Holy smokes... DeRyderM asked about moon phase and deer movement, so I thought I would put together a quick overview and call it good. ...little did I know just how MUCH this issue has been debated in the last couple of months. So...here is the best answer I can give you, based on what I know and my opinions...

Is deer movement influenced by moon phase? I think the better question is, CAN it be...and I think yes, it can.

As we discussed in the last blog entry, photoperiod is really the driving force behind animals coming into their reproductive cycle – i.e. the amount of daylight vs. darkness each day. Recently, a lot of scientific data has come forth that shows that deer fawn conception dates (i.e. when a doe is actually bred) for specific areas are generally +/- 3 or 4 days around the same date each year, regardless the year, and regardless of the moon phase. For some, research into deer conception dates has been “the end all be all proof” that moon phase doesn’t influence the deer rut. However, while these data are easily quantifiable, and were collected over several to MANY years, some have pointed out that there are limitations to how they were gathered, and whether or not secondary influences like deer density, age, feed, their captivity, etc. affected how the does cycled. Similarly, in the last few years, several well-known “moon phase rut models” have been “shown” to be inaccurate, or only applicable to certain areas, by a variety of hunters posting their observations on various chat rooms and talk forums. So what’s true? What’s really accurate? Unfortunately, probably all of the above...

Without going into all the science, research, data, etc... I’ll give you MY thoughts on the subject, and how I would be hunting if I could be hunting whitetails this year. First, two points..

1)  The whitetail rut occurs at different times whether you are in the northern portions of their range or southern. Case in point, in northern portions, it isn’t uncommon to have the rut occur in late October or early November. In south Texas and northern Mexico, it can occur in January. Photoperiod drives REGIONAL reproduction cycles in animal populations IN RELATION to how those animals are adapted to REGIONAL seasonal shifts and resource availabilities – i.e. when spring green up occurs/the optimum time for young ones to “hit the ground.” Therefore, when predicting whitetail movement off of moon phases, I will admit, that making the blanket statement of “the second full moon after the fall equinox” can be misleading; it all depends on where you live/hunt.

2)  In my experience, the moon CAN affect when animals move – DURING THE DAY. Period. End of discussion as far as I am concerned. I emphasize “during the day” because that is when I’m concerned with animal movement. ...that’s when I can hunt them. What happens at night – for me – simply translates into what they are likely to do during the day.

So, what do I think about the moon phase and the deer rut?

First, we’re going to assume weather, wind, hunting pressure, etc. are all equal, or at least, don’t matter for this discussion. Let’s ignore it for now, because all of that and more can throw a monkey wrench in the works of any best laid plans...

If I wasn’t familiar with a particular area, I would check with local deer biologists and find out when THEY say the BULK of the breeding occurs for does in the region I plan on hunting. Most likely, (for most of you mid-west to northeastern hunters) they’ll give you a week to 10-day period like, “generally the third week November” or something like that. From there, I look at my calendar/moon phase chart to see what the moon phase looks like in relation to this “third week” time period.

Understanding that the GENERAL whitetail “activity cycle” before and up to the rut goes from the seeking phase (bucks looking for does and doe groups) to the chasing phase (bucks running around potentially receptive does) to the breeding phase (where most does are standing for bucks), I backtrack off of the middle of the time-period the biologist (or my experience) gave me, roughly 10 days or so. My bet is, based on their cycle, a lot of buck movement should be going on right about this time. If I had to plan a 7 day period to hunt – without looking at the moon phase – I would generally choose the 5 to 12 days prior to the time when most does should be ACTIVELY being bred.

Now, for the moon phase. My belief is that the moon phase can influence the intensity of activity during a particular phase in the breeding cycle. So... if the full moon (or at least “bright” moon) coincides with the chasing phase, I would expect to experience a higher level of chasing activity than during a dark moon phase. For me, I plan my hunt according to what the moon phase will be – but I keep it general. A lot of people claim that the quarter moon phases see increased activity... I honestly don’t have enough time in the whitetail woods to have an opinion on that, but a lot of folks have started to focus their efforts then. What I do know, is that when the moon is full – I’ll be sitting ALL day if I can. During the full/bright moon its not uncommon to have deer moving a lot during the middle of the day. When the moon isn’t very bright – typically the quarter moon and new moon phases, I’m focusing on the typical morning and evening hunts.

For deer, this is how I use the moon; I simply use it to help guide when I sit on a stand, and when I can expect movement. Because – like a lot of you – my time can be limited in the fall, looking at the moon phase can help me figure out how to budget my non-hunting time to maximize my hunting time. If a full moon (or bright moon) is going to coincide with when I want to hunt, I make sure that all my “chores” are done so I can sit all day. If the moon isn’t full or bright, I feel a little more confident in just hunting the mornings and evenings.

Because there is A LOT of discussion and info out there concerning this, here are two places on the internet you can go to look into more about the moon phase and deer movement. While I know there are more, these are two to get you started.

www.charliealsheimer.com/ca/articles/art_understanding.html – this is Charles Alsheimer’s site, and contains a good bit of discussion on his thoughts regarding moon phase and the rut. His book is still one of the “most referenced” guides on using the moon for deer hunting.

www.forums.qdma.org and search moon phase – the QDMA forum has a LOT of discussion on this, and what I like about it is, it references both research and non-research ideas, and provides other links to dive into.

Understanding that this topic is like asking “what is the best broadhead?” I can’t WAIT to see where the discussion goes. Ok... I’m ready for questions.... :-)

Chris

Folks,

As a prelude to an upcoming episode of BowCast - I have included an article written by Mark Land who is involved with Bowfishing Promotions as well as a Technical Support Specialist at Muzzy. Mark will be joining Anthony and I to talk Bowfishing in a few weeks. In the meantime, Mark shared the following article he wrote....good stuff for those of us (like me) considering getting into more bowfishing. In addition to the article below, Mark recommends the following resources for folks wanting to get into more bowfishing:

www.bowfishingassociation.com

www.realbowfishing.com

www.bow.fishingcountry.com

If you have questions about bowfishing, please post them as a comment to this blog entry. We'll try to get them answered on an upcoming episode with a true Bowfishing legend - Mark Land!

Beginning Bowfishing

Mark Land

Bowfishing Division Manager

Muzzy Products

Bowfishing is becoming one of the fastest growing facets of archery. More and more bowhunters are experiencing the thrill of taking rough fish with archery tackle. Bowfishing encompasses the full spectrum of tackle uses, from the basic recurve with wind on reel to the custom built, bowfishing oriented bows with matching water camo and tournament specific line retrieval reels. Bowfishing can be done from the bank of the smallest creek to the biggest oceans of the world. Bowfishermen regularly take fish as small as bait size, to sharks weighing hundreds or even thousands of pounds, including the pursuit of such exotic species as alligators.

Anyone interested in getting into bowfishing is well advised to seek the advice of someone already involved in the sport. Experience helps when it comes time to get set up and make your initial equipment purchase. Initial equipment can be as simple as an old bow and a wind on reel, but I would highly recommend the beginner to invest in a more efficient retrieval system. Wind-on reels are adequate and work, but they can be very frustrating and slow to use for the beginner. Wind-on reels require the line to be wound on the spool by hand after every shot. This effort reduces shot opportunities and decreases the amount of shooting that takes place. These reels work, but a much better alternative is either a Zebco or Shakespeare spincast reel or an AMS retriever. These reels store an adequate amount of heavy, tough line, are free flowing on the shot, and retrieve an arrow rapidly for a quick next shot. These reels are very efficient and work well and their use depends, mainly on familiarity or availability. Line used for bowfishing must be very strong, abrasion resistant, large enough to handle, but small enough to ensure an adequate amount on the reel. Dacron line works, but braided spectra–fastflite is the ultimate bowfishing line and well worth the minimal investment. This line is the toughest and most durable line available and will last the shooter a long time. Normally 200 and 150 pound line is used on the spincast reels, while the retrievers can utilize the 350 or 400 pound line. When it comes to arrows, basically there is one choice-fiberglass, cheap, durable, simple and effective. Fiberglass arrows work well and are used by over 90% of all bowfishermen. Safety slides or cables are recommended for additional safety and to help eliminate the line catching or hanging up on anything during the draw. Arrow tips for bowfishing come in many styles and most will do a very good job at penetrating and holding the fish. Some heads are designed for specific uses, such as large fish or rocky bottoms, grass or weed infested lakes, etc. This is where experience and advice will help and save the beginner trouble and money purchasing items they may not need. The main thing to look for in a fishing head is that the barbs are adequate and strong enough to hold the fish, but also must be able to release or reverse easily for fish removal and the tip is strong enough to hold up to impacts with rocks and the bottom and still be sharp enough for adequate penetration. Muzzy’s Carp or Gar point, Stingray, Shureshot and Warhead are all excellent choices. There are several other accessories that would be beneficial, these include polarized glasses for daytime fishing to cut the glare on the water, a brimmed hat for shade and improved visibility and a container to hold the fish and eliminate messes. Adequate clothing is essential to protect the shooter from the elements and help break up the fish-spooking outline.

Bowfishing can be done from the bank or boat depending on the resources available. Bowfishing at night is one of the most exciting aspects of bowfishing, with shooting opportunities often approaching 200 or more shots a night. Of course this kind of fishing is advanced, requiring specialty boats, decks, lighting, generators, etc., but it is usually the path that beginners eventually lead to, as they become more involved in bowfishing. Bowfishing is a widely accepted and popular sport in almost all states. Game and fish departments, Bass clubs and others welcome bowfishermen and applaud their efforts at reducing the non-native rough fish populations in many of our lakes and rivers. Rough fish can adversely affect the native game fish populations either by predation or habitat destruction. Most states allow only the harvest of rough or non-game fish, very few states allow the harvest of game fish which keeps the sportsmen groups on the bowfishermens side. Most of the common rough fish include: carp, gar, sucker, shad and bowfin. Other species which may be pursued include: Alligators (with special permits), turtles and a wide variety of saltwater species. Be sure to check your state regulations for the legal species in your state.

Many organizations have been formed to promote and perpetuate bowfishing, from organizing members to sponsoring tournaments. Bowfishing is even available on the internet and a wealth of information can obtained from many web sources. Some organizations like the BAA(Bowfishing Association of America), Bow.fishingcountry.com, Texas Bowfishing Association, Sully’s Bowfishing Stuff and Muzzy Products can be accessed on your computer, not only leading to more knowledge, but future friendships and more opportunities for exotic hunts and species.

Bowfishing is an ever increasing sport, one that can involve the whole family, one that usually takes place during the nice periods of the year and can be done day or night. Bowfishing is an excellent tool to introduce women and children to bow shooting and the outdoors and is a way for the whole family to participate together.

Beginning bowfishermen must practice and always realize that shooting fish underwater is not the same as shooting the target butt in the yard. Light refraction plays an important part in how you aim at fish. Due to the bending of light rays entering the water, the objects appear much lower than they actually are. Bowfishermen must remember to aim much lower on their target than they normally would. One thing that I usually tell beginners to do is aim as low as they think they need to and then drop down about a foot. This will give them a point to start with and they can adjust from there. Idle time on the water can be spent practicing on objects on the bottom. It is surprising how low you must aim on some target’s to actually hit them. Practicing will ensure more success and less frustration from missing so many, what appear to be, easy shots. The bows and equipment must still be tuned, just like your hunting rig. The arrows need to be fairly straight and centershot should be corrected for the arrow to come off the bow as straight as possible. Nock height is adjusted for flat arrow flight. The best way to tune the bow and arrow is to shoot the fish arrow, without line attached, into a large block of foam. Adjust the nock and centershot, or arrow length, until the arrow sticks in the target as straight as possible. This is basically the same method as used when bare shaft tuning you equipment. If the arrow does not enter the water straight, it will veer off at the angle it hit and make hitting your target very difficult.

Give bowfishing a try, but be forewarned, this sport can be very addictive. If you enjoy your free time or have other hobbies, consider not trying it or else your entire time may well be spent bowfishing.

Good luck and enjoy your time outdoors.

Mark Land

Bowfishing

Muzzy Products

My last blog was about my 2008 goals.  Well a lot has happened since then.  We have had a hurricane.  The woods I am used to hunting are no longer there.  You can not tell where you are because everything looks the same.  We took two weekends just to clean up the roads so you could ride to the stands.  We are in the second weekend of bow season and i have no idea on the pattern of our deer.  The only thing I know is they are moving mainly at night.  I have been hunting the same stand for about 3 years and this year it is like hunting  new stand because you cant the woods look so different.  So now my new goal is to try and find out just what the deer are doing!  I should be hunting next weekend and will post a blog on how that trip goes.  Here are some pics of our woods...

this is what the woods look like all the way through

This is not an illusion all the trees are leaning

This used to be our pipeline

Michael

I came across this deal and thought many of you out there in BowCast land would like to learn how to get some archery hunting t-shirts for $4l.

I don't know about all of you, but I can't seem to have enough cotton t-shirts (with a distant second being hoodies).  In the often misperceived mild climate of Colorado, I wear t-shirts and shorts year round.  I also like to wear a lot of hunting and archery related t-shirts (imagine that).

I came across a company called Field Dressed.  Their website offers t-shirts at $4 a pop.  You read that right, $4 a pop.  I was in disbelief, and actually had to have a conversation with the owner to be convinced this was not "wholesale" pricing.  The owner informed me the price was $4 per shirt, and to make it even more attractive, Field Dressed offers free shipping on any order of 3 or more t-shirts.

So the next thought that popped in my head, is that these t-shirts must be  complete crap as far as quality goes.  But for $12 for 3 shirts delivered to my house, I thought I would see what they are all about.

I actually ended up ordering 4 shirts because I really dug some of the designs they had.  The shirts are acceptable quality cotton, and I have run all three of mine through 2 cycles in the washer, and they did not shrink.  The cotton is regular weight, just like anything you would by from Cabela's or Sportsman's Warehouse.

The cool thing is they have a number of subtle t-shirt designs that show off that you are an archery hunter.  There is a "Archery Evolutions" shirt (that I purchased), as well as a couple designs that simply read "Nock Up".

Check out their website (below) to learn more.  I am not sure where else you can get a quality t-shirt for $4 bucks delivered to your house with some Archery hunting logo and insignia on the T.  With the holidays coming up, this is a low budget way to cloth the hunting heritage family at a price that won't break the bank!

You can order online at:

http://www.fielddressed.com/

If you do order, let us know which designs you liked the best by posting a comment to this blog entry.  Happy shopping!