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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How Does a Weather Front or Cold Fron...
Dr. Bronson Strickland, co-director of the Mississippi State Deer Lab, discusses their research on how a weather front may change deer behavior and movement. Through years of research and analyzation of data, they believe that deer movement is relatively consistent except in time of extreme chang...
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What Effect Does the Moon Phase Have ...
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...
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Does a New Moon Affect Deer Movement
Dr. Bronson Strickland, co-director of the Mississippi State University Deer Lab, discusses the little impact a new moon has on deer movement. He says that there is little support for saying a deer moves more during the day when there is a new moon. The data continually backs up the idea that a d...