Moon phase

[pasteve]

when planning a hunt how much of a factor is the moon phase? For example it looks like a new moon at the beginning of sept this year. Would you want to hunt the first week vs second or third week of archery?

 

[sneakem]

I have two takes on this...

My take is that you hunt when you can hunt on easy to draw tags. The moon obviously effects the hunt to an extent but if you wait for the environmental factors to be right, you will do a fraction of the hunting.

That being said, I always look at the moon when spending a bunch of points. If I wait years for a hunt, I'm going to leave as many factors in my favor as possible and a year or two at that point is time well spent IMO...

 

[Gr8bawana]

I've never given any thoughts to the moon phase. We just hunt when we can.

 

[Neighwp]

If the moon is full they can be up on their feet all night, but if a cow comes into heat at 8am, they aren't going to delay the breeding activities until night! It's also important to look at the actual Moon Rise and Set times. It the moon is setting at 11pm, it's not going to promote night feeding like it will if it's setting at 7am. Bull's midday movement can be increased during full moon times when they get restless from having moved all night if the rut is in full swing.

 

[ccc23454]

Whitetail guys...

 

[SCliving Outdoors]

I have never once looked at the moon phase for any western hunt ever.

I have looked at the moon in regards to whitetail here in SC, but its not like it matters. I'm going hunting every day I can whether the moon is "right" or not.

 

[Forkyfinder]

If the moon is bright they will be out in the night. Not sure what it has to do with the rut, angle of earths axis, price of tea in china - but i have seen and dealt with it. Elk will rut and feed all night and goto bed early.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I have hunted long enough with enough data to prove certain things and for what it is worth, I try my best to schedule all of my out of state hunts around the moon.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Do you guys worried about the moon really think deer and elk which are prey animals need the moon to see well?
Are they just running around blind, crashing into brush and trees when there is no moon and are being stalked by a predator?
You guys are equating them to us humans which are quite helpless in the dark.

 

[Ben Long]

Ignore the moon. It matters not. Rut matters most. Elk see very well in the dark. Moon or no moon. Ever rode a horse in the dark? Even without a moon, they do just great. Moon comes up, they still do great. People have pathetic eyes in regards to night vision. But it's a mistake to assume elk are the same as us. The closer to the peak of the rut, the more elk are on the prod and the more likely you are to see them.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Ignore the moon. It matters not. Rut matters most. Elk see very well in the dark. Moon or no moon. Ever rode a horse in the dark? Even without a moon, they do just great. Moon comes up, they still do great. People have pathetic eyes in regards to night vision. But it's a mistake to assume elk are the same as us. The closer to the peak of the rut, the more elk are on the prod and the more likely you are to see them.

How Does the Full Moon Affect Elk?

Werewolves aren’t the only creatures reputed to get a little crazy under a full moon. Lots of species are especially active when the moon is [...]

www.rmef.org

Have you hunted a full moon the third week of September? Twice I timed the moon cycle early and the elk seemed way less active during the day - and I could hear them in my tent with the bright moon.

 

[bobbadbob]

here in eastern nm i started looking at the solunar tables...scouting mule deer on private where they are TOTALLY undisturbed i do notice more deer up and feeding when the tables said even in the middle of the day...but you cant schedule hunting trips or game seasons around it so its a moot point imo...been watching for 3 years from sept to jan