I'm sure this horse has been beat to near death, but as long as it's still breathing here it goes. I was able to get a few hours off every morning this week and low and behold the moon is bigger and brighter than the sun. Or so it seemed this morning as I slowly crept toward my stand this morning. I saw pretty much what I was expecting from this mornings hunt - nothing. How do the rest of you fair on the full moon phase? I,ve rarely done well, even with the rut hopefully kicking in.
THANKS
GLENN
Dand, whats the odds Razor and I were thinking the same thing at the same time! Spooky how us tradgangers think alike.
GLENN
during the full moon i hunt the midday and have done well seeing movement till dark in my area if you can you might try it
In my experience, full moon means little deer movement in the evening or sunrise.
Down here, (especially with hogs), game movement is best during the late morning through early afternoon. But there is always a chance one might fool ya', so I do hunt morning and evenings as well as mid day.
The worst part of hunting later in the morning through afternoon down here is that mid-day temps may be high 80s to low 90s. But ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do, thermacell and a sweat towel.
Hmmmm..... Now ya got me thinking.....
I just posted on another thread, That in my 30+ years of hunting it seems that I see more deer during the day when the moon is full.....
I'm usualy not in the woods much before 8-9am and usualy have to leave around 3 or 4pm..... :confused:
This morning at 700 a I had a 8 pt that was a little past his ears at 20 yards, a nice deer but not quite big enough. 740 4 does crossed the ridge in front of me about 100 yards. Minutes later they they scattered as a basket rack 8 broke them up. he chased one about 50 yards before leaving her and walking away. 830 seen 2 more does.
Total deer seen this moring 8. Saturady between two of us we seen 17 all day. The deer are moving. Bucks are starting to really cruise. Hunting in NE Missouri on the Mississippi River on private land.
I went a little late yesterday morning. The sun was up when driving to the deer woods.I made it the 3/4 mile to where I wanted to hunt and jumped three deer the exact place I was going to sit. I was there till about 1:00 PM and didn't see anything else. About 45 minutes before sundown I decided to walk behind my house and sit on the ground. Right at sundown a doe walked within 13 yards all the time starring me down so no shot. It's still archery only here but I believe when the guns come out that's when the midday hunting really pays off.Go when you can go.
Mid day...If I told ya what I saw Sunday Morning from 9:30 till 12:45 you wouldn't believe me.
During the full moon phase....you gotta hunt mid day...or daylight till one...take a short break and eat lunch and get right back in there, or take lunch with ya.
It also makes a big difference 'where' you are hunting.
Give us a try Terry. I hunted from 0900 until 1230 two days before the full moon but never saw anything but bedded doe I jumped up on the way out. Typically I never see anything at dawn during a full moon. Realtree moon phase says 1130 is peak and rates it at good.
Going into work this morning around 10:00am saw a few deer out in some of the bean fields. So your probably right on the mid day hunts. My son and I will be off friday so you better believe we'll be packing lunches!
GLENN
Hunted on the ground this evening, got in the woods at 3:30, had a small six pt come in at 4:00 but to far out. 5:00 a 4pt came from behind me at ten yards... looked me right it the eye when I turned my head. He just about turned inside out trying to put some distance between us.
Razor...I'll try and give a time play by play tomorrow...I got all the text messages I sent to Curt on my phone.
Is there an internet site that you can find the moon phase charts?
The old theory that deer feed all night and sleep all day during the full moon is just that, a theory. The theory goes that they do this because they can see better from the full moon's light, hence the reason they feed all night.
The truth is, deer don't need the light of the full moon to see. They can see just fine without it. Deer naturally feed and move about more at night because it's cooler and, in most cases safer. They see very well at night, with or without the light from a full moon. Actually, I believe deer movement increases during the full moon period. But, like as mentioned, it depends on a lot of variables(temperature, cold fronts, barometric pressure, stage of the rut, etc.).
SolunarForecast.com
That Old Theory don't hold water...I've proved that over and over....same thing with the windy day theory.
You gotta be hunting the right place....and most times NOT over a food plot....or wide open oak groves. Not that in rare cased that might work....but you gotta be in the right 'type' of places during the full moon.
Where do you hunt Terry bedding areas? Thats the only place I have any luck during full moon and windy days.
Full moon...hunt at noon.
I was hanging a stand Sunday and had a mid sized 8pt just about walk up to me at 11:30. I would say with the Rut knocking chances are good at heavy mid day activity. This Saterday in the North East should be killer. Clear high preasure temps in the 20s and a rising moon. Hang on boys this one's gonna be big!!!
Activity everwhere else spikes during a full moon; hospitals, police stations... Why not the deer woods?
I don't often get out during a full moon in Oct. because it's holloween and I have kids. I was out the night after the full moon and saw plenty!
I'm not buying it either. I've been tromping woods for over fifty years; 45 of them with the bow and have never seen a significant difference during full moon phaze. If anything, they just browse more during the day, especially in whitetail cover....thick undergrowth within their range.
I think folks who keep using the same stand over and over will see fluctuation, but I belive it's due more to food changes in the woods and fields, or just shifting patterns. You keep stinking-up the same spot all the time and the trees would probably change areas if they could 8^). :saywhat:
However, I do think it is a good excuse to fall back on if you aren't seeing deer. It may bring them to the fields after dark more often, but I don't hunt the fields. :thumbsup: