horntagger

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SEASON. You may have fun with this or you may not. Either way enjoy your time bowhunting this year.

DEER ACTIVITY INDEX
BY ALLEN “horntagger” MORRIS

Pre-rut starts from the second new moon from the fall equinox and last for about 7 days with the Main Rut starting at the first quarter moon phase and lasting 7 more days to the New Moon with the Post Rut lasting for 8 more days during the New Moon.
Definitions:
Pre-rut = (Seeking/Rubbing/Scraping) Bucks chasing Does.
Rut = (Chasing/Tending) Bucks Tending Does
Post-Rut = (Breeding Complete) Bucks Searching for Does

THE MISSOURI SPORTSMEN DEER ACTIVITY INDEX
Deer Season FY 2005
Daytime Movement Only
Based from 460 Daylight Deer Sightings in Missouri of 100% Free Ranging Whitetail Deer
NEW MOON – FIRST QUARTER -- FULL MOON – LAST QUARTER
LOW ____ - HIGHEST ____ - _ LOWEST ______-____ HIGH
15% ----------------- 39% ----------------- 14% -------------------- 32%

% of movement is on the rise or fall as the light increase or decrease with the light phase of the moon.
(MA) = MORNING ACTIVITY – No dark transition from night to morning. Moon still in sky as sun rises extending feeding times till after sun rises.
Highlight the days below that you see deer for your own records.

Deer Activity Index for September =
A. Majority of velvet shedding takes place and is finished this month.
B. Antler velvet is generally shed in a day. Even antler sparring among bucks begins right after velvet sheds and starts during the full moon September 17th.
Might even start finding scrapes and rubs by the end of the month from the dominant buck in your area.
September 15th First Quarter – Highest 22%
(Bow Season Opens)
September 16th First Quarter – Highest 18%
(Sat) September 17th Full Moon – Lowest 14%
(Sun) September 18th Full Moon – Lowest 16%
(MA) September 19th Full Moon – Lowest 19%
(MA)September 20th Full Moon – Lowest 21%
(MA)September 21st Full Moon – Lowest 23%
(MA)September 22nd Full Moon – Lowest 25%
(Fall Equinox)
(MA)September 23rd Full Moon – Lowest 28%
(MA)(Sat) September 24th Full Moon–Lowest 30%
(MA)(Sun)September 25th Last Quarter–High 32%
(MA)September 26th Last Quarter – High 30%
(MA) September 27th Last Quarter – High 28%
(MA) September 28th Last Quarter – High 26%
(MA) September 29th Last Quarter – High 24%
(MA) September 30th Last Quarter – High 21%

Deer Activity Index for October =
A. Sparring and rubbing peaks last few days of the month through the first few days of the month through the first week of November.
B. Majority of rubbing activity starts bucks of all ages.
C. Most Scrapes Opened by end of the Month.
D. False Rut October 10th thru October 16th.
E. Cooler Temperature’s from the North will also increase activity this time of year.
(MA) (Sat) October 1st Last Quarter – High 19%
(Fall Turkey Season Opens)
(MA) (Sun) October 2nd Last Quarter – High 17%
October 3rd New Moon – Low 15%
October 4th New Moon – Low 18%
October 5th New Moon – Low 22%
October 6th New Moon – Low 25%
October 7th New Moon – Low 29%
(Sat) October 8th New Moon – Low 32%
(Sun) October 9th New Moon – Low 36%
October 10th First Quarter – Highest 39%
(False Rut under way, Open Mock Scrapes Don’t Forget Overhanging Limb.)
October 11th First Quarter – Highest 35%
October 12th First Quarter – Highest 32%
October 13th First Quarter – Highest 28%
October 14th First Quarter – Highest 25%
(Sat) October 15th First Quarter – Highest 21%
(Sun) October 16t First Quarter – Highest 18%
October 17th Full Moon – Lowest 14%
(MA) October 18th Full Moon – Lowest 18%
(MA) October 19th Full Moon – Lowest 21%
(MA) October 20th Full Moon – Lowest 25%
(MA) October 21st Full Moon – Lowest 28%
(MA) (Sat) October 22nd Full Moon – Lowest 32%
(MA) (Sun) October 23rd Full Moon – Lowest 35%
(MA) October 24th Last Quarter – High 32%
(MA) October 25th Last Quarter – High 29%
(MA) October 26th Last Quarter – High 27%
(MA) October 27th Last Quarter – High 24%
(MA) October 28th Last Quarter – High 22%
(MA) (Sat) October 29th Last Quarter – High 19%
(Youth Firearms Season Starts)
(MA) (Sun) October 30th Last Quarter – High 17%
(Youth Firearms Season Ends)
(Daylight Saving Times Ends)(Move Clocks Back)
(MA) October 31st Last Quarter – High 14%
(Fall Turkey Season Ends) (Halloween)

Deer Activity Index for November =
A. Does in estrus 24-hour period.
B. Peak of rut – Dominant bucks tending does, subordinate bucks trying to.
C. 80 to 90 percent of does breed during first rut.
D. Bucks lose up to 25 percent of body weight during breeding season.
E. Some rubbing activity will continue until January.
November 1st New Moon – Low 15%
(Second Full Moon)(Pre Rut Starts)
November 2nd New Moon – Low 18%
November 3rd New Moon – Low 22%
November4thNewMoon–Low25%
(Sat)November5thNewMoon–Low29%
(Sun) November 6th New Moon – Low 32%
November 7th New Moon– Low 36%
November 8th First Quarter – Highest 39%
(Rut Starts)
November 9th First Quarter – Highest 35%
November 10th First Quarter – Highest 32%
November 11th First Quarter – Highest 28%
(Sat) November 12th First Quarter – Highest 25%
(Firearms Season Opens)
(Sun) November 13th First Quarter – Highest 21%
November 14th First Quarter – Highest 18%
(Wife’s Birthday send Gifts)
November 15th Full Moon – Lowest 14%
(Post Rut Starts)
(MA) November 16th Full Moon – Lowest 16%
(MA) November 17th Full Moon – Lowest 19%
(MA) November 18th Full Moon – Lowest 21%
(MA)(Sat) November 19th Full Moon– Lowest 23%
(MA)(Sun)November 20th Full Moon–Lowest 25%
(MA)November 21st Full Moon – Lowest 28%
(MA) November 22nd Full Moon – Lowest 30%
(Firearms Season Ends)
(MA)November 23rd Last Quarter – High 32%
(Second Half Bow Season Opens)
(MA)November 24th Last Quarter – High 30%
(Thanksgiving Day)
(MA) November 25th Last Quarter – High 28%
(Muzzleloader Season Opens)
(MA) (Sat)November 26th Last Quarter– High 26%
(MA)(Sun)November 27th Last Quarter-High 24%
(MA)November 28th Last Quarter-High 21%
November 29th Last Quarter-High 19%
(Son’s Birthday send Gifts)
November 30th Last Quarter – High 17%

Deer Activity Index for December =
A. Second estrus by does not previously bred 30 days from first rut.
B. 10 to 20 percent of does breed during second rut.
C. Some rubbing activity will continue until January.
D. Turkey’s will be in large groups during this time of year.
E. Some gobbling will take place.
December 1st New Moon - Low 15%
December 2nd New Moon – Low 18%
(Sat) December 3rd New Moon – Low 22%
(Sun)December 4th New Moon – Low 25%
(Muzzleloader Season Ends)
December 5th New Moon – Low 29%
December 6th New Moon – Low 32%
December 7th New Moon – Low 36%
December 8th First Quarter – Highest 39%
(Second Rut Starts)
December 9th First Quarter – Highest 35%
(Sat) December 10th First Quarter – Highest 32%
(Antlerless-Only Firearms Season Opens)
(Sun) December 11th First Quarter – Highest 28%
December 12th First Quarter – Highest 25%
December13thFirstQuarter–Highest21%
December 14th First Quarter – Highest 18%
(MA)December 15th Full Moon – Lowest 14%
(MA)December 16th Full Moon - Lowest 16%
(MA)(Sat) December 17th Full Moon– Lowest 19%
(MA)(Sun) December 18th Full Moon–Lowest 21%
(Antlerless-Only Firearms Season Ends)
(MA)December 19th Full Moon – Lowest 23%
(MA)December 20th Full Moon – Lowest 25%
(MA)December 21st Full Moon – Lowest 28%
(MA)December 22nd Full Moon – Lowest 30%
(MA)December 23rd Last Quarter – High 32%
(MA (Sat)December 24th Last Quarter – High 30%
(MA) (Sun)December25thLast Quarter High 27%
(Christmas Day)
(MA December 26th Last Quarter- High 25%
(MA) December 27th Last Quarter – High 22%
December 28th Last Quarter – High 20%
December 29th Last Quarter – High 17%
December 30th New Moon – Low 15%
(Sat) December 31st New Moon - Low 18%

Deer Activity Index for January =
A. Third & final estrus by doe deer not previously bred 30 days from second rut could occur from January 6th – January 13th
B. Movement is limited
C. Deer switch to daytime activity, moving around when it is warmer.
D. Bedding and feeding on southeast exposures.
E. Yarding Activity ongoing.
F. Antler shedding by younger bucks.
(Sun) January 1st New Moon – Low 22%
(New Year’s Day)
January 2nd New Moon – Low 25%
January 3rd New Moon – Low 29%
January 4th New Moon – Low 32%
January 5th New Moon – Low 36%
January 6th First Quarter – Highest 39%
(Third Rut Starts)
(Sat) January 7th First Quarter – Highest 36%
(Sun) January 8th First Quarter – Highest 33%
January 9th First Quarter – Highest 30%
January 10th First Quarter – Highest 27%
January 11th First Quarter – Highest 23%
January 12th First Quarter – Highest 20%
(MA) January 13th First Quarter – Highest 17%
(MA) (Sat) January 14th Full Moon – Lowest 14%
(MA)(Sun)January15thFullMoon–Lowest16%
(Bow Season is over)

Deer activity index is affected by the moon, location, weather (temperature, rain, etc) and hunting pressure which affects it the most. All this must be taken into account when using the following index.

My index is based off 11 years of personal observation records and 7 years of photos from surveillance camera and other resources.

MA = MORNING ACTIVITY with the moon in the sky as the sun comes keeps the deer feeding after the sun comes up and later into the morning. This affected greatly by cloud cover.
Keep this in mind while preparing to hunt that morning.

Verify all hunting season dates.

Before you go, no matter what the activity of Deer are, when you get a chance to hunt is still better than the chance you have sitting in the house. Plus the fact some of us only get to hunt the weekends. Good Luck. Hope to see you in the woods or on the water.
Allen “horntagger” Morris


Another interesting fact is that.
Based on 484 Whitetail Deer
297 Whitetail deer or (61%) are Sun Rise to Noon Sightings.
187 Whitetail deer or (39%) are Noon to Sunset Sightings.

Another interesting fact is that.
Based on 640 Whitetail Deer
435 Whitetail deer or (68%) moved during the nighttime hours.
205 Whitetail deer or (32%) moved during the daylight hours.

THE MISSOURI SPORTSMEN DEER ACTIVITY INDEX FOR PREVIOUS YEARS:
Daytime Movement Only
Based from Daylight Deer Sightings in Missouri of 100% Free Ranging Whitetail Deer

NEW MOON – FULL MOON – FIRST QUARTER – LAST QUARTER
Deer Season FY 2000 – 100 Whitetails ------17% -------19% ------- 29% -------35%
Deer Season FY 2001 – 188 Whitetails ------14% ------- 16% ------- 33% ----- 37%
Deer Season FY 2002 – 274 Whitetails ------14% ------- 19% -------- 33% -----34%
Deer Season FY 2003 – 317 Whitetails ------13% ------- 17% -------- 35% ---- 35%
Deer Season FY 2004 – 460 Whitetails ------16% -------- 14% --------40% -----30%
Deer Season FY 2005 – 484 Whitetails ------15% --------- 14% ------ 39% ------32%