Just like to know other peoples input on this. In the Drury videos they are always preaching about a rising and falling moon. From what I have read, deer movement is at its peak when the moon is straight overhead in the sky. One book I recently read, "Moonstruck", says that the phase has got nothing to do with it, its the lunar cycle that determines deer movement. I know this has got to be true in some way because every year I notice that deer movement around the 15th of November is limited in the morning. Then at noon to two oclock, its like a alarm goes off for the deer and they are up on their feet. What I need help with is interpreting this information. Around the 15th the moon was at its peak position in the sky at around 5:00AM and on its way down as light approaches. They say to use a moon dial to help predict all animal movement in general. Any one got a real understanding of the lunar cycles?
Shredder
Life Member
Read Charles Alsheimers book, "Hunting Whitetails by the Moon". Lots of good info there. I know the moon has to affect daytime deer movement, how, I'm not sure. I don't think it has much effect on when the does come into estrus other than maybe a few days off normal median each year. There is a lot for me to learn on this topic so if you find out some info outside of the site, let us know.
Shredder,
Your a vet, correct me if wrong, but arn't estrus cycles dictated by the length of daylight hours? Not sure about deer, but I believe this is the way horses work. One trick we always use to make mares cycle early is to put them in a stall with lights on them during the night. Start this in December and you can usually get a horse to have a strong cycle in January. Theres got to be some kind of correlation between the moon, daylight hours, doe estrus cycles, and deer movement.
Your a vet, correct me if wrong, but arn't estrus cycles dictated by the length of daylight hours? Not sure about deer, but I believe this is the way horses work. One trick we always use to make mares cycle early is to put them in a stall with lights on them during the night. Start this in December and you can usually get a horse to have a strong cycle in January. Theres got to be some kind of correlation between the moon, daylight hours, doe estrus cycles, and deer movement.
Fishbonker
Life Member
I bought phishbyte (sp) a few years ago and it has tables for peak hours during a day. In my short tenure as a bow hunter I haven't found much correlation with peak hours and deer movemnet. The only time it seems to be true is if the peak time is an hour or so eithr way from sunrise or sunset. Then I have seen more deer than normal at those times. At the begining of every season I print off a table for the entire season that has sun and moon rise, set and peak times. I kept track of when I saw deer so that led me to look for the days where the peak is near sun up or down and try to be in the stand no less than an hour before the peak and beter if two hours. I'm not much of a sun up person but I still try to be in the stand an hour before sun up.
The 'Bonker
The 'Bonker
H
hawkeyefan
Guest
I think this is a fairly interesting topic. I was looking at my GPS about a week ago (it has an option to display the solunar tables for hunting and fishing times) and thought it was odd that it was saying the best time of day was in the middle of the afternoon. Here's a chart I found for this month that shows the correlation between the moon phase and best hunting/fishing time. Not sure I see the pattern here though....
Shredder
Life Member
ScottIC, you are right about that with horses and deer are the opposite from how a horse cycles. Deer are short day breeders vs horses being long day breeders. I really doubt that the moon has enough light reflected off of it to change the breeding pattern of deer but I am not well enough versed in deer physiology to comment accurately. A deers cycles will closely mimic a sheep or goats though and there may be some info I can look up to help re-enforce this hypothesis. I will try and research more and let you know.
Fishbonker
Life Member
I am probaly wrong about solunar tables but the peak times are when the moon is either directly over or directly under the spot you are stnading. I don't know the correlation between moon phase and peak times. I have heard some campfire talk about when the moon is low on the horizon (southwest), is when hunting is best. I don't know if that has anything to do with phase or not. Great topic and lots of things that make you go HHHMMMM.
The 'Bonker
The 'Bonker
Hawkeyefan, I was looking at the table that was put up and those times defintely match the times to which I generally see deer. I believe the top time is when the moon is straight over head and the bottom time is when its directly underfoot. What kind of GPS do you have? Can you post a table for December and January?
H
hawkeyefan
Guest
I have a Magellan Meridian. I'd highly recommend this model if you plan to use it for more than just basic navigation. Here's the December table. Can't find one for January 2004.
