No Link Between Moon Phase and Rut Peak | Quality Deer Management Association
http://t.co/edwqVud6UV

From the charts it appears to me that there is "no such thing" as a second rut in December. Interesting.

My personal suspicion is it may have a stronger correlation to temperature than anything. The moon and being photosensitive (daylight) are very easy to track. As I was sitting on stand last night I was wondering if the warm streak we're having now might not push the peak rut further back.

I don't put much stock in the moon phase or the weather affecting peak breeding dates. The trigger that always made most sense to me is the amount of daylight in a day....so actually the position of the sun if you will.

That said, the moon phase and the weather produce definite affects on deer movement...not only during the rut, but year round. A full moon will generate more night time activity and reduce day time activity. Just the opposite with a new moon. Warm temps while wearing winter coats will slow day time movement down. In extreme cold, best activity will probably be mid-afternoon.

For deer hunting, give me a frosty early November morning (pre-rut) with a decent breeze following a new moon any time!

BOBinIN this is a chart of doe percentage bred...the "second rut" is never going to have as many but depending on your area and how many late cycling does (or second cycle unbred) you have the later cycle of breeding can be some of the most intense action all year.

I look at moon position.. but the rut is , in my opinion, triggered by the decreasing daylight hours.

I will say a full moon allows deer , in my opinion again, to feed easier, making their daylight movement less needed.

the above chart is based off less than 200 does per year found dead on the road in NEW BRUNSWICK. hardly proof in my book.

"Scientists have known for decades that the length of daylight each day, which fluctuates throughout the seasons, serves as the trigger for hormone changes in deer that bring on breeding and the rut – though the timing of the trigger varies widely in different regions and deer populations for several other reasons. But stories persist among hunters that the moon plays a role. In 2007, wildlife biologist Rod Cumberland was the deer management biologist for the small Canadian province of New Brunswick, which borders the state of Maine, and Rod wanted to study the moon’s effect on deer breeding dates. He already had a great data set at his disposal.

From 1997 to 2005, biologists with New Brunswick DNR visited the sites of reported deer road-kills to collect biological data, including fetal measurements from pregnant does. The measurements, taken with a fetal scale invented by QDMA founder Joe Hamilton, allowed biologists to age each fetus to determine the precise conception date. With more than 1,600 does providing fetal data across nine years, the enormous sample size was more than adequate for Rod to draw sound conclusions."

how many tens of thousands of data points were used by the D&DH guy who says the moon phase does play a roll? And from all over the country no less, not just one small area.

Do you have a link this research? I would like to read up on it.

http://charliealsheimer.com/ca/default.htm

his homepage would be a good start to find the studies

Years ago I bought the moon rotating dial that showed rising moons and falling moons, etc. I used it and tracked results of sightings, successes and the like.

I really, really wanted it to be true... but I found that I wasted $14.95 on the hunting tool that I hoped would bring me good success.

But at least I learned a bit about hunting deer and the moon.

One thing I took out of my little experiment is full moons and hunting bucks between 11am- 1:30 pm.

It turns out that I have seen an extraordinary amount of bucks around noon - including my first deer taken with a bow, which came out at exactly Noon. Yes, it was due to my enormous drag-rag with doe-in-heat urine all over it.

However, since then, I have seen bucks at Noon more than any other time of day.

It could be the full moon at noon - it could be that other hunters are usually out of the woods and kick up deer as they are walking out around 10:00 - 10:30am.