Does Moon Phase Impact Deer Movement?

[trumperman]

here we go again, another huge argument between me and my friends at the range. I need your help this one guys,
Let's bury the hatchet once and for all.

 

[livetohunt]

I would say definitely. I work nights and am driving home at 2 am. Where I live the snow pushes elk and deer out of the higher mountains into farm field areas. The past moon phase when there was enough light there was a herd of approx 30 elk that were eating off a big stack of hay on my drive home every night. As the moon waned and it got progressively darker the elk were not there. Once the waxing moon reached about 1/2 full again they were there every night.

I've also seen similar instances while hunting. I always see more animals out during shooting light when there is little to no moonlight.

 

[just country]

morning, most definitely! I have studied deer and other
nocturnal animals 40yrs. I was raised on a farm on a
old gravel road.
Deer will move more on a full moon mostly and at night
regularly. deer movement is much more noticeable after
rain and snow. during the fall the rut will start in the
fall depending on the region of the USA. noticeable signs
of movement will show by scraps and nibbled branches
and hair on objects. the rut will change travel routes
and movement of deer. I saw a fox yesterday morning 0130hrs
a deer at 0330hrs this morning. nature is beautiful.
rattlesnakes will move in summer more after rain.
here in TX.
GBOT TUM

 

[Greyfox]

Having been a whitetail nut for +50 years...yes... at dawn and dusk during normal "non-rut" periods. During the rut there seems to be less predictability based on moon phase...... hormones take over. I hunt all day. On either side of a full moon I have shot a lot of good bucks off good trails and protected feeding areas between 11AM and 1PM. They will eventually start moving around if you don't see them early or late in the day, but they are very wary.

 

[wbm]

https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/big-game-hunting/does-the-moon-phase-affect-deer-hunting/

 

[Rick Richard]

Lots of folks schedule their hunting around moon phase and peak feeding times. I am not sure I totally buy into this since there are other factors such as weather and rut periods that can play into animal movement. I hunt based on my time schedule availabity which I believe the more time spent in the field the more opportunities for success. With that said, I observe more movement in mornings and late afternoon. Just my opinion.

 

[Dosh]

The old timers used to say "if you can see the moon the game will be up and feeding". This is regardless of time of day. Do I believe this, can't prove it, but I do check if the moon is out in daylight hours when looking at hunt choices.

 

[ol_spark]

In PA it does. Above posts have made very good points.

 

[RT2506]

I believe that the moon phase and position has lots to do with deer movement. Where I hunt in East NC you can hear a gun shot in that flat land a loooooog way off. I have sat in my stand many a day all day long just to prove to myself that deer seem to all move at the same time, unless the rut is on and then you never no when. I have sat there in my stand and never see a deer and never hear a gun shot for hours. All of sudden you start to hear a shot in one direction then off in another direction then in another direction and all of a sudden there in front of you there is a deer. It is kind of like they all have an alarm clock and when it goes off they all get up and move.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Does the moon phase impact deer movement? No

Does the moon times impact deer movement? Yes

 

[OBXhunter]

From what I have seen the moon is a factor but weather is a bigger factor

 

[Mike 338]

So when you don't see them out on a full moon, where are they?

 

[Plinker147]

In my experience moon phase controls the time in which they are active not how active they are. Weather has a bigger influence of how active. The colder the weather the less the moon phase influences the time of movement.

 

[300dakota]

as others have stated it plays a role along with weather