# Moon Phase?



## ski (May 13, 2004)

anybody use the moon to help them decide when to hunt? Check out Moonguide.com.

I bought it at cabelas and a few of my buddies are going to give it a try. Basically it discusses the moon and its effect on deer activity/movement/feeding.

Ski


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## ss minnow (Aug 11, 2005)

I find any of the "solunar" tables to be only one factor in determining activity of all wildlife. Other factors are weather pre and post your excursion. There are times when wildlife activity defies all human logic and good old fashion luck is on your side or not. http://www.in-fisherman.com/reference/solunar/calendars/
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/solunartables.htm
http://www.primetimes2.com/pages/4-astrotables.html


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## ARGEE (Apr 5, 2004)

I Never Let Those Forecasts Tell Me When To Hunt..the Best Times To Hunt Is Any Time You Can...


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## captnroger (Apr 5, 2004)

If your looking for a table, don't forget we feature the primetime tables right here on OGF.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Over the past few years I have put some study and thought into the lunar tables and their relationship to my hunting. I have not found anything that supports its effect onthe rut timing itself. However I do feel that it impacts the overall deer travel and timing. I do believe the theory that a full moon makes for less dawn/dusk travel and more midday travel. New moon is the best for dawn/dusk travel. I don't let that change my hunting plans as I hunt the limited few times that I can find regardless of the moon phase. However, I will try to make the special effort to hunt midday during a full moon phase where I normally may most likely spend it doing something else.


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## crappies4ever (May 21, 2005)

i read this a few years ago on espn.com hunting site that the rut is triggered by the 2nd new moon after the 1st day of fall and i have studied this very closely and it is very true because for the few days after that my buck sightings have been very low as to leading up to it. this year that is nov. 3rd if u hunt much during this time keep urself a journal and u will see how true it is. but personallly i like the middle 2 weeks of Oct. for buck hunting cause u can grunt and rattle them in so easy all they want to do seek out yooung bucks and make their dominance known


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

crappies4ever said:


> i read this a few years ago on espn.com hunting site that the rut is triggered by the 2nd new moon after the 1st day of fall and i have studied this very closely and it is very true because for the few days after that my buck sightings have been very low as to leading up to it. this year that is nov. 3rd if u hunt much during this time keep urself a journal and u will see how true it is. but personallly i like the middle 2 weeks of Oct. for buck hunting cause u can grunt and rattle them in so easy all they want to do seek out yooung bucks and make their dominance known


 Depending on when the first new moon phase hits after the first day of fall you can have such a huge difference in dates for the second new moon. Based on that formula the second new moon would have been as follows for the last few years.

2005 Nov. 1
2004 Nov. 11
2003 Oct. 24
2002 Nov. 4

That is a range of 18 days and theoretically it could be a day short of a full month if the new moon falls a day before the first day of fall versus the day after. I just don't ever see that much range in the start of the rut. In my experience it has always fallen somewhere in the neighborhood of Nov. 8-15th. I think there are other factors that come in to play somewhat but for the most part the does' cycle will happen regardless. Again this is my opinion on this and comes from my observations and not from what I have read. Therefore, I am not claiming to know all of the answers. I just know that I will look forward to the rut starting around the 8-15th each year and try to get in the woods as much as possible to be there when it happens.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

By the way here is a neat site where you can view the moon phases for any given date. It is pretty useful.

The Moon's Phase

Although I do not put faith int he rut timing from the moon phase I do like to use the moon phase to plan my future hunting dates. As I said I feel that the new moon phase is better for hunting than the full moon in my opinion. I think that once the does come in estrus though that it does not matter nearly as much. At that point the deer will travel regardless until they find what they are after.


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## crappies4ever (May 21, 2005)

i know 40305 i didn't believe it either but if uhunt where u see quite a few bucks keep urself a journal like i did and it will prove to u how rite it is. the new moon date is the start of the rut and last for approx. 2weeks u know so that puts it in ur date period. i don't hunt the hardest during rut i always hunt the hardest during the pre rut when they r on the move searching not when they r tied up with does.


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## Header (Apr 14, 2004)

I was thinking of starting this catagory but I'd seen it before. I did post this in TritonBills tread though. 
"Ya know, I've heard alot of this rut is in the swing with the moon cycles and I'm sorry I just can not agree with it. I will agree you will see more deer in the day time when there is a full moon. If the moon cycle starts the does in season and it is after the first full moon 30 days or so after the fall equinox and it happens the first two weeks in Nov. Then why doesn't the Al., Ms. and all those south states rut does not kick in until late Nov. into Dec. after the temps down there fall." 
I believe, my opinion might not be worth spit, the does cycle might just be triggered by the spring for the 5 five month gestation period. When they birth the babies for the growth period during the warm months to be old enough for the winter months. This would be true for most species to birth the young not during the worst part of the year for survial rates.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I believe that it is dependent on the sunlight exposure as most biologists agree on. I just don't see the nighttime lunar effect being as much of an impact as they try to make it. I think when they see the activity on that new moon phase as opposed to the few days prior when they were in the full moon phase that much of the change is due to the amount of nighttime activity during full moon phase versus new moon phase without even taking the rut into consideration. I went out the other night on a full moon night and hardly any deer were moving. I think they adjust their activity and do not feel hurried into the field when they seen a full moon coming up.


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