Best 2016 Moon Days

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headgear
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby headgear » Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:21 am

DaveT1963 wrote:far to many good deer on what some would say are "non moon days" to ever let it keep me out of the woods.


Dave I hate to keep bringing this up again and again but it is always posted so I will ask again, who has ever said to stay out of the woods on a non moon day? That seems to be the main sticking point with the non-mooners so I think its worth addressing. Also no one has ever stated that deer don't move on moon days, so by the math alone there are far more non-moon days than moon days. All we are talking about is a slight increase in early movement & distance from bed, to some people that is very important. Other maybe not so much.


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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:36 am

So you let the moon dictate where you set up.... not if you will hunt? Sorry just not relevant with how I go after a buck.
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby headgear » Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:51 am

No the moon has very little to do with picking a stand location, however it can be helpful if you can't get as close to a bedding area or bed as you would like. I also hunt far more non-moon days than moon days, again that math thing. Back to my original question, who has ever said to stay out of the woods on a non moon day? That same argument is brought up again and again and don't see how it has any relevance on weather the moon works or not.

Just think of the moon as a weather front that could increase early movement, except it's something that can be planning further in advance. A small piece to the puzzle but a piece that can sometimes fill the gap between having a buck walk by during shooting hours or not.
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:58 am

Just checked the Moon times and they were pretty far off on my morning kill this past weekend. However, I've always done better during full moons bowhunting mornings.

I pretty much hunt when i have time but it's cool to to match up data later on and see if there were any factors influencing movement.
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 5:49 am

MOBIGBUCKS wrote:Just checked the Moon times and they were pretty far off on my morning kill this past weekend. However, I've always done better during full moons bowhunting mornings.

I pretty much hunt when i have time but it's cool to to match up data later on and see if there were any factors influencing movement.


X2 I often see later morning movement during a full moon - 0900-1100 seems to be magic for me - could be coincidence - don't know but its worked enough for me to stay put during days following a bright night
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby Dewey » Thu Sep 22, 2016 5:52 am

DaveT1963 wrote:
MOBIGBUCKS wrote:Just checked the Moon times and they were pretty far off on my morning kill this past weekend. However, I've always done better during full moons bowhunting mornings.

I pretty much hunt when i have time but it's cool to to match up data later on and see if there were any factors influencing movement.


X2 I often see later morning movement during a full moon - 0900-1100 seems to be magic for me - could be coincidence - don't know but its worked enough for me to stay put during days following a bright night

So you DO let the moon influence how you hunt? :think:

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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 5:59 am

headgear wrote:No the moon has very little to do with picking a stand location, however it can be helpful if you can't get as close to a bedding area or bed as you would like. I also hunt far more non-moon days than moon days, again that math thing. Back to my original question, who has ever said to stay out of the woods on a non moon day? That same argument is brought up again and again and don't see how it has any relevance on weather the moon works or not.

Just think of the moon as a weather front that could increase early movement, except it's something that can be planning further in advance. A small piece to the puzzle but a piece that can sometimes fill the gap between having a buck walk by during shooting hours or not.


Like I said that just is not applicable to how I hunt - I am usually not counting on a buck to move more than 50-100 yards when I set up. I have shot some right at last light but the majority are shot 30-40 minutes before last light. In the AM I have had them move from just before daylight to noon - and it didn't matter what the moon was doing. Only exception is what MOBIGBUCKS identified - late and better morning movement following a full moon [glow=red]Edit: better stated following a bright night[/glow].

I guess if you are hunting right on a food source like a crop field it might be applicable. But whether a buck moves 1 hour or 5 minutes before nightfall has little relevance on where I set up..... and I am sorry but my observations remain that position of moon really has little to no effect on when a mature buck gets up on his feet.

I am not saying it doesn't work where you hunt or you have not observed the opposite, or that there is absolutely no effect- just stating my observation and why I no longer use them. BTW, I sill attend addicted to moon chart therapy sessions once a week - I am in remission currently but who knows, some knew study could come out tomorrow and ruin 5+ years of celibacy ....... :lol: :lol: :lol: Last sentence just funning as this is not a topic we should ever get wound up about - I respect your opinion and input. Now about Billary...........................
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 6:01 am

Dewey wrote:
DaveT1963 wrote:
MOBIGBUCKS wrote:Just checked the Moon times and they were pretty far off on my morning kill this past weekend. However, I've always done better during full moons bowhunting mornings.

I pretty much hunt when i have time but it's cool to to match up data later on and see if there were any factors influencing movement.


X2 I often see later morning movement during a full moon - 0900-1100 seems to be magic for me - could be coincidence - don't know but its worked enough for me to stay put during days following a bright night

So you DO let the moon influence how you hunt? :think:

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Not the moon phase or position - just amount of light at night - if it is stormy or overcast then I do not notice the later AM movement. But in all truth when I drive 4 hours to hunt I usually hunt all day. I might make a move or two during the day if wind or other factors tells me its time to move - but I am there to hunt
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby Stanley » Thu Sep 22, 2016 6:44 am

From my observations regardless of moon phase, weather, temperature, barometer, hunting pressure, even the rut. Bucks move the most at dusk and dawn. Some bucks do go almost nocturnal, in this case maybe just maybe a buck would get up a little earlier on a good moon day. But realistically how would we really know this? There are so few hunters that actually see a buck get out of its bed it is hard to gather real information.

So would the next best thing be tracking buck movement with cameras to determine if buck movement is enhanced on moon days? Lot of the moon guys say this is an irrelevant test? So now we are down to hunters "believing" the buck movement happens. Is this a valid way to determine buck movement on moon days? By my thinking there is not enough real evidence that supports enhanced buck movement on good moon days.

I wish the moon were a crystal ball that could predict buck movement. Unfortunately it is not. Another thing to take into consideration if you set up on a buck and get withing site of the bedded buck, what difference does it make if the buck gets up 10 minutes earlier? If you are in position to kill the buck long before he gets up, he either gets up and gives you a shot or he doesn't. :think: You can't wait for a good moon day with perfect weather, perfect wind, etc. It may not happen. You must hunt when the conditions are perfect regardless of moon phase.

I always tell young hunters to concentrate on things they have control over. They can only hope all the conditions fall on a good moon day. :think:
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby headgear » Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:12 am

Stanley wrote:So would the next best thing be tracking buck movement with cameras to determine if buck movement is enhanced on moon days? Lot of the moon guys say this is an irrelevant test? So now we are down to hunters "believing" the buck movement happens. Is this a valid way to determine buck movement on moon days? By my thinking there is not enough real evidence that supports enhanced buck movement on good moon days.


GPS would be the best, ideally as hunters we would want to track all daylight movements of mature bucks and study the conditions they moved during shooting hours or earlier than normal be it weather, rut, moon or other. 5 or 10 minute increments would probably be best. Not sure this is a study that will ever get done but it sure would be fun to pour over the data and try and understand all daytime movements. It would be even more interesting to do it for different groups of bucks around the country and see if there are differences there as well.

Stanley wrote:Another thing to take into consideration if you set up on a buck and get withing site of the bedded buck, what difference does it make if the buck gets up 10 minutes earlier?


This is what I am talking about when I say fundamental differences over the understanding of the moon. You can't see how this could help but as a bed hunter that 10 minutes can make or break your season. Twice in the past 5-6 years I have had shooters in bow range but it was just too dark to make an ethical shot. Had the buck come 5 or 10 minute earlier I might be able to make that shot. The same can be said for distance traveled. Its not like the bucks get up and shoot off in any direction, the can take their time or mill around waiting for darkness. In pressured situations they really don't want to be out of their safety zone when its light out.

Stanley wrote:If you are in position to kill the buck long before he gets up, he either gets up and gives you a shot or he doesn't. :think:
This can happen but it isn't always the case and is just too simplistic of an example, many variables come into play and time on feet and the distance a buck travels during shooting hours can play a major roll.


Stanley wrote:You can't wait for a good moon day with perfect weather, perfect wind, etc. It may not happen. You must hunt when the conditions are perfect regardless of moon phase.


I have asked this question a good dozen times over the various moon threads with no answers, who has every said only hunt moon days or to stay home on non moon days? It is a constant excuse to discard the moon but is not relevant to conversation. So please who is proposing that people stay home because its not a moon day?

Stanley wrote:I always tell young hunters to concentrate on things they have control over. They can only hope all the conditions fall on a good moon day. :think:


I guess I have to ask again who is saying this? It makes no sense to me and I don't know any moon hunters who would give out such advise.
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:34 am

You obviously are way more advanced then I am to verify so many bucks getting up from beds earlier during moon days... that or have access to studies I've never seen. Either way I'm glad it works so well for you.... hasn't worked like that for me.

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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby headgear » Thu Sep 22, 2016 11:54 am

That or the Chi Dave. Most of my observations are based on all deer movement, in a bigwoods setting (think less than deer per square mile) the moon hunts can be like night and day. Those observations, buck encounters and a couple of moon kills make me a strong believer. I'm not actually trying to convince you and Stan it works, however I am stating the case for the moon for the benefit of others. I guess you guys are doing the same from your perspective. As long as its perfectly clear that you should never stay home because the moon isn't right I am fine with it, you two just continue to bring that up again and again and I'm not really sure why because no one has ever said that.
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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby jwilkstn » Thu Sep 22, 2016 3:33 pm

My experience 100% aligns with headgear on this.
Like he said, no one is basing when, or if, they hunt on just the moon, but it can make the difference in an average hunt or a phenomenal hunt.
I could think up several examples, but one that really comes to mind was Thanksgiving Day I think it was 2014. Like many of us, for me that day was invested in keeping the girlfriend happy by visiting both her family and mine. That afternoon we were driving 90 minutes from her parents to mine. Someone can go back and look at the moon time/phase if they wish but I remember seeing the moon was approaching the mid point in the sky an hour before dark, so this was a day or two probably before a Last Quarter moon. On a drive I've made close to a hundred times we saw more deer that time than any other. I'm talking WELL OVER 200 DEER from I-65 and US-64. Very busy highways. Here's the kicker: this was 5 days into rifle season here in TN.
Naturally, my little cousin killed a great 8 pointer that afternoon on our farm going to a winter wheat field. No doubt in my mind that buck was up on his feet earlier than normal due to the moon phase. The weather was stable, no fronts or wind direction shift.

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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Sep 22, 2016 10:52 pm

My moon routine from this point on:

Is the moon still there.....Yep

Is it effecting deer or animals someplace on this planet where it is directly overhead or underfoot....Yep, that's what they say

OK Im going hunting.

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Re: Best 2016 Moon Days

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Fri Sep 23, 2016 12:00 am

The radio collared deer studies I have read is, other than rut, bucks move (are active) most between 10pm-2am.
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