DEER HUNTER'S MOON

2003

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Deer Calling, Practice Makes Perfect
By Allen "horntagger" Morris

BY ALLEN “horntagger” MORRIS

Definitions

October

November

December

January

Other interesting facts

Moon Facts and Opinions

Current Moon Phase

Pre-rut starts from the second full moon from the fall equinox and last for about 8 days with the Main Rut starting at the last quarter moon phase and lasting 6 more days to the New Moon with the Post Rut lasting for 7 more days during the New Moon.

Definitions:

Pre-rut = (Seeking/Rubbing/Scraping) Bucks chasing Does.
Rut = (Chasing/Tending) Bucks Tending Does
Post-Rut = (Breeding) Bucks Searching for Does

THE MISSOURI SPORTSMEN  DEER ACTIVITY INDEX Deer Season FY 2003 Daytime Movement Only Based from 317 Daylight Deer Sightings  in Missouri of  100% Free Ranging Whitetail Deer New Moon –Full Moon –First Quarter –Last Quarter LOW-MEDIUM-HIGHEST-HIGHEST 13% ------ 17% ------- 35% ------ 35% Highlight the days below that you see deer for your own records.   LOW MEDIUM HIGH HIGHEST 13% 17% 35% 35% Highlight the days below that you see deer for your own records.

September 23rd Fall Equinox

October  Deer Activity Index Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network

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 18th thru October 24th. E.Cooler Temperature’s from the North will also increase activity this time of year.

DEER ACTIVITY INDEX FOR OCTOBER By: Allen "horntagger" Morris October 1stNew Moon – Low (Bow Season Opens)  October 2nd First Quarter – Highest October 3rd First Quarter – Highest (Sat)October 4th First Quarter – Highest (Sun)October 5th First Quarter – Highest October 6th First Quarter – Highest October 7th First Quarter – Highest October 8th First Quarter – Highest October 9thFirst Quarter – Highest October 10th Full Moon – Medium (Sat) October 11th Full Moon – Medium (Sun) October 12th Full Moon – Medium October 13th Full Moon – Medium (Fall Turkey Season Opens) October 14thFull Moon – Medium October 15th Full Moon – Medium October 16th Full Moon – Medium October 17th Full Moon – Medium (Sat)October 18th Last Quarter – Highest  (False Rut under way , Open Mock Scrapes Don’t Forget Overhanging Limb.) (Sun)October 19thLast Quarter – Highest  October 20th Last Quarter – Highest  October 21st Last Quarter – Highest  October 22nd Last Quarter – Highest October 23rd Last Quarter – Highest October 24th Last Quarter – Highest (Sat)October 25th New Moon – Low (Sun)October 26th New Moon – Low (Fall Turkey Season Ends) (Daylight Saving Times Ends)(Move Clocks Back) October 27th New Moon – Low October 28th New Moon – Low October 29th New Moon – Low October 30th New Moon – Low October 31st New Moon – Low (Halloween)

November  Deer Activity Index Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network

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.

DEER ACTIVITY INDEX FOR NOVEMBER By: Allen "horntagger" Morris (Sat)November 1stFirst Quarter – Highest (Youth Firearms Season Opens) (Sun) November 2ndFirst Quarter – Highest (Youth Firearms Season Ends) November 3rdFirst Quarter – Highest November 4th First Quarter – Highest November 5thFirst Quarter – Highest November 6th First Quarter – Highest November 7th First Quarter – Highest (Sat)November 8th First Quarter – Highest (Sun) November 9th Full Moon – Medium (Note Second Full Moon) (Pre-Rut Starts) November 10th Full Moon – Medium November 11th Full Moon – Medium November 12th Full Moon – Medium  November 13th Full Moon – Medium November 14th Full Moon – Medium (Wife’s Birthday send Gifts) (Sat)November 15thFull Moon – Medium (Firearms Season Opens) (Sun)November 16thFull Moon – Medium November 17th Last Quarter – Highest (Rut Starts) November 18th Last Quarter – Highest November 19th Last Quarter – Highest November 20th Last Quarter – Highest November 21st Last Quarter – Highest (Sat)November 22nd Last Quarter – Highest (Sun) November 23rd New Moon – Low (Post Rut Starts) November 24th New Moon – Low November 25th New Moon – Low (Firearms Season Ends) November 26th New Moon – Low (Second Half Bow Season Opens)  November 27thNew Moon – Low (Thanksgiving Day) November 28th New Moon – Low (Muzzleloading Season Opens) (Sat)November 29th New Moon – Low (Son’s Birthday send Gifts) (Sun) November 30th First Quarter – Highest

December Deer Activity Index Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network

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.

DEER ACTIVITY INDEX FOR DECEMBER By: Allen "horntagger" Morris December 1st First Quarter – Highest  December 2nd First Quarter – Highest December 3rd First Quarter – Highest December 4th First Quarter – Highest December 5th First Quarter – Highest (Sat)December 6th First Quarter – Highest (Sun)December 7th First Quarter – Highest (Muzzleloading Season Ends) December 8th Full Moon – Medium December 9th Full Moon – Medium December 10th Full Moon – Medium December 11th Full Moon – Medium December 12thFull Moon – Medium (Sat)December 13thFull Moon – Medium (Antlerless-Only Firearms Season Opens) (Sun)December 14thFull Moon – Medium December 15th Full Moon – Medium  December 16th Last Quarter – Highest (Second Rut Starts) December 17th Last Quarter – Highest December 18th Last Quarter – Highest December 19th Last Quarter – Highest (Sat)December 20th Last Quarter – Highest (Sun)December 21st Last Quarter – Highest (Antlerless-Only Firearms Season Ends) December 22ndLast Quarter – Highest December 23rd New Moon – Low  December 24th New Moon – Low December 25th New Moon – Low (Christmas Day) December 26th New Moon – Low (Sat) December 27thNew Moon – Low (Sun) December 28thNew Moon – Low December 29th New Moon – Low December 30th First Quarter – Highest December 31st First Quarter – Highest

January Deer Activity Index Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network

Deer Activity Index for January A.Third & final estrus by doe deer not previously bred 30 days from second rut could occur from January 15th – January 21st 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.

 

DEER ACTIVITY INDEX FOR JANUARY By: Allen "horntagger" Morris January 1st First Quarter – Highest (New Year’s Day) January 2ndFirst Quarter – Highest (Sat)January 3rd First Quarter – Highest (Sun)January 4th First Quarter – Highest January 5th First Quarter – Highest January 6th First Quarter – Highest January 7th Full Moon – Medium January 8th Full Moon – Medium January 9th Full Moon – Medium (Sat)January 10th Full Moon – Medium (Sun)January 11thFull Moon – Medium January 12thFull Moon – Medium January 13th Full Moon – Medium January 14th Full Moon – Medium January 15th Last Quarter – Highest (Third Rut Starts) (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 nine years of personal observation records and 5 years of photo’s from surveillance camera and other resources.

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.

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.
Allen "horntagger" Morris

Another interesting fact is that.
208 Whitetail deer or (66%) are Sun Rise to Noon Sightings.
109 Whitetail deer or (34%) are Noon to Sunset Sightings.

Another interesting fact is that.
265 Whitetail deer or (67%) moved during the nighttime hours.
129 Whitetail deer or (33%) 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

LOW-MEDIUM-HIGH-HIGHEST

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%

Check out South Missouri Sportsmen’s Information Web Site and read the Moon Facts and Opinions
MOON FACTS

Deer Calling, Practice Makes Perfect
By Allen "horntagger" Morris

Want to become a better weekend deer hunter by calling deer during the off months. The best thing about this is you don't need deer, the woods or even better yet, time set aside for practice, at least at the beginning. Your now thinking to yourself what in the world could this be to help me with the calling deer. We'll how about calling deer without a call. Without a call, that's what I said. Just think how great it would be to call deer without having to move, fumble with the call or change calls. Sounds great to me. I am even going to include turkeys into this a little.

Now this is going to be almost impossible for me to actually show you how to do this. Since we are not using talking web sites yet. So you are going to have to following along then, try it yourself. To start with lets try calling turkeys it is easier to do and it will become the most useful call when bow hunting. Since turkey's main line of defense is their eyesight, the last thing you want to do is to try using a call while pulling on a bow. I know some of you might think you will just use your mouth call, that's great but some of us have trouble with using mouth calls and if a deer comes into the picture, changing calls might just blow your chance at him. For once lets give us an advantage and not help the wildlife with their advantage.

Grab you favorite call, cassette tape or video tape and just listen to it or them cluck. Now you put your tongue on the bottom and raise the middle/back of your tongue and try it. Sounds bad. Well very few things worth doing works the first time. So just practice what can it hurt. In 1998 bow hunting I kept seeing a lot of turkeys and had no call so I tried it on them. Almost harvested a few birds that day as they ran over each other to get away. But after some practice in 1999, I watched over 156 turkeys in 76 hours of hunting respond to me clucking. Even while working on food plots I have called hens and gobbler within 10 feet of me. Just wished it was turkey season.

Now let's try it on deer. In 1987 I watched a video on calling deer. The first call I mastered was the fawn cry. This call will scare you for the first time, if you have never used it before. It is loud, but effective at certain times of the year with does and yearlings. That same deer season after a week of gun hunting on the last Saturday of the season I thought I would try it. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon. I called for a few seconds. Within 30  seconds a yearling doe came within in 7 feet of me. That was my first deer. Since then in the summer when I see doe's in the field I practice my calling. For example me, my wife Melanie and our friend Angie drove through Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Near Puxico, Missouri, when two does ran in front of the truck into the swamp. I got out with my camera and before I could get any pictures they ran about 200 yards away before they stopped and looked. I started calling and one of the does ran back within 30 yards of the truck, with me standing in front of it taking pictures. A mother's instincts are strong in does.

I have also seen 2 to 3 videos of other people using fawn cries as a call and they show 3 to 5 does running right to them. This call take's one or two hands cupped over your mouth, tongue on the bottom and then opening up your hand and at the same time pinching your nose shut and saying naa. Try to find some video's showing someone using a fawn cry call. Sounds like a rabbit squeal just not has high pitched, somewhat like a sheep or goat. I do not use this call a whole lot but since in some areas of Missouri and the United States have deer population problems I believe this call will be used more. Don't forget, to get ready after you call some times you don't have a lot of time.

The next call I started using in 1999 was a deer snort. Now you say why, since this is an alarm call, I watched this video featuring Peter Fiduccia, and after having problems in getting to the stand in the morning even if I tried going out an hour before daylight for the last three years. Mr. Fiduccia, explains how deer use the snort to see if the noise in the leaves is a deer or a predator. So the first weekend of bow season in 1999, going to our stand with my friend Steve, I told him I was going to try this call this year. Same as always on the way into the stand over 8 deer from different directions started snorting. So I cupped both hands over my mouth and with the center open at the same time blew lots of air out and changed the shape of my mouth. Very hard to tell you without having a way to show you how it is done. But, you get the picture.

The deer blew back and I blew back it became a Mexican stand off. Eventually, the deer would walk away but never ran which alowd us to get into our stands. That morning before daylight I got to watch a doe mill around under the stand and watch a nice 8 pointer feeding in the food plot during the morning for over an hour, even stopping to get a drink from the watering hole. I use this call whenever I spook a deer and it has not seen me. After I took a shot at a doe later that year and missed I got to listen to the doe and yearling in which I split up snort back and fourth until they found each other. Even during gun season I watched 5 does snort back and fourth in a thicket until they gathered at the edge. So just try if after a deer snorts at you what do you have to loose, more than likely it was going to run away anyway.

I am sill working on my doe bleat, but I have not mastered this call. I would sill use this call if I need a deer to stop. I just need to practice more. The next call of course is the grunt. I just started trying to get this call down and as soon as I do I am going to add to this the grunt, snort, wheeze that M.A.D. calls has added to their line in which I believe will be an effective call right before the rut starts. But pinch your nose and try to make a bullfrog noise deep in the sound. Remember it takes time. If you use hen decoys or deer decoys during deer hunting season adding sound can only help you. Since we cannot make ourselves look like a deer without risk of danger at least we can sound like one. Just remember this saying, especially when using a decoy, If it looks like a deer, sounds like a deer and smells like a deer it must be a deer.

Ok, now that you know what the cluck, fawn cry, snort, bleat, grunt, grunt-snort-wheeze sounds like from the videos and cassettes you have listened to. I also told you that you would not have to set a lot of time aside to practice. Practice while mowing the yard, trimming the yard and the best thing about this is that no one is going to hear you but yourself. Also practice on the way to and from work. Or even when practicing using your bow during the summer. These are times you can't do anything else other than use your voice, and that is all we need to practice.

Lets skip to beginning of September, this we will need a little time to record yourself on a cassette tape making the sounds and record the best sound from your calls or video and or other cassettes. More than likely you can play them in your truck or car and make your adjustment to your calling then. If after you have read this you don't think you can call as good as your regular calls you are probably correct. I am not trying to totally replace all the manmade calls I am just trying to give you another option that does not cost you any money or a lot of time. But, if you can master just some of the calls just think of the possibilities.  Just look at Mr. Ralph Duren with the Missouri Department of Conservation. He actually does all the calls with his mouth only and does it for a living on the T.V. show and calling contests. Plus the Indians did it also and I can even do it so I know you can. Remember practice, practice, and practice. Remember all you have is the weekend to hunt. That deer or turkey that catches you off guard or without your calls this year won't have a chance. Hope to see you in the woods this weekend.

Hope to see in the woods or on the water.  Allen "horntagger" Morris
 

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