Deer Hunting: 3 Ways the Pros Use the Moon to Kill Big Bucks

Pay attention to the internet, hunting magazines, or outdoor TV shows long enough and you’ll eventually hear talk of the moon. But the moon can be a tricky topic when it comes to deer hunting, and it’s hard to know what’s real, what’s just talk, and what to do with it all. 

Over recent months I’ve been able to grill some of the nation’s top whitetail experts on this very subject, and I’ve been left with three main take aways:

1. Understanding overhead/underfoot times
Most theories related to the moon are based on the fact that the moon, when in a certain position, has a natural pull on deer to encourage movement. Adam Hays, host of Team 200 TV and the successful hunter of three 200-inch bucks, is a firm believer in this theory. 
    
“There are a handful of what I call red moon days,” says Hays, “when the moon is peaking overhead or is underfoot right at primetime, within 2-3 hours of dark, and those are the dates when there’s the best chance of mature animals moving during daylight.”
    
These overhead/underfoot times can be found in a variety of places online or by using the tool that Adam uses called the Moon Guide. As mentioned, the key seems to be zeroing in on the days where the overhead/underfoot times coincide with the usual dusk/dawn movement periods. 

2. Keying in on the rising/setting moon
Similar to times when the moon is overhead or underfoot, some believe that the moon can induce increased movement when the moon is rising or setting during that typical dusk/dawn period as well. Interestingly, these days when the late setting or early rising moons occur are the days leading up to and immediately preceding the full moon. For this reason, Mark Drury of Drury Outdoors likes this time of month best. 

“My favorite time of each month, regardless of the time of deer season, is the full moon,” says Drury. “The seven days that precede it and the seven days that follow it—I like afternoon hunting as I lead into the day of the full moon, as the moon will be (visibly) rising in the afternoon. On that full moon day though, the best activity will switch over to mornings, and if you look at those days following, those are the days the moon will be visibly setting in the morning.”

3. The extra 10 minutes
An important point I’ve come to understand about how the moon might impact movement is that it’s not some kind of magic force that will suddenly guarantee incredible deer movement at a given time. Rather it seems to work as a subtle nudge for deer to get moving a little earlier or a little more, assuming other factors are ripe for movement.

Drury explains, “weather can trump all of that (the effects of the moon), however the moon can accent weather and make it even better.”

That said, look for those dates/times when the ideal moon position/times sync up with other desired conditions, and you might be able to see that extra ten minutes of earlier buck activity. And with a mature deer, that might be all you need.