Do Lunar Game charts work?

[johnnyk71]

Originally posted by Bobby Urban:
I have the Isolunar app on my phone and look at it mostly for fun but I will say that on days they call for more activity I see way more deer while driving(I drive a lot for my job) than on days with low movement predicted.  Very "unscientific" but when I have to drive at night I pay attention and slow a bit on predicted high movement days.

agreed. i use it too, and it is dead on about the major and minor movement times. if it says they're gonna move, they do. i'm constantly amazed at how right it is.

[Bellasm]

I have used solunarforecast.com and usprimetimes.com the past 3 seasons during my Kansas hunts and I am absolutely convinced that they indicate peak periods of movement. I will not head out this year without the forecasts. All you do is put in the zip code and the dates of your hunt and it will give you the needed info for free. Give it a try, there is nothing to lose.

[Bowwild]

Moon influence on deer movement was proven wrong more than 15 years ago.

[Blackhawk]

Bowwild is right...controlled studies have shown that the moon has little influence on deer movement.  

Very simply put...it's the temperature more than anything else.  

RULE: If it's a full moon and a cold front hits, they move.  If it's a full moon and weather is warm, they do not.

[Thumper Dunker]

Its bunk   I just ask my dog. I go any time I can go.  The game is still there just might not be doing what you want them to be doing. Go out and make them do what you want them to do.

[xtrema312]

I hunt whenever I can. Weather is critical to movement and I try to hunt the best conditions. But, if I have to plan way ahead for my time on vacation, I go with the noon phase to narrow the choices. I have seen enough correlation between movement with the moon being right and all other factors being good not to miss a predicted peak activity time.

[Dave Lay]

I do keep a eye on it fairly closely and have for years, but also hunt every chance I can, I do see a very strong increase in game movement, (everything in the woods), during "peak times" I have a friend who plans his hunts around it and will sleep in on days where the peak times hit late morning or mid day, then gets to stand a hour before.. he kills as many if not more deer than anyone I know , but I just cant do that, Im in a stand way before daylight regardless.  the only time my friend deviates from this is during the run when anything can happen..

[DaveT1963]

It is only one factor.  I dont care where the moon is - if the deer are feeling pressure, especially the older deer (bucks and does) they are not going to move very far from their sanctuaries until the they feel safe - usually under the cover of darkness.  One of the things that I have to deal with on public land is scouting early in the year, doing all the prep, staying out of my stand areas only to have the flood of dove hunters and nwebie bow hunters walking all through the area and really turning the deer nocturnal.  Some people really don't have a clue and mess up the hunting season before it ever begins.  I scout long range all year and I never see anyone out and about (except during turkey season) until dove season and the two weeks proceeding archery season.... then you see a massive rush of people.  Guess that is the downfall of living in a state with few public land options (TX).  Just part of the puzzel have to learn to pattern the deer hunters like mos tof our deer do