Hunting Opening Week VS Hunting a "Better" Moon

Timr245

Timr245

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Jul 21, 2016
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As the title of the post entails, I'm battling with myself over whether I should be in camp on opening day of rifle season which will very likely fall perfectly with a full moon and possibly still some rutting activity or wait until the following week which will be a better hunter's moon with the possibility of cooler or even more inclement weather. I'm flexible with my hunting dates so I'm just curious to see how folks will weigh in on this one.
 
JimP

JimP

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It all depends on how long the season is and where you are hunting. In state or out of state.

I never have watched the moon phases. I have always had the hunting seasons dictated to me by the states division of wildlife and usually I have only had 2 weekends at most to hunt. So I go out on the first weekend and hit it hard until either the season is finished or I have meat in the freezer.

I have also wondered if the animals really care what the moon is doing or if it is just something us hunters have dreamed up to blame not seeing or killing game animals. I am always out where I want to be at least a hour before sunrise and if I head back to camp it be around noon. Then I will be back at it a couple of hours before sunset and stay there until shooting hours have passed then hike back in the dark. I have always seen animals that way and I never worried about what phase the moon was in.
 
Timr245

Timr245

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I also feel like no matter the moon the critters move most on their own at dusk and dawn, period.

I should have noted that it will be an out-of-state hunt and I have about 10 days for the whole trip, 2 of which are burnt driving.
 
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M

Micah S

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Jan 11, 2016
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I've killed elk during full moon and new moon. You can kill elk any time but the best time is when there is very little hunting pressure.
 
go_deep

go_deep

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Yea, I couldn't even tell you when the moon phases are, have been, or will be in any hunting season. Go when you can and get it done!
 
kidoggy

kidoggy

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moon means nothing to me either way. wether I hunt early or late really depends on the particular unit ,hunting pressure, wether or not the rut is still going and how hot it is. I would rather hunt the cold then the heat in pretty much most situations. rut is always fun also but more often then not, it is over here by the time rifle opens.

in general I prefer late season hunts over early but there are exceptions to that in every state
 
8

88man

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Feb 20, 2014
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I think its very easy to over think things when we have months to prepare and we want and look forward to our trips so much. Most important factor is that you go on the hunt and are prepared to be flexible if what you thought it should be is not the way it it happening
. I am a believer in moon phases affecting big game movements but there are so many other factors that affect it also.
 
kidoggy

kidoggy

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I am not a believer that the moon phases affect big game in any significant way. they can see in the dark.they eat when they are hungry. they poop and pee when the urge comes upon them.in fact they do everything they do when the urge comes upon them.
I can accept that bead weather will change up their habits a bit but the moon?? nah. silliness.





I do believe the moon phases play a factor in mans movements though. and mans movements play a part in what big game does.


we can't see in the dark , so it affects us. because it affects us ,we are silly enough to believe it affects all animals.



one should never ,never, ever hunt if a comet is passing the earth though:rolleyes:;)
 
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BKC

BKC

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If there is a full moon, or close to it either way, then supposedly the elk will be rutting all night long. It would be nice not to have them rutting when I can't hunt them ( sleeping), so I am a new moon kind of guy.
 
kidoggy

kidoggy

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"supposedly",is correct.

when elk rut , they rut . don't matter to them if it is day or night or if moon is full or not.
 
JimP

JimP

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What a lot of people don't realize is that animals just go on being animals when it is a full moon or not.

A few years ago I had a muzzle loader tag in Utah for the ML deer hunt at the end of September and first of October. The elk had gone totally nocturnal in their habits. It was so hot during the day that all they did was sleep in the shade. But as soon as the sun went over the hill they went crazy. They were bugling all night and chasing cows. It was so dark that you couldn't see you hand in front of your face but the elk could care less.

Then once the sun hit the area where they were at they went and bedded back down to wait out the heat of the day.

That is where I was saying that you need to be ready to hunt them just before dark and right after sunup. If you didn't do that you were likely never to even see a animal that year. By the way, the deer were the same way and I shot my buck about 15 minutes before dark.
 
Fink

Fink

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It's been my experience that during a full moon, when there's more activity all night long, that you'll experience some late morning/midday activity. Often times with the full moon, you'll have a shorter opportunity in the mornings and evenings, but will make up for it with good activity from 10-2.
Of course, your mileage may vary, and a lot of that probably depends on whether or not you're hunting the rut, how cold/hot it is, if you're in the timber, or in the wide open, etc.

Bottom line - Go when it fits your schedule best, hunt the entire time, and have fun.
 
CODAK

CODAK

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Aug 8, 2016
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I'm with Kidoggy on this. Weather and pressure play way more of a role in movement than moon. I know I'm not the only one who essentially switches my sleep schedule during archery to see where they are at night, and shadow em until sun up. You can sleep over a wallow mid day and also sleep when you're dead. Success doesn't come easy.
 
mallardsx2

mallardsx2

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If I had to choose I would plan an archery trip to avoid a full moon the best I could.

It if came down to hunting or not hunting I would deal with the full moon.

Seasons are when they are. You got to hunt when you can hunt.

Arriving in rifle season after 1000 other guys have cherry picked through the herd is probably a worse idea than trying to deal with the moon.
 
taskswap

taskswap

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Jul 9, 2018
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This feels like the kinda topic you could get 6 opinions from 5 people on. But just to throw my hat in the ring, I think it matters a heck of a lot more what other hunters are doing than what the moon is. If the GMU you're going to is mobbed with hunters on opening weekend and quiet by the closer, as many are, and you have the option to go for the closer, I would do that.

Also, it's probably worth remembering that terms like "Hunter's Moon" came from the days when hunters would use the light of the moon to hunt deer and so on down in their fields after a harvest. Unless you're one of those rare places where you can hunt at night (or you're after hogs) I don't think the moon matters as much as the superstitions say...
 
kidoggy

kidoggy

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my lack of success is because the elk and deer have it in for me!!

I moon em and they just run away laughin!
 
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