Bowhunter – September 2019

EVERYYEAR,wereadarticleson therelation-

sh ip betweendeermovementsand specific

ph asesof themoon.Variouscharts and

ta blesarepublished,whichincludethelatest

tr uthsor “scientific”linksbetweenmaximizing

yo urdaysafieldto thedifferent phasesof the

moon(new,waning,waxing,andfull).

But, is thereanyscienceto theseclaims?

Does The Moon Phase Determine Deer Movement?

ONE SURVEY SHOWED OVER THREE QUARTERS OF HUNTERS BELIEVE THE MOON

PHASE HAS EITHER A SIGNIFICANT OR SOME EFFECT ON DEER MOVEMENT. REALLY?

C.J. Winand

H

32 BOWHUNTER///SEPTEMBER 2019

One of the first to make a connec-

tion between moon phase and deer

movement was the late Jeff Murray,

who in 1992 created the Moon Guide.

Jeff and I spent many hours discuss-

ing his guide. In short, it picked the

best days, times, and locations for

hunters. Depending on whether the

moon is directly above or below the

Earth, the Moon Guide tells you

whether your time afield should be

spent near bedding, feeding, or tran-

sition zones.

If scientific data shows no correlation

between moon phase and deer move-

ment, then why do so many hunters

still put stock in it when planning

their days afield?