Peak chart times

shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
So I am a firm believer In lunar tables and charts already. Days like today are what make me a believer that there is something natural tha makes deer move.

Even though it wasnt a super strong peak today had a peak right after noon. On my way home i saw 4 sets of deer out in different fields and someone's yard. This wasnt some lone deer that was hungry that got up to feed these were groups. Something had these deer up in 96 degree heat eating.
 

JoeH

Six Pointer
Does are ravenously hungry this time of year, because they’re nursing fawns. So they’re eating for THREE!
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
well if you know when the times of movement occur and you are out to see the animals that are moving; you will see some correlation between moon position times and movement by mammals.
Some dispute them, others use them.
I listened to a world class bass pro two Fridays ago explaining why the bite was off until they got "set up" at mid day when he could really catch them.
I could have made his life easy and told him when the moon position times are on a full moon (mid day) but this is the same man that took 15 years before he thew a chatterbait.

some old dogs cannot be educated. :)
 

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
Saw several deer in a field at 4pm yesterday and thought it had to be because of the moon or something bumped them out of bed. Too dang hot to be in that sun.
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
It’s a strong factor, plenty think it’s a hoax but I’ll still continue to hunt days where the peak is in the first/last 2 hours of the day. Best action I see during early season is when the moon is overhead an hour before last light, and if there is a front coming in it can get wild fast


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Jrbrandt25

Ten Pointer
Contributor
I believe game animals have our hunting Calendar...they know when they can walk out and tease us. Every deer season I see a 100 turkeys walking all times of the day. During Turkey season I see 100 deer walking around...
 

Wv67

Ten Pointer
These lunar tables do you have a site you visit that states the times that’s best ? I’m old school I guess I don’t buy into certain things very easy but I believe it effects fishing pops always said when the moon looks like a bent pole 1/4 moon go fishing don’t know but you make me curious any sites to visit etc ... thansk
 

Helium

Old Mossy Horns
Moon effects tides, fishing, People (ask LE or nursing home staff).... and in my experience no doubt it effects deer
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
These lunar tables do you have a site you visit that states the times that’s best ? I’m old school I guess I don’t buy into certain things very easy but I believe it effects fishing pops always said when the moon looks like a bent pole 1/4 moon go fishing don’t know but you make me curious any sites to visit etc ... thansk

There are charts online but I use an app on my phone called HuntStand..... it and the charts will tell you the peaks but it’s when the moon is overhead or underfoot is a major feeding peak (overhead being better) and the moon rise and moon set are minor peaks.
Weather fronts trump the moon and the rut trumps all, but when the moon is in a waxing period and overhead an hour before last light is when I’ll hunt a target buck if I have one.


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Cam

Four Pointer
Im not saying the moon dosent effect movement. But in the summer or hot months deer feed at night mainly. But they have to eat about every 4 hours so that puts them on their feet during mid day and early afternoon. Plus all the new soybean fields coming up makes them alot more visible you know they cant resist the new beans.
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
I believe in them, to a point. There are a TON of variables that affect deer movement, the moon is just one of them. But, when moon positions line up with peak hunting times and the weather is right, you can bet I will be in a stand. I keep a journal that documents all of my hunting exploits. I document all game movement and will correlate it with moon peak times using my Huntstand app. There is definitely a correlation. But, I do not just use peak times as my only reference. I am not going to not go hunting just because the charts say it's not going to be a good day. Deer gotta eat. And anything can them on their feet. Hunting Pressure, weather, hot doe, or just that ole buck decides he wants to get up and move to another spot for whatever reason.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
These lunar tables do you have a site you visit that states the times that’s best ? I’m old school I guess I don’t buy into certain things very easy but I believe it effects fishing pops always said when the moon looks like a bent pole 1/4 moon go fishing don’t know but you make me curious any sites to visit etc ... thansk
My favorite is this.
Just know the moon up and down times as a start.
I will warn you that there are all kinds of tables out there that do not match each other.
Some want you to adjust based on your location.
this one can get you to your zip code.

this book is seen as a primer for deer hunting applications. Don't pay $43 for one. Ollies has them for $4 bucks. Or did. :)

It's fun to play with, we all know that we have to go hunting or fishing when we "can" moon times be damned.
But you'll do a lot of killing and catching during peak times. :)
 

Wv67

Ten Pointer
Thanks guys good info , which I always hunt everyday I can but this stuff makes me curious and it’s something else to mess with
 

Redneck Rocker Dude

Old Mossy Horns
I've always kept up with them during hunting season and have noticed and uptick in activity when the moon is right but the weather not so much.

The weather has more to do with it than anything IMO. My big buck last year was during a full moon and I killed him with over an hour left of daylight. There was a very strong weather front that was coming in the next day.

What really made me a believe in them was a day offshore last year. The peak time was from 9-12 and we couldnt keep the full spread of lines out without bringing mahi in the boat. At noon the bite slacked off and we picked at them here and there but it was world class fishing during the peak times.

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buckman4c

Spike
Great to see this subject come up. I keep a pretty good log of sightings and conditions but up until this point never gave much mind to the moon. Because of hunting when I could hunt, it really didn't matter. But, I'm interested to see if there's some truth to it regardless of other conditions. My opinion is, the other conditions will amplify or diminish the effect. We shall see.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
I've always kept up with them during hunting season and have noticed and uptick in activity when the moon is right but the weather not so much.

The weather has more to do with it than anything IMO. My big buck last year was during a full moon and I killed him with over an hour left of daylight. There was a very strong weather front that was coming in the next day.

What really made me a believe in them was a day offshore last year. The peak time was from 9-12 and we couldnt keep the full spread of lines out without bringing mahi in the boat. At noon the bite slacked off and we picked at them here and there but it was world class fishing during the peak times.

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Those that don't take advantage of pre frontal movements and bites miss out on some opportunities.
I agree on the weather 100%.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Great to see this subject come up. I keep a pretty good log of sightings and conditions but up until this point never gave much mind to the moon. Because of hunting when I could hunt, it really didn't matter. But, I'm interested to see if there's some truth to it regardless of other conditions. My opinion is, the other conditions will amplify or diminish the effect. We shall see.
the biggest wild card on deer is pressure imo.
all the moon times in the world wont get them to a corn pile in daylight if we hunt the pile 20 straight days. :)
 

hunthard2

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
It’s easy and hard to prove and disprove the moon theory based on ones personal observations. Just because they’re moving doesn’t mean they’re moving in front of me. Likewise, they might all be in front of me and not in front of my neighbor. That said, I enjoy seeing the times line up with when I can hunt, simply because I like to pretend odds are stacked in my favor.

For those who know and play the game, do you hunt food sources, travel routes or bedding areas (if you have a spot that these are easily discernible) during peak ‘movement’ times?


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oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
It’s easy and hard to prove and disprove the moon theory based on ones personal observations. Just because they’re moving doesn’t mean they’re moving in front of me. Likewise, they might all be in front of me and not in front of my neighbor. That said, I enjoy seeing the times line up with when I can hunt, simply because I like to pretend odds are stacked in my favor.

For those who know and play the game, do you hunt food sources, travel routes or bedding areas (if you have a spot that these are easily discernible) during peak ‘movement’ times?


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Where you position in relation to the moon times is key to me.
Waiting on an opening or destination food source in the pm may be a complete waste if the activity is predicted for 8pm.
So on those evenings imo you should be closer to a bedding area to have any hope of a shooting time sighting.

On morning hunts with bad moon times they will be down so early that unless you beat them in and are right on the bedding cover you aint seeing much. it is a travesty the march of deer I have been around parading to bedding areas in the dark way before shooting time. :)

And the confidence factor you mention is key. maybe one sees the correlation if they want to or misses it entirely if they are seeking to prove it's a crock. :)

That book I mentioned from jeff murray details a practical approach to set ups related to moon times.
The boys at the hunting beast.com play the game some but their mantra is bedding area regardless but they do expect earlier PM action when the moon is "right."
 

buckman4c

Spike
the biggest wild card on deer is pressure imo.
all the moon times in the world wont get them to a corn pile in daylight if we hunt the pile 20 straight days. :)
I believe this as well. In fact Penn State along with the Pa Game Commission has a deer movement study on going for some time now. Based on the study, older animals display a "knowledge" of when to hit the high road. Movements indicate just prior to deer rifle season which coincidentally occurs just after rifle bear season, these deer seek a safe spot. These safe spots are traditionally on steep hillsides and near the tops. Their also on the leeward side of the mountain for the prevailing wind at that time of year. The deer display reduced movement during day light, make larger movements at night and return to their safe spot well before day light.
I'm more curious to see how the moon correlates with my sightings on the private land I bow hunt.
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
the biggest wild card on deer is pressure imo.
all the moon times in the world wont get them to a corn pile in daylight if we hunt the pile 20 straight days. :)

True and that’s the hardest thing to control if you don’t own your own land. Personally I never sit a stand twice in a row, even if I only move 400 yards away, and always give the area about a week before I sit it again. I primarily only hunt a 500 acre block on a pine plantation and do pretty well.


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I look at them just to see what they say the best times are. I have never seen a real big difference in deer movement. Nothing consistent anyway. I think it has more to do with the amount of light due to a fuller moon. Deer are crepuscular and the brighter the moon the more it looks like twilight to them for a longer period of time. On a full moon a lot of them move at night and on a new moon they move more during daylight hours. Just my opinion on my observations hunting.
 
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