One common theory suggests that moon phase can influence timing of the rut, and therefore peak activity periods. We know the onset of breeding season is influenced primarily by photoperiodism - changes in the amount of sunlight as the days grow shorter. This causes physiological processes in deer that trigger their reproductive system. Light is light, right? So one could easily conclude that changes in the amount of moonlight might also have an effect. And because the full moon does not occur at the same time annually, peak breeding dates would change from year to year, possibly by as much as a couple weeks. It sounds good in theory, but to date there is no peer-reviewed empirical evidence to support it. For any given location, peek breeding dates occurred at the same time every year, regardless of changes in moon phase timing.
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Mature Whitetail Buck Travel Range Du...
Dr. Bronson Strickland, co-director of the Mississippi State Deer Lab, discusses the rut’s effect on buck travel range. During the rut you see increased buck movements. The claim that a buck can move miles is true and have even been recorded to move up to 7 miles in a 24 hour period. They are act...
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Moon Phase and Deer Movement - Soluna...
Dr. Bronson Strickland, co-director of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab, discusses moon phases as they relate to deer movement. With the Solunar tables, it is about the gravitational pull impact on deer movement. While there have been findings of very subtle changes in deer movement due ...
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Does a Full Moon Affect Deer Movement
There have been several theories proposed about how the moon affects deer movement. One revolves around moon position and suggests deer movement increases when the moon is directly overhead or underneath. These two periods, each of which occurs once each day, are termed major and minor peaks, res...
