Best Time to Hunt Whitetails Based on Moon Phases
Filed under: Ask Grant, Hunting Tactics
Unfortunately, I don’t have my own place and usually end up hunting conservation land in northern Missouri. On our new year’s weekend bow hunt this past winter we saw over 100 deer per day…..on conservation ground. I couldn’t believe it! But 10 inches of snow, 18 below zero temps and standing corn may have had a little bit to do with that.
Anyway, my question is about moon phases. I don’t get a whole lot of time to bow hunt so I try and make my times count. What is the best piece of advice you could give me on deer movement? I have heard so many different things over the years. For instance, “if the moon is overhead during the day you better be hunting.” Also, do you know where I can find a moon phase map that is cheap?
By the way, I feel for you hunting those hills down in Branson. I know the owner of SaddleBrooke and he used to let me hunt on the west side of Highway 65 and it was all walking, no four wheelers. We saw a few deer and a lot of turkeys, but it was a 45 minute drive from my home in Republic, so we found a place closer.
I appreciate any help you can give me. Take care, good hunting and God bless.
Brian
Brian,
Thanks for checking out GrowingDeer.tv!
There are gads of calendars, articles, etc., that predict when deer will be most active based on the phase of the moon. Some are online, some are for sale, and some are published in hunting magazines. However, there have been numerous scientific studies using actual conception dates of deer, movement patterns collected by GPS collars, etc. None of these studies have found any correlation of deer activity and specific moon phases. Maybe these studies aren’t looking for the correct correlation. There is always room for further research.
I hunt when I can and absolutely don’t worry about what’s the current phase of the moon. With that said, if you have a system that works for you, don’t change!
Growing Deer together,
Grant
