Deer Activity During A Full Moon

Harry P. from New York writes to ask about hunting during a full moon. "I know that deer feed more and are more active at night when there is a full moon because they can see better. But does this impact their daytime feeding behavior? If they feed at night, aren't they less likely to feed during the daylight when I can hunt them?"

First, let's start with this myth that deer are more active at night because there is a full moon. Deer have extremely super vision in low light. It can be pitch black out there and deer run through the woods with no problem. They don't go stumbling around and bumping into trees because they have lots of eye adaptations that improve their vision in low light. So, the fact that there is a full moon does little to enhance their ability to feed and move around. They can do that easily any night - full moon or no full moon. 

One recent study done in Texas shows no relationship to deer movement and full moon. That may not hold true farther north, but even if they have different movement patterns when there is a full moon, it is not because they can see better. 

There are other studies that show that deer are more active in the early morning and late evening when there is a full moon. I will be hunting - especially around the two to three weeks of the rut - no matter the phase of the moon.