Is there anybody looked to see how early the full moon falls this year,it is in the middle of October,how is that going to affect the hunting during the rut when it falls that early.It usally falls the last week of October or the 1st two weeks in Nov.Is it goin to make the rut a slow drawn out process or what this year??????????
MOON PHASE
- Thread starter TENN.BOY
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hunter0925
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Our rut always seems slow and drawn out around here. I watch deer chase from mid october all the way through January.
BHC
Well-Known Member
I dont think the moon is a reliable enough factor to predict the rut. Scrapes generally pop up everywhere between oct 25-nov 10 on our property.. And daytime chasing peaks from Dec 5-15 on our place. Two yrs ago every mature buck pic on scrapes did line up perfectly with Charles alsheimer's rutting moon, but last yr it did not, that or our cams were in the wrong places. It was a wired yr for us tho due to no acorns. It was pointless for the most part to hunt the hardwoods. And we don't put cameras on plots so that could have been the lack of scrape photos...
BSK
Well-Known Member
The moon has no effect on the rut (actual breeding process). However, it can have some impact on daylight deer activity, although moon phase is usually the weakest of the natural influences.
And by the way, the full moon doesn't "normally" fall at any particular time of any month. Full moon dates rotate through all periods of a particular month at an equal rate over time. This year the full moon dates during deer season are September 19th, October 18th, November 17th, and December 17th.
And by the way, the full moon doesn't "normally" fall at any particular time of any month. Full moon dates rotate through all periods of a particular month at an equal rate over time. This year the full moon dates during deer season are September 19th, October 18th, November 17th, and December 17th.
The moobn has absolutely no effect on the rut, never has. However, it is always a good topic for debate and gives the hunter another useless item else to worry about.
It does have effect on deer movement of when and how long they are up on their feet moving and feeding along with the weather temps,so in return it does have a effect on the rut and when the best time to be in the woods.
BSK
Well-Known Member
TENN.BOY said:
Moon illumination certainly has some effect on daylight deer activity, but not enough to make hunting not worth the effort. I would place the stage of the rut as the #1 influence on daylight deer activity, followed by the weather, and then hunting pressure. Moon phase would be a low on my list of "important" influences on daylight deer activity.
x2102 said:
BHC
Well-Known Member
Ok so that being said, when is the moon at its best hunting condition, as minimal as it may be? New moon? Waxing or waning?
BSK
Well-Known Member
Everyone has different opinions on this.
But my data suggests, for those hunting primarily mornings and evenings (traditional hunting times), a waning moon from 40% of the moon's face illuminated down to the New Moon (0% illuminated).
But my data suggests, for those hunting primarily mornings and evenings (traditional hunting times), a waning moon from 40% of the moon's face illuminated down to the New Moon (0% illuminated).
I would say the waxing moon ,a does reproductive cycle is influenced by the differant moon phases and starts to peak about a week surrounding the second full moon after the autumnal equinox so that means more bucks will on there feet lookin for something to hang out with
BSK
Well-Known Member
TENN.BOY said:
That is absolutely untrue. A doe's reproductive cycle is not influenced at all by moon phase.
BSK said:
X@ been factualy proven. Not even debatable.
BSK
Well-Known Member
CAMARO12 said:Charlie Alsheimer will hate to hear that.
Yes, he will. But he knows he's wrong.
Well I guess the 5 P@Y bucks a good friend of mine has killed in ohio with a bow and has hanging on his wall by hunting the moon phases was just luck!!!!!!!!so on that I will just keep on keepin on and go get me a bowl of popcorn too
ky doublelung
Well-Known Member
Let me suggest this, starting mid October, get you rear end in the tree as much as you can! We wait all year for about a 4 to 6 week window. Get the wind in your favor and log in tree time.....
Shed Hunter
Well-Known Member
TENN.BOY said:
How does one hunt the moon phases?
TENN.BOY said:
No, not luck. I'm sure some skill was involved. However, the moon had nothing to do with it. You see, I have a few more than five on my wall, bow killed and the moon never figured into killing a single one of them. One of the better ones, was killed on a 98-degree day with a full moon and he was rattled in. If you hunt "right", the moon is of little consequence. However, if you believe in it, it may make you hunt harder and lnoger.
If you hunt where the big deer are, you have an excellent chance of killing a P&Y buck if that is your desire and you have the skills. The rut will be just about when it has always been regardless of the moon. Killing five P&Y bucks is not much of a chore in Ohio. The minimum, 125-inches is not that great, especially for that state.
Hunting whenever it gets cool-cold increases your odds as they begin to travel more and cold weather does not depend on the moon, just as the rut does not. If you were to get fetal studies from Ohio, you would find that over the past 30-years, the rut has been within about 14 days of the same time every year and most commonly, within seven days. The moon, though powerfull, is not a factor. Don't confuse what you see with what is actually happening.
I take mine with salt.
ky doublelung said:
That just about summs it up. The only thing I would add is pay more attention and tree time to two factors. (1) Try to hunt before severe weather changes of any kind. (2) Pay more tree-time to the colder days.
Just a note re Mr. Alsheimer. I have known Charlie a long time. He is an excellent photographer and does a great job with his penned deer. If he knows anything about deer other than the ones in his pen, I am not aware of it.
He is a nice guy who saw an opportunity to make some money on technical gobbnledeygook. Our own BSK could easily have done the same thing. It is simply a matter of wrting something that sounds logical, depending on old wives tales (hunters moon) to support it, being very selective on what data you use and liberally sprinkling it with b.s. The now deceased guy who had the moon wheel did exactly the same thing. I can't remember his name.
I have just a tad over 50-years of deer hunting experience under my well worn belt. I have strudied them as well as hunting them. I spent a little time investigating this "moon thing" back when all that still green b.s. came out. It cannot stand factual scrutiny.
If someone says, "My buddy has killed five huge deer using the moon...etc." That does not mean the moon had a thing to do with the rut. It means his Buddy, believes it did and hunted harder then. Don't confuse killing big bucks with when the rut is or was. You determine that by examining the fetus and factually knowing when that doe was bred.
Those are facts, not anecdotes and the fact is, the moon has not one dam thing to do with the rut. And that's a fact Jack!
But aint it fun to debate it. Kinda like debating who won the Super Bowl. You know what the score was but you can still debate who won.
He is a nice guy who saw an opportunity to make some money on technical gobbnledeygook. Our own BSK could easily have done the same thing. It is simply a matter of wrting something that sounds logical, depending on old wives tales (hunters moon) to support it, being very selective on what data you use and liberally sprinkling it with b.s. The now deceased guy who had the moon wheel did exactly the same thing. I can't remember his name.
I have just a tad over 50-years of deer hunting experience under my well worn belt. I have strudied them as well as hunting them. I spent a little time investigating this "moon thing" back when all that still green b.s. came out. It cannot stand factual scrutiny.
If someone says, "My buddy has killed five huge deer using the moon...etc." That does not mean the moon had a thing to do with the rut. It means his Buddy, believes it did and hunted harder then. Don't confuse killing big bucks with when the rut is or was. You determine that by examining the fetus and factually knowing when that doe was bred.
Those are facts, not anecdotes and the fact is, the moon has not one dam thing to do with the rut. And that's a fact Jack!
But aint it fun to debate it. Kinda like debating who won the Super Bowl. You know what the score was but you can still debate who won.
BuckNrut
Well-Known Member
TENNBOY don't worry about the moon. When you see the coal rollin from the cummins heading north you will know its time 
Time of movement is my first indicator.
Time of movement is my first indicator.
