Does Moonlight Actually Affect Deer Movement? This Study Might Surprise You
OutdoorHub Reporters 08.31.17
If you received the same lesson I got from my father, and the same lesson he got from his, then you’re probably aware of how much a full moon can really wreck a perfectly good fall morning hunt. But, what if I told you the moon, whether full or not, has little to no affect on deer movement?
Now, before you start hollering at me for flipping your entire hunting beliefs upside down, allow me to direct you to a study conducted by scientists at Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, where they analyzed deer movement and behavior during different moon phases.
Jessica Hepner, an undergraduate in the Wildlife and Fisheries Science program, led the study, and even admits herself that her grandfather strongly believed that moonlight affected deer movement.
“It’s always been a thought provoking topic for me, and it seems that everyone is interested in the effect that the moon has on deer,” Jessica writes in a blog post.
The study shows that most people do in fact believe that moon phase has some sort of influence on deer, but as Jessica started running tests, her results said otherwise . . .
The study, which you can review for yourself right here, shows other graphs and statistical data supporting her results, but will that be enough for you to adjust your approach this fall?
