hunting a full moon

cabinfever · Sep 1, 2004

I have been bow hunting an area that I scouted intensly prior to the hunt. I saw several of the bucks I had scouted the first 3 days of the hunt, however, this last week I have hardly seen a thing and I have noticed that it has been a full moon my last two unproductive trips out. Is it true that deer feed all night on a full moon and than bed early. My experience tells me that the moon does play a role in their feeding habits, because I bumped several deer in the thick stuff so I know there in there,however maybe it's because of all the pressure. I would love to here everyones thoughts on this.

cabinfever

RACKMASTER · Sep 1, 2004

COMMON SENSE DUDE!
THAT LAST MOON WAS VERY BRITE!
RM

saminwy · Sep 1, 2004

i've heard it both ways, but i think the big moon does change patterns a little. one little thing i have noticed, is that over the years we have killed (and seen) more deer at midday when there is a full moon. while they seem to be less active at dusk and dawn, there seems to be more activity in the middle of the day. just something i have noticed.

NeedaNu4x · Sep 1, 2004

Same here. The moon does play an inportant role how the deer feeds and sleeps. They do tend to feed more in the moonlight than in the day/early morning or late afternoon. It's been said that hunting during the full moon will definitely be a disadvantage. But I'm here to tell you that two of the last three times i got my buck was durring a full moon. And this past weekend was a full moon as well and our scouting trip was fantastic!! Saw 14 bucks, all but 2 were shooters. 4 of them over 25" wide, I'd even be willing to say real, real close to 30" wide!! Season starts next weekend, i'll see if I can get close enough. Good luck to you all.

C ya!

Mike

kingfish · Sep 2, 2004

I think it has more to do with the humane activity increasing in the woods that puts deer (especially big bucks) on their nocternal schedule. Prey species such as elk and deer are very atuned to their enviornment and even the slightest changes can and will cause them to change their routines. Don't give up just hunt harder. Stay out all day!!. These animals are still there they are just harder to catch out in the open after hunting season starts. Elk might bug out of a given area but mule deer tend to hang around a favorite area.

Bowpony · Sep 2, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Sep-02-04 AT 07:10AM (MST)[p]I have never had luck spotting game during a full moon. I hunted Monday the only game animal I spotted was a moose. The moon doesnt stop me from hunting but it will decide my vacation days I ask for hunting.

orion23 · Sep 2, 2004

there was a study done and was conducted over the last 4-13 years depending on the states on captive and wild deer. basically there results were that moon phases have nothing to do with deer movement or the rut. just passing this on, not my research... i personally think that it is the pressure of the hunters / scouters moving in. tb

Wes · Sep 2, 2004

Deer feed all night whether there's a full moon or not. Once the hunting season begins and human activity increases deer may change their habits or move to another area with less activity. If your putting presure on their area, the deer you were watching may have simply moved. I've been guiding for a number of years and this has been my observation.
Wes

c3 · Sep 2, 2004

The main thing I've noticed is the the combination of a full moon and dry warm weather seems to put the animals in their beds early and they won't come out until after dark.

A few years ago I hunted elk in Montana under full moon for a week. The first day I was there they would bugle and were out feeding before dark and out until about 9:30am.

As the moon became full, they would sit in the same bedding area all day, completely unapproachable in the dry potatoe chips that year. Then about 20 mins. after the moon came up, long after it was dark out, they would get up and move to feed in some sage.

I could hear the herd bull grunting all day long, keeping track of his cows in there, but they did not get up and move one bit during daylight hours. By 8:00am they were back in their bedding area each morning.

I finally got busted one night trying to get out of there and back to camp. A cow followed me all the way down the mtn. barking at me. Needless to say they were nowhere to be found the next day.

Like usual it took me two years to realize I should have simply sat in their bedding area in the morning. DOH!

It was a pretty misserable week of hunting, though calling in bulls under a full moon was cool.

Any one who say's the full moon doesn't effect their behavior hasn't seen what I have that's for sure.

Cheers,
Pete

Russ · Sep 2, 2004

Here is my theory, that at times seems to be right on the money, and at other times doesn't/

ON a full moon, I feel the animals will go in the trees earlier in the day, if not before daylight. However, I have thought often times that this makes a better evening hunt, because the animals have been in the bed longer, so they come out a little earlier. Whether they are hungry, or just sick of being down I don't know. Anybody else agree or disagree with this thought?? It definetly does not always hold true.

shedhunterjones · Sep 2, 2004

On a full moon the morning is only good for like twenty minutes and then they are gone. All the nights are good though.

BrianID · Sep 2, 2004

In my opinion the full moon does affect animal activity but not as much as hunting pressure, predators, temperature or weather (wind & rain/snow). It is nice to have something to blame a bad day on though.
I don't have anything to back it up but I think that the moon would affect deer in areas with a lot of predators more than areas that have few predators. This could explain why the moon in the study orion23 mentioned didn't affect the deer.

boneaddict · Sep 2, 2004

If someone was trying to shoot you everytime you went to your sink or fridge, you might start coming out at night as well, when the snipers were sleeping. Especially if you can see just as good in the dark as in the light.

MichaelJ · Sep 2, 2004

LMAO! Love the analogy Bone!

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.

kkensimpson · Sep 3, 2004

I believe they move a lot more during full moon. Two years ago it sounded like about 50 head of elk walked 20 yards from my camp. Wish they had been anywhere within sight during the next day, but they had already moved off.

Ken

eelgrass · Sep 3, 2004

I never hunt on a full moon. It's almost impossible to hold a buck in the spotlight when it's so bright out. The darker the night the more effect your light will have. Oops, that was in days gone by!
Seriously, it's usually tough hunting during times of a full moon, but I mainly speak of California blacktails. It helps alot if it's cloudy or storming at night as the moon is not so bright. If the weather is warm and clear during a full moon you're going to have to almost step on one to get him to move.
But as we all know there are only so many days to hunt in a season so I go every chance I get.

Good hunting to all,
eelgrass

BCBOY · Sep 3, 2004

My experience is that the fullmoon really affects the deer. I hunt very low presure areas, so other hunters are not an issue. I rarely see squat for deer in Sept and Oct on the full moon. Now, Nov is totally different. The full moon normally means a couple hard cold nights and that can really get the rut in gear. But in Nov,I find that not much is moving at first light. Even in the thick timber. They seem to be bedded for the first couple of hours of light.

MichaelJ · Sep 5, 2004

Interesting BCBoy. I've never really seen a deer bedded still before light. Good to know.

Michael~All Gods creatures welcome... right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.