What moon phase is best for the rut?
“The hunters I talk to generally like a rising moon or setting moon that coincides with dawn and dusk,” Kenyon said. “If the moon rises during the final hour of daylight or sets late in the morning, they expect increased deer activity. I also follow whether the moon is directly overhead or underfoot.
Does the moon phase affect deer hunting?
There is no relationship between moon phase and deer movement. The bottom line is: Moon phase is irrelevant in the day to day nutritional or survival requirements of a deer.
What moon phase Do deer move the most?
Though still relatively low and not statistically significant, his study also found mid-day movement tended to be greatest during the full moon. Last but not least, late afternoon activity peaked during the last quarter.
Does the rut start on a full moon?
My old friend Charlie Alsheimer called it, “the oddball years.” The basic formula by rut forecasters for choosing the running time, or peak of the rut occurs under the second full moon after the autumnal equinox, when the darkness and light are equal, sunrise 6 a.m., sunset 6 p.m.
Is deer hunting good during full moon?
Some hunters feel a full moon isn’t favorable for hunting because the deer spend the night feeding and rutting. Others argue that the light of the full moon can actually spark activity and get mature bucks moving earlier in the evenings. Many believe moon phase and the rut are linked though the QDMA says it’s not.
What affects deer rut?
Miller of the University of Georgia, southern deer are still under the influence of photoperiod, but exact timing of the rut is more influenced by genetics and maternal factors, and the synchrony of the rut is more influenced by herd demographics.
What is a trickle rut?
Poor age structure leads to what I long ago called a “trickle” rut. It is characterized by a few does (usually the older ones) coming into estrus, then a delay followed by a few more. In most cases, the first does to achieve estrus are the ones that lost their fawns to poor nutrition.
How long does the deer rut last?
The rut for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) usually lasts three weeks in the Northern Hemisphere and may occur most of the year in tropical zones. The rut is the time when white-tail deer, especially bucks, are more active and less cautious than usual.
When is rutting season for deer?
Scott Osborne, the retired deer biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, agrees that late-season buck hunting is problematic but not impossible. “December rut hunting kind of depends on the situation,” he said, “such as buck-to-doe
What is the best moon phase for deer hunting?
“There are a handful of what I call red moon days,” says Hays, “when the moon is peaking overhead or is underfoot right at primetime, within 2-3 hours of dark, and those are the dates when there’s the best chance of mature animals moving during daylight.”
What is the best Moon for hunting deer?
“My favorite time of each month, regardless of the time of deer season, is the full moon,” says Drury. “The seven days that precede it and the seven days that follow it—I like afternoon hunting as I lead into the day of the full moon, as the moon will be (visibly) rising in the afternoon.
Do moon phases affect deer movement?
While we’ll probably never settle the arrowhead debate, there’s fresh evidence that moon phase might actually influence deer movement. Georgia hunter Chad Day, who has spent a decade studying deer behavior via a network of trail cameras, suggests that a waxing moon overhead in early evening coincides with the movement of mature bucks.