Best Moon to hunt
Connecticut
Do you find the deer are most active during daylight hours after a new moon or full moon? Any thoughts why one is better than the other?
Neither. They are most active during peak run. I never let the moon tell me when to hunt.
Despite everything I read and heard early on in my hunting career, there are now tons of studies show the moon has very little influence on deer movement. That being said, how much moonlight there is or isn’t might affect their ability to see me on my way in before sunrise.
Don't really know one way or the other, but I do know that except for Halloween 2020 (full moon), I've never had any luck on a full moon. To the point I never even see deer on full moon. That day in 2020 there was also a snow storm, and I saw 14 deer that morning.
Then there are the days that for some reason the fields are full of deer throughout the day. Could be a storm coming, but lots of times there isn't. Could it be the position of the moon? I've tried to pay attention this year to look at solunar tables to see if there is a correlation, but I didn't write anything down. Sometimes though, it fit the theory.
To your point Brian M., Ive been seeing tons of deer in the fields during the days with the darker moon phase approaching new moons. Maybe it's just the availability of a food resource.
All things being equal there have consistently been 2 major factors affecting deer movement that I've observed over many years (though not as many as Bob....LOL):
1. Weather 2. The rut
I've consistently seen deer feeding heavily ahead of a front; I've seen them cease and head for bedding cover as I've noticed the onset of the front's arrival, much like (and those of you who fish a lot can relate) a hot bite ahead of a low pressure system coming to a screeching halt once that low gets on top of you.
Whatever the other factors the great "equalizer" has always been the rut; probably the one time where it absolutely pays to be on stand all day if you're physically (and mentally) able.
Hunter3,
When the moon is overhead or under foot, expect movement. The quarter moon phase positions the moon overhead or under foot at about sunrise and sunset.
Don't deer normally move at dusk and dawn? I never paid any attention to the moon phases so there may be something there?
I see a lot of midday or late morning feeding during a full moon. The other day 11/23, I had deer on cell cams at 11:15 or so at 2 different locations and told a friend about it. He sent me a lunar table that showed the lunar position over head at that time. Coincidental? Maybe but interesting
When someone figures this out, they will be a millionaire.
How many times have you seen Deer in every field at 3:00 then the next ten afternoons zero Deer are in the fields?
I think we can speculate about what makes a deer move until we are all on the geezer thread. The combo of weather, moon, rut and hunger pains is a complicated puzzle. Best time to shoot a deer is when you see it.
I've kept yearly notes and agree with Tall1
