ABarOfSoap

ive heard that a the moon can make deer eat earlier or later and go into rut, is this true? and they move more during a certain stage of the moon, how true is this?

mobow

I don't know how true much of it is, but I will say this. If there is a full moon up at night, the deer will be moving more in the late morning and mid day. I have no question in my mind about that.

hardcorehunter

Here is a site so you know what stage the moon is in.

http://www.hotspotfishing.com/learn/moon.asp

ABarOfSoap

so full moon is a good time to be in the woods, cause you have a better chance of seeing those night time bucks come out in daylight i guess

TradTech

The moon position is more important that the moon phase. When the moon is directly overhead or directly underfoot is when deer activity/feeding is at its peak. You'll notice that deer activity increases as the moon approaches either overhead or underfoot.

Moon phase also plays some part but not nearly as much as the position. If you have an early moon rise the deer activity is noticably increased and the same as a late moon set.

I use the moon position as well as watching the barometric pressure history throughout the day with weather coming in or moving out.

My wife gave me the Deer Hunters Edge several years ago and I use it religiously every day I hunt.

Normally the moon position isn't in the most favorable location but when it's close, pay close attention to the stands that you have near feeding/bedding areas.

FLOutlander

Here's what I've gathered in my years of hunting in relation to the moon.....

1.) During a New Moon, or if the moon has been completely obscured by cloud cover all night, deer seem to move a lot in the early morning.

2.) When the moon is greater than half full and casts substantual light during the night, deer will feed at night and bed down in the morning. Most movement seems to happen around lunch time. However, you may catch deer in the mornings on their way to their beddeing areas.

3.) When the sun and the moon share the same sky during the day, you better be up in your tree stands, because deer will be on the move.

These are behaviors that I have personally observed, and I hunt according to what the moon is doing.

Tbyrnzy82

This is my understanding also

Tim

early in

Photoperiodism dictates when the rut occurs, not moon phase.

steerwrestler

where can you find out about moon positions on the web

RiverBottomBowHunter

I agree with mobowhuntr, When there is a full moon I will sleep in a bit, then go sit from 9-10 to about 2-3. Sometimes I will try to make it to dark if I'm seeing something. Some of My biggest encounters have been around lunch on a full moon. I think the does bed more midday and the bucks have to run around trying to find them.