The MeatEater Podcast – Ep. 783: Does the Moon Impact Deer Behavior?

Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Steven Rinella (“Steve”)
Guests: Dr. Bronson Strickland (Mississippi State University), Mark “Yanni” Yannis, Spencer Newhart

Overview

This episode tackles a classic and contentious belief in hunting: does the moon—its phase, brightness, or position—impact deer movement? Steven Rinella, together with wildlife biologist Dr. Bronson Strickland, Mark Yannis, and Spencer Newhart, dissects the science, the folklore, and the psychology behind the “moon phase” debate. Pulling from decades of research at Mississippi State’s Deer Lab, Dr. Strickland presents detailed findings about deer movement, debunking common hunting wisdom and highlighting what actually drives whitetail activity.

The conversation is frank, at times humorous, and takes on sacred cows in American deer culture: lunar effects, the October Lull, big buck personalities, pressure, the rut, and what science really says versus what hunters want to believe.

Main Discussion Points

1. The Moon Phase Myth: Science vs. Hunting “Wisdom”

The Core Debate

• Steve opens with the enduring question: Every hunter has an opinion about whether lunar phase changes deer behavior, but is there scientific proof?
• 83% of surveyed hunters believe the moon affects deer movement—but disagree on how, when, or why. (16:46)

The Science

• Dr. Strickland’s research: Multiple years of GPS-collared buck movement, analyzed by population and on an individual basis, showing daily and hourly movement rates.
  • “It was very apparent that...from the phase of the moon from new to full in that period, there’s no variation in deer movement whatsoever." (22:12)
• Hunters often cite turtle, bird, and tidal behavior as evidence for lunar effects on wildlife—true for some species, but not whitetail deer.

The Study Details (24:06, 27:46)

• Movement measured in yards/hour, using 15-minute GPS pings.
• Over 85 different analyses looked at all angles—moon phase, position, gravitational effects.
• Difference in movement or bedding time due to moon phase: measured in seconds or, at most, a minute or two—statistically negligible.

Notable Quotes

• “The evidence is very strong: [deer are] not influenced by the moon whatsoever… They’re always out, just because you’re seeing them.” – Dr. Strickland (13:46)
• “If it makes you feel good, if this is your placebo effect… keep doing it. The evidence does not support it.” – Dr. Strickland (55:30)
• “There is a moon situation for every person and their pet hypothesis... Every single day you can pull out a scenario of what the moon is doing.” – Dr. Strickland (34:31)

Why Do Hunters Still Believe?

• Confirmation bias: “We're really good at looking for patterns even when they don't exist." (13:46)
• If someone has a good hunt on a “red moon” day, they remember that success and not all the quiet hunts.
• Belief in moon effects might help hunters be more confident, alert, and committed—an indirect way of improving success.

Placebo Effect

• Spencer recounts “saving his best stand” for a magazine-predicted “best day of the rut,” hunting harder and ultimately succeeding: “I was just more confident and I was a better hunter that day.” (55:50)

2. What Actually Drives Deer Movement?

Big Three: Crepuscular Pattern, The Rut, Temperature

• Crepuscular periods: Sunrise and sunset (most active, no matter what the moon is doing).
• Rut: Major peak in movement driven by does' estrus, not lunar cues.
• Temperature: Small but real effect; more daylight movement on days under 40°F, more marked in the South. (36:08)

Other Factors

• Hunting pressure: Where deer move will change quickly once hunters show up, but daily movement rates stay about the same—they just avoid hunters. (40:56)
• October Lull: Myth—no measurable decrease in movement during this supposed period; deer shift where they move, not how much.
• Lockdown: “Legit”—when many does are in heat, more bucks are “locked down,” tending does and thus decreasing general sightings, but there's no total crater in movement. (87:41)

3. Buck “Personality Types” and Movement

Sedentary vs. Mobile

• Most bucks have a relatively fixed home range (sedentary).
• About 30% are highly mobile: completely disjointed home ranges, sometimes miles apart. Some even cross large rivers like the Mississippi annually. (71:24)
• “Some of them move a whole bunch, some of them don’t move a lot.” (37:46)

Individual Variation

• The rut causes bucks to expand the daily area they range over and to make longer forays (“excursions”), sometimes into new places they’ve never been (though the data can’t say if it’s truly “never ever” in their lifetime). (79:58, 83:07)

4. Social and Ecological Theories

Theories Debunked or Supported

• Rutting Moon/Allsheimer Theory: The idea that a particular full moon after the autumn equinox triggers synchronized rutting—no support at the individual or population scale. Any observed protracted or “trickle” rut is due to skewed sex ratios, not the moon. (58:04, 59:30)
• October Lull: No evidence for a movement dip; deer just change locations as food and cover shift.
• Lockdown: Supported—peak of the rut, more bucks “locked down” with does, reducing general buck traffic.

Confirmation Bias Explained (64:53)

• “We disproportionately remember times we were successful… and start ignoring contrary evidence.” – Dr. Strickland

5. Hunter Application: What Should Hunters Do?

If Targeting a Specific Buck

• Best shot is pre-rut, when that buck’s routine is most predictable (“site fidelity”), typically 1+ month before local peak rut. (129:48–130:30)
• Once the rut starts, all bets are off—bucks move more and are farther from their usual haunts.

If Hunting Bucks in General

• Peak rut is best: more movement, greater chance of a big, unfamiliar buck crossing your path.

Food Plots

• Bucks prefer 3–5 acre food plots—smaller plots get over-browsed, larger ones aren't used disproportionately. Food becomes more important post-rut (they need to recover body weight).

Pressure Management

• Limit disturbance: Only hunt stands when minimizing the chance of bumping deer. Deer recognize when you’re “in the woods,” not just gunshots. (121:49–122:24)
• Minimize ATV use, noise, scent—especially in the days leading up to and during the rut.

Notable Quotes & Moments

[13:46] Dr. Strickland: “The evidence is very strong: [deer are] not influenced by the moon whatsoever… They’re always out, just because you’re seeing them.”

[34:31] Dr. Strickland: “There is a moon situation for every person and their pet hypothesis... Every single day you can pull out a scenario of what the moon is doing.”

[53:08] Dr. Strickland: “[In hunter surveys,] the effect size reported was that bucks are on their feet 30 minutes to 2 hours earlier, or moving 50–200 yards per hour more under certain moon conditions… they’re all in.”

[55:30] Dr. Strickland: “If it makes you feel good, man, if this is your placebo effect… The evidence does not support it.”

[64:46] Dr. Strickland: “We're really good at looking for patterns even when they don't exist.”

[87:46] Dr. Strickland: “Yeah, that’s legit.” (on “lockdown”/tending does during peak rut)

Key Timestamps

• 03:13 – Introduction of Dr. Bronson Strickland and setup of the “moon phase” debate
• 13:46 – Dr. Strickland’s position: strong evidence moon doesn’t influence deer movement
• 16:46 – Survey results: 83% of hunters believe in lunar effects
• 21:49 – Details of the movement study methodology
• 36:08 – What did affect movement: crepuscular periods, rut, slight effect of temperature
• 40:56 – Impact of hunting pressure: movement pattern, not distance
• 46:23 – The “October lull” myth debunked
• 52:12 – How subtle could effects be, really?
• 58:04 – The “ruttin’ moon” theory, explained and refuted
• 64:46 – Explanation of confirmation bias
• 79:05–80:00 – Rut movement: covering same area, but in different places
• 87:41–88:20 – “Lockdown” period: legit
• 121:49–124:51 – Dr. Strickland on how the science affects his hunting strategy
• 129:48–130:35 – Advice: pre-rut for specific targets, peak rut for odds

In-Depth Segments

How the Study Was Done (21:49–28:54)

• GPS-collared bucks, pings every 15 minutes.
• Analysis controlled for individual variation (some bucks are homebodies, some roamers).
• 85 different moon-related analyses run.
• Result: Max deviation in movement: a handful of seconds, or an extra 3 yards/hour—not measurable in any meaningful hunting application.

The Placebo Effect and Hunter Psychology (55:29–56:43)

• Confidence, preparedness, and commitment might indirectly make you a better hunter if you believe in the “moon day.”
• Dr. Strickland: “Keep doing it if it makes you happy. But the evidence does not support it.”

Buck Personalities (71:24–73:56)

• Sedentary vs. highly mobile (30%). Mobile bucks can shift home ranges by miles, crossing major rivers.
• Pre-rut = best chance to kill a “homebody” buck. Rut = best odds for a random traveler.

Effects of Hunting Pressure (40:56–42:27)

• Bucks don’t stop moving, they use cover, alter paths to avoid active areas.

Herd and Population Health Management (124:03–124:51)

• Most whitetail management issues (quality, body size) boil down to overpopulation relative to available food.

Wrapping Up: Hunter Takeaways

• Hunt sunup/sundown and during rut: Moon phase is not a factor.
• Chilly temps can help in the South—but it’s subtle.
• Don’t “overhunt” a stand or property; minimize human intrusion.
• Focus efforts on the pre-rut if targeting a specific buck.
• During and after rut, be opportunistic and hunt food when things wind down.
• Food plots: 3–5 acres are the sweet spot.
• Doubt what you “know”—double check against your own trail cam data.

Where to Find More (136:24)

• MSU Deer Lab: https://www.msudeerlab.com
• YouTube, social: Search “MSU Deer Lab” and “Deer University” podcast
• Land management consulting: wildlifeinvestments.com

Summary written in the spirit—and with the irreverent, practical tone—of Steve, Yanni, Spencer, and Dr. Strickland. If you still want to believe the moon moves your bucks, no one’s stopping you. But if you want to hunt deer, hunt when you can—and follow the science, not the superstition.