Bowsite.com

X2 what midwest & Ty said...or would that be X3?

All I know is I am focusing my effort on 1-12 Nov.

I do not like hunting full moon period.

This will be more evident the more pressured the area that you hunt if connected with the right weather you can predict good deer movement.

I plan all my hunts based on seasons and how they coincide with moon periods.

I got my boon daddy on the 5th and think that 7-10 Nov are going to be power days for buck movent this year. Of course "WEATHER" will be a critical factor!

I haven't seen as much early and late daylight activity when it's a full moon, even during the rut, but I've seen some smokers moving at mid-day.

That said, my son's last three good 'uns have been Nov. 11, 11, and 12.

Early November hasn't been that good for me, other than an occassional flurry around the 6th.

I've done scores of really big deer stories from Kansas, and I'd guess more were bow-killed about Nov. 18-28 than any other time frame as the big ol' boys go looking for one last doe before it's over....I'm talking about the 160-plus bucks.

My favorite time in the Midwest is October 25th to January 10th.

Whenever the temperature is below normal will likely be a good day. If normal in late October is 55 and that day it's 40 it will likely be good. In January if the normal is 18 and it's zero that day it will likely be good.

The other time I like is right when a rain or snow stops. Doesn't matter what time of day that is I run to my stand. Good Luck all. This is the year!!!! C

For me, any day from Oct 31 - end of November, I a a very happy man to be hunting.

My vacation times are not flexible enough to take into account "Other things matter more like temps, winds, rain/snow"

The moon has nothing to do with the rut and never has. However, the weather has a tremendous amount to do with what you see.

Also, chase phase for me is especially hard to get shot at moving animals.

I want them seeking not chasing.

The rut cycle is going to be basically the same window of time every year, year after year, for the same area you hunt. And you can go out any phase of that rut cycle (seek, chase, tend, etc.) depending on the action you like to see. But moon cycles on the calendar are not the trigger and the rut dates don't move +/- several weeks each year as the full moon would dictate.

Or look back at deer photos and see how often the moon is hanging in the sky.

Rocky, I could check the figures from the census we did in 2005 in IA, MO and NE. They sure surprised me. See, what we did was censuse deer seen on every night for 30 days. We did it in Oct., Nov., and Dec. We also census the hunters sightings during daylight. The difference between full moon and a dark night was about 3%.

We counted 3% more deer on a dark night. Remember, deer like cover (such as a dark night) and can see perfectly well. That was what we were really interested in finding out.

Numbers dropped drastically on rainy and foggy nights and climbed dratically during warm weather. Snow also made the nocturnal figures drop slightly. There was little difference during the pre-peak-post rut. However, activity did change. Daylight activity peaked about six days before the peak of the rut, dropped like a shot during the peak of the rut and climbed some after the peak passed. Nothing new there.

The only real effect we saw from a full moon was more daylight action later in the morning. It was an interesting study but tough on getting much sleep. I have the actual figures around here somewhere. I don't recall all that much variance of sighting during what is known as the children's moon-a moon seen during daylight hours. I do think maybe I made an observation to that effect one time.

Our overall observation was, the moon had little to do with deer movement night or day. However, if some sort of moon behaviour gives a hunter more confidence, he will hunt harder.

You may have alltogether different results where you live. Go with what works for you.

I have four brothers that shared a camp for 25 years and it is a consensus that it would be the full was virtually a wash when it occurred during the season.

I do not need studies to override personnel observations of 40 plus years.

Most of you writers wait on some study to have something to write about. Typically most of you whore yourself out to whoever will sponsor you. I remember when Craig Boddington was enamored with killing a 60-80 inch Coues with a gun when I was having my wife hold out for 90 or better.

This is like fat free diets, cardio, and training heart rate for best fat burn. Or if you it a balance you will magically lose weight with little regard to caloric intake. The new philosophy is high intensity training.

I guess I need to listen to young Tyler Jordan or Tiffany who has been hunting shooting deer for the last ten years or so. I do respect Tiffany for her effort and her commitment but the deer she kills does not apply to me on most of the ground that I hunt. I do not see field full of big feeding in broad daylight and the vast majority of the big deer that many of the celebrity crowd kill are late season post rut and colder weather is driving them to feed.

I know the rut is triggered by phototropism. I have eight biologist phone number on my phone currently and can list another 25 that I have had extensive dialogue with and for the most part except one killed more deer than most of them.

You are the same people that sold the world on under armor, scent lock clothing, call turkeys incessantly to get them to gobble on the TV.

If a gobbler ever cuts me off I set the call down and get the gun up.

There are some shortcuts to success if we invest money for a guide, the best property, the best period and hunt 60-75 days a year and hunt multiple species. Frankly, I only acknowledge some of this people for the commitment that they place on their chosen path.

In David Morris's Book Hunting Trophy Whitetails he stated that he plans his hunts based on reduced movement during a full moon period. Oh, he is a biologist, founder of North American Whitetail, guide, outfitter, and has killed many deer over 150 inches.

P.S.

Do not be so condescending with closing statements like this.

However, if some sort of moon behavior gives a hunter more confidence, he will hunt harder.

I know that most here probably disagree but as for me I do not view the full moon period with glee!

Sorry for the rant!

In fact youngster, I am not among the group you describe at all and hate all outdoor television programing.

As I said, whatever works for you, do it. As for me, I shall do the same. And oddly enough, I too have killed more deer than most of the wildlife biologists I know. probably, you too. But what does that prove? If a gobbler cuts me off, I run over the s.o.b. I'd rather fish than hunt the stupid things.

I have a problem with folks who can't stand facts.

This topic is very complex. What you need is REPEATABLE , VALID data. You need a controlled environment and understand cause and effect, not observations and maybe some correlations. Taking a poll is not science. I'm no scientist , but from the research I've read on this subject , I'd say most everything posted is unverifiable opinion.