Solar/Lunar Tables: Useful or Bunk?

[UTGrad]

I somehow started getting wrapped up in checking major and minor times in an app I use called "Hunting Pro". I used the app to pick a time to hunt recently and turns out I would have been much better off hunting the evening. I'm starting to question the validity of these tables.

How much stock, if any, do y'all put into solar/lunar tables for choosing when to hunt?

 

[Lone Hunter]

None.. I've seen deer moving when the app says there is little to no activity and the reverse no movement when it's supposed to be a major feeding or movement time. I think the best time to be in the woods is anytime you can go. Animals are like women, Very Unpredictable..

 

[Ski]

How much stock, if any, do y'all put into solar/lunar tables for choosing when to hunt?

Zero. Never been able to correlate posted times with personal experience.

 

[Heath423]

I agree with both the previous post. However, I do look at those charts for the following in hopes they are correct sometimes. Extra motivation to be set up well before legal light on those days and also to keep me in the tree a bit longer on those days when I haven't had any movement but the major/minor is in the next hour or so.
So basically I always try to hunt when I can and sometimes the charts helps extend my time on stand. More time on stand in the correct locations the more deer movement one can be exposed to.

 

[BSK]

After considerable statistical analyses of them, I put zero stock in them. Deer are not fish, and aquatic animals are the most effected by the tidal pull of the moon.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Same as the moon and rut timing crap.

 

[BSK]

Same as the moon and rut timing crap.

Agreed

 

[BSK]

Let me add to the above that the moon cycles have nothing to do with rut timing, but I do believe the moon has some influence on daylight deer movement. However, I would put the moon phase as one of the weakest influences on deer movement. Calendar date and weather are far more powerful players.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

I'll be the odd guy out here. I keep a very close eye on them outside of the rut. I've personally seen too much correlation on the properties I hunt not to.

Drive by a bean field in the summer when it's 100 degrees out and you see deer feeding…I'd bet 99% of the time the moon guide will be predicting movement at that time.

Edited to say that weather is still a much more important factor.

 

[Spurhunter]

How much stock, if any, do y'all put into solar/lunar tables for choosing when to hunt?

None. Like most hunters, I tried to use them and they were mostly useless. I can't even make them work with fish (freshwater). Local weather conditions have the most effect on wildlife activity in my opinion.

 

[Tn Joe]

I believe there is something to it. Not saying it has anything at all to do with the rut. I rarely get pictures of deer midday on my place but when I do the moon chart usually shows movement at that time.

This site is what I look at. http://www.besttimestohunt.net/

 

[megalomaniac]

After considerable statistical analyses of them, I put zero stock in them. Deer are not fish, and aquatic animals are the most effected by the tidal pull of the moon.

Exactly. Fish are def influenced by solunar.tables, not deer.

When it comes to buck movement...

#1 proximity to peak 1st rut
#2 proximity to 2nd rut
#3 weather
#4 food (esp lack thereof)
#5 solunar tables
#6 how many months till next solar eclipse

 

[Ski]

The only time the chart predictions aligned with what I actually experienced was when the major and/or minor times fell inside the golden hours of morning or evening. Predicting deer will be moving at 730am or 545pm is naturally going to be pretty accurate. Predicting movement at 10am or 1pm is a tougher bet to make.

 

[UTGrad]

The only time the chart predictions aligned with what I actually experienced was when the major and/or minor times fell inside the golden hours of morning or evening. Predicting deer will be moving at 730am or 545pm is naturally going to be pretty accurate. Predicting movement at 10am or 1pm is a tougher bet to make.

Yep. Similar to reading a horoscope that says "You are thinking about someone you care about". Well no chit, that applies to everyone most of the time.

 

[knightrider]

Zero!!! Get in the woods and sit there thats the only way to know when their on the move

 

[backyardtndeer]

None. I have never noticed activity peaking at the times the tables say that it should.

 

[tellico4x4]

Not me but have a some old hunting buddies that wholeheartedly believe them.

 

[DMD]

No bearing whatsoever, in my opinion.

 

[agelessssone]

I somehow started getting wrapped up in checking major and minor times in an app I use called "Hunting Pro". I used the app to pick a time to hunt recently and turns out I would have been much better off hunting the evening. I'm starting to question the validity of these tables.

How much stock, if any, do y'all put into solar/lunar tables for choosing when to hunt?

0, for hunting or fishing.

 

[tree_ghost]

Maybe somewhere it affects some deer. But from what I've seen looking at those charts can be more harmful than good most of the time…takes a hunters head out of the game before he hits the timber when the deer he's hunting don't have a clue what the moons doing. Just hunt smart! The whitetails world changes so rapidly in the next 60 days and lots of hunters I see are always behind the deer a step or two instead of ahead of him, and the only way I know to teach a man how to know how to get ahead of him is drag him in the woods every chance I get.

 

[killingtime 41]

I use to but after being let down 99 percent of the time or more. Not really worth paying any attention to.

 

[oldmanelrod]

None.. I've seen deer moving when the app says there is little to no activity and the reverse no movement when it's supposed to be a major feeding or movement time. I think the best time to be in the woods is anytime you can go. Animals are like women, Very Unpredictable..

That's the truth!

 

[Dr2kill]

I'll check them out. I've had some success when it was major/minor time, and not had success during those times. In my opinion your going to see deer you just have to be there from daylight to dark. The longer you are in the woods the better. My family always asks when I'll be home, I tell them either dark or I kill a deer whichever comes first. Nothing beats scouting and woodsmanship.

 

[redblood]

If i was retired and had all day every day to fish or hunt, id follow them. But like most, i have tl hunt on the rare occasion im off and the weather is decent

 

[DoubleRidge]

My work schedule and personal life dictates what days I can hunt...not the moon....my vacation days are scheduled around the first three weeks in November...Im useless to most anyone during this time period....many all day sits...doesnt matter about moon phase or even weather....these are the days I have chosen to hunt and I hope to hunt hard....I do agree weather effects daytime movement....and I hate hot weather in muzzleloader season...but it happens...and I'll hunt...because its November and thats the prime time to hunt in our area.

 

[BSK]

My work schedule and personal life dictates what days I can hunt...not the moon....my vacation days are scheduled around the first three weeks in November...Im useless to most anyone during this time period....many all day sits...doesnt matter about moon phase or even weather....these are the days I have chosen to hunt and I hope to hunt hard....I do agree weather effects daytime movement....and I hate hot weather in muzzleloader season...but it happens...and I'll hunt...because its November and thats the prime time to hunt in our area.

Every time I would see unfortunate weather headed our way for MZ season opener, my cousin and I would say the same thing: "Doesn't matter. We'll be out there anyways."

That said, after opening week, I do try and pick and choose dates to hunt based off of weather. If I see a sudden cold snap coming, I'll schedule hunting days for that.

 

[DeerMan66]

I think their predictions are crap. Last year during muzzleloader we were hunting mornings and evenings as usual. We weren't seeing any deer. Two days in a row when we came out for lunch we saw deer everywhere. So I predicted deer were moving mid day. On the third day we went in the woods at 10:00 to hunt mid day. I killed a nice 8 pt at 1:00. Maybe I should create an app...

 

[deerhunter10]

None. All those "predicting" apps are as gimmicky as they come imo. The only thing that I can tell you with my personal experience is full moons and warm weather makes hunting tough. Cold weather and full moon business as usual it seems.

 

[Apostolic Outdoors]

According to the lunar table they're not supposed to be moving? At least 3 feeding in my backyard plots. They just came out. Guess they forgot to check the chart.

 

[deerhunter10]

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According to the lunar table there not supposed to be moving? At least 3 feeding in my backyard plots. They just came out. Guess they forgot to check the chart.

Show it to them so they learn.