Hunting by Solunar tables

[Pinelander]

I never have put much faith in them. Always hunt beginning of day (feed-bed) and evening (bed-feed). These two main transitional movements are daily routines that I count on, regardless of moon positions. Is there really any credibility to these tables?

[tuffshot]

I feel a bad ole moon arising on this one :p


:jk:

The time of the rut is about the only thing I pay attention to and not even sure which phase the moon is in at that time, but the rut no matter what it seems to stay very consistant give or take a few days.

[Pinelander]

... but the rut no matter what it seems to stay very consistant give or take a few days.
Got that right... doesn't matter if it's windy, cold, hot, or wet... gotta be out there! :)

[Cato]

I think there is probably something to it. But down here, the extreme heat seems to kill the middle of the day regardless of the moon. And during the rut, they move off and on all day, regardless of the moon. I just gave up and go early to mid day, the then early pm to nightfall.

[Bill Carlsen]

...I see way fewer deer later in the day. What I try to do at those times, unless it is overcast, is get closer to the bedding areas. I try to plan my out of state hunts a week before and after the darkest phase of the moon. Seems to work out well when I do that. But, who knows? :sbrug:

[jhinaz]

I normally take the mid-day off from hunting and do camp chores, stump shooting, reading, etc. People have written that, when the moon is full, mid-day activity is INCREASED........ I'm gonna try it this year and see. :D - John

[Pinelander]

Ya know, I wish that through all these years I would've jotted down what the moon phase and position had been when I experienced out of the ordinary movement patterns. But then again, most times when I did... it was during the rut.

[BowDonkey]

It definately effects the deer up here, though I hunt when I can.

[vtbowman]

Sadly I can only hunt a few days here and there per season so I hunt when I can. I hunt rain or shine, moon or not....
But I like to see if the charts are accurate after the fact.
It seems they are pretty close in my book.

[G.Watkins]

I have noticed that it is dead quiet in the woods then all of a sudden the woods comes alive. Maybe it is the moon cycle. With limited time to hunt I would like to know if there is any validity to the moon cycle theory.

[woodsmoke]

Years ago when I did a lot of flyfishing We paid a lot of attention to these tables and they are accurate. So I began observing them while hunting and watching game and there is a definate relationship to the tables and animals. What I have noticed is animals (deer) will get up and stretch several times during the day but times of lunar activity they move about there bedding area and nibble on the forage much more actively. The movement makes them somewhat easier to spot but not if you are hunting them as if they are on their daily movement patterns to and from bedding/feeding areas.

[stalker]

I found that the lunar tables were accurate,untill hunting pressure increases,then you can throw it out the window.Old bucks and old does don't get old by being stupid,they go nocternal(check spelling).
I have taken too many deer,in high pressure areas, when the weather was bad and the lunar charts were not in favor.

:2cents:
Stalker

[No Bite]

I always hunt according to the moon if I can. I go to here: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html
and find the moon's position in my area. I like to hunt when it is up during the daytime. All things being equal (like weather, heat, etc.) it seems to help. :2cents:

[Stick]

I hunt the first week of bow season in Bama every year. The years that the "best" days according to the chart have always produced more deer than the years that fell on the "poor" days according to the chart. As far as actual time of day I think that has more to do with how close to the bedding areas you hunt. I do think the chart will help you pick the best 3 days out of the month though.