Season phases and moon

The rut calendar and why the moon shows up.

Early season

Roughly Sep 1 – Oct 24. Deer are on predictable feeding patterns.

Pre-rut

Roughly Oct 25 – Nov 5. Bucks start cruising and making sign.

Peak rut

Roughly Nov 6 – Nov 25. The chase is on — daytime movement spikes.

Post-rut

Roughly Nov 26 – Jan 15. Bucks recover and refocus on food.

Moon phase / illumination

Tracked alongside your photos because moonlight influences night-versus-day movement. It is one input among many, not a silver bullet.