Let's talk about the moon

[letemgrow]

The peak breeding occurs at nearly the same time every year, but that isn't when I want to be in the woods because that's "lockdown". I've experienced deer being way more receptive to calling the last 5 days in October when they are looking for the first does. The testosterone is peaked but they haven't gotten that first sniff yet. It would drive me nuts too and Id also being looking for a fight!

I don't like the peak breeding either, woods are dead then for good reason. I'll take up to November 10th as prime time and then starting the 20th of November again. Just pointing out that the most does are bred during the same 5-6 day period every single year. If moon phase has something to do with breeding...I'm not seeing it and those roadside surveys have been done for years and years with the same results. Charlie talks about peak breeding being all over the board some years, yet the actual data points to the same dates every single year.

I've shot bucks from October 27th thru November 15th. Passed up some great bucks into December during muzzleloader when they were on the edge or past my comfort zone.

You find a hot doe on November 1st and you can guarantee more than one good buck being on her tail, just like after the peak. A hot doe on Thanksgiving is a blessing too and usually means a flurry of local buck movement.

One doe had to come in on October 18th on my place. 4 good bucks are not after a doe then unless she is in and they were on her hard. I've seen 1.5 year olds checking does on September 15th...pretty sure they have no idea what they are doing and I would not include them in any kind of study to verify moon phase, breeding dates or anything else reproductive related.

 

[Windwalker]

I think the conception would be right 12 to the 15 of Nov is the best bow hunting time. The full moon just make them run harder at night and lay up faster during daylight.

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

I'm not an expert but if we're talking only rut period, using logic you need to use the moon to determine where you sit. Full moon you know they're probably near their bedding. Dark period they're probably going to be up on their feet near doe beds and traveling funnels between crop fields.

Early season and pre-rut/post rut/late season is where I think the moon has the most impact. If you have a buck patterned and you know where he's bedding and where is staging area is, you're likely to get a crack at him during the dark period and if the weather is cool in his staging area. Full moon and he's likely to remain in his bed longer and not give you a chance.

Playing Devil's Advocate with myself...I believe in 2008 the full moon fell on Nov. 6th. I hunted the morning near bedding and didn't see squat. I left at 10am to go to another farm and while driving out there were 2 nice bucks right by the road eating corn. You just never know...and I thought they should be in or near their beds!

Back to rut, no matter what the moon phase is, as others have said...if there's a hot doe and she's on her feet then so will the buck.

 

[Forestryguy]

I think this sums up the Moon theory. Same breeding dates year in and year out from road killed does fetus conception dates...

Shocking the highest number of does bred were between the 10-16th of November.

From MDC Deer off the MO Whitetails website:

"Good timing...I was just analyzing our recent data collected from 2010-2013. We collected samples from 500 road kill does between March 2011 and April 2013. A more detailed summary will be available late spring/early summer but here are some preliminary results. The slight shift in conception date distribution is likely the result of a lose of fawn reproduction.

Statewide
%Pregnant Fetuses per doe
Fawns 0.15 0.24
Yearling 0.89 1.45
Adult 0.95 1.93

Since this info was taken from sampling in MO, I am going to guess that it would be safe to push the peak dates of conception from 11/10-11/16 to 11/3-11/9 or 10/20-10/26. I am guessing this for the far NE corner of Iowa. My theory is that with the difference in daylight between these two areas that does would come in sooner than they would for MO.

 

[letemgrow]

Playing Devil's Advocate with myself...I believe in 2008 the full moon fell on Nov. 6th. I hunted the morning near bedding and didn't see squat. I left at 10am to go to another farm and while driving out there were 2 nice bucks right by the road eating corn. You just never know...and I thought they should be in or near their beds!

Back to rut, no matter what the moon phase is, as others have said...if there's a hot doe and she's on her feet then so will the buck.

Which could be why you saw two bucks out there to begin with. They start pushing those does that time of year and they all end up in weird places at weird times.

They may be bedded up all day out in a picked corn field with that buck locked on that doe and he is not going to move unless she does.

With all that being said, I would much rather have a hot doe running all over the farm on say November 1st or after the 20th when there are fewer receptive does and more competition. Just ups my chances of a bruiser being in the mix.

 

[StickersNKickers]

Perhaps a better way to look at it is when are fawns born? New moon, full moon? I believe fawns are more apt to be born during a new moon. Given a gestation of 200 days count back from the new moon May 17th 2015. It maybe the future moon phase that predicts the peak of the rut not the moon phase in October/November.

So last week of Oct. thru 1st week of Nov. should cover it.

I have probably seen the best bucks/most activity from the last few days of Oct. thru Nov. 15 the past 5 years. My 3 bow bucks were shot on Nov. 6, 7, and 10, all either cruising, chasing, or checking does. Could have had a chance on another on Oct. 31 one year or Nov. 3rd the following year if he had been in range either time!