full moons. I think you do see more activity in the 10-2 time frame than late afternoon on a full moon - outside of rut, then all bets are off.

a bubby says 4:20 is always the best time to be in the woods? He doesn't kill much, but sure does smile a lot....

I think you see good deer activity during the new moon and a couple of days on either side of it. The deer will be out well before dusk if you can only hunt the afternoons.

I look at solar and lunar tables but I am not sure why. When I go hunting I am at the stand long before its light and usually hunt until at least 11. If stuff is moving I will just keep sitting. If not I will take a break and eat lunch and be back out by 1-1:30 and hunt till dark. Can't kill anything but time sitting at camp and I paid to hunt so thats what I do. Besides even though deer may not be moving at times you never know when someone on your lease or a boarding lease may spook a deer by you. For that reason I like to be the first out and last back in,,,,always.

I definitely plan hunts based on solar/lunar tables. I feel the deer activity levels correlate to moon phases.

Here is an awesome article on scientific studies. It basically reveals no change according to any moon phases.

http://www.buckmasters.com/shooting-the-moon.aspx

I've had much more success fishing along with the lunar tables and personnaly not noticed much change with deer hunting. Other than the full moon makes them feed at night, I believe, because of more light.

I am not even sure that they feed more during fuller moons as much as we (humans with poor night vision capabilities) can see them better during a full moon.

The notion that solunar cycles affects terrestrial animal behavior is something that if true, would have discernible causes and effects. Aquatic species certainly may be affected more as the waters they are in can certainly be affected by gravitational pull via moon positioning. However, with terrestrial animals, what is the impact that would cause the purported increase and decrease in animal activity? Why is it supposed to affect so many species, but yet doesn't affect humans?

Nobody who has actually studied animal behavior in a quantitative manner has found correlations with the solunar tables in terms of animal movement. This seems to be no better than biorhythm predictions. Some people still swear by biorhythms, but when tested under quantitative scrutiny, they perform as well as raw chance.

The animals all have to be somewhere. They are going to move when they need to move.

I believe there is increased activity mid-day when the moon is overhead or underfoot then.

The trouble with lunar tables is that they don't take into account the acorn crop, the rut, wind, rain, the idiot driving his four wheeler around, etc.

Sol-lunar tables are based upon "normal" weather conditions. Cold fronts, warm fronts, high winds, etc, will affect the tables and their accuracy.

I do know that you can't kill anything at home...I try to hunt as much as possible and as long as possible. I've seen deer moving at all different times. During the rut, hunt often and late.

I do not pay any attention to any charts or tables. My time is precious so any time I am on the lease I get as much blind time as I can. I almost never leave the stand unless it has been an hour since my last sighting, not even then during the rut. Every time I get in the blind I have water, summer sausage, cheese, crackers and a good book. I am prepared to stay all day if there is enough activity. BTW I am getting a lot of camp chores done thanks to the acorns.