Moon phase hunting

[bearheart]

I have to plan my time off far in advance of hunting regs coming out. I would like to take two 7day hunting trips to the west Kootenays to hunt in September and October for deer and if by miracle God's dumbest 6pt elk. I know success rate is going to be low (nothing there for me 4 years in a row) but I have friends there. So book off to hunt full moon or dark of moon parts of month. All serious thoughts will be much appreciated by this old guy.

[hunter1947]

If me I would be hunting with no moon over my years hunting elk the dark no moon has always been the best time to hunt any game animal..

[bearheart]

That's what I thought, but I have read both ways.

[budismyhorse]

If elk are rutting during full moon they typically are very active at night...... Which means they bed early and spend much less time in the open for hunters to spot/blast.

Hunt the no moon phase if you can.

[Black Lab]

I believe no moon is best for hunting and fishing

[Ambush]

Weather is much more important than moon phase.
Animals have to eat the same amount no matter what phase the moon, but will often feed more with an advanceing low pressure.
Countless millions of dollars of research by the whitetail industry in the US suggests this. But elk aren't whitetail, I guess.

On the other hand, one African outfitter I checked only books hunts one week either side of the new moon. But then they don't hunt elk either.

[elknut]

Just thought I would throw in an observation..hunting elk in the Peace in september around sept1 to the 15th...Weather+25...Full moon..I got up real early every morning...way before 1st light..quit hunting about noon...Headed back to quad and back to camp...Jumped a 300 class bull on a 90 degree corner ..He took off ..By the time I got off the quad and loaded a cartridge he was long gone...Bugling brought no response...Two days later again jumped a bull at about 12:30 -1:00 pm...Again on quad and heading back to camp..No shot as he ran into immature of 15ft high...The moral....The full moon affects all game and they move accordingly...If game only moved at dusk and dark the predators would have them figured out...The heat was so bad it actually stopped the hunters...or should I say some hunters..Both of these bulls were killed by two other guys at noon to 2pm during 25 to 28 c degree heat during the full moon phase...I came close but no cigar..The best time to hunt is when you can and for the whole day...AMEN

[elknut]

For the muledeer rut I find this procedure to work.....The rut starts 2nd full moon after the autumn equinox..!st phase...Seek..2 to 3 days before full moon to 2 to 3 days after full moon..Chase....startsend of seek phase..rubbing intense..peak 7-10 days after full moon...Breed..most difficult..Small doe movement...hard to find..week after full moon breeding occurs..Intense for 2 weeks..The big differance seems to be the timing of the autumn equinox every year..Some years it comes early in sept ...other years late sept..To say the full moon doesnt affect them or they all lay down for the whole day is BS during the full moon. Nature says they will drop there offspring in the end of May till mid June..mostly during a new moon...Some years you find rubs early..this last year 2011 the rubs were later than what appeared normal..Why???? The rut started later programming them to start the process of SEEK CHASE and Breed later...The hot day was the full moon..I seen 9 bucks..Walked right up to a doe and buck within 20 ft...They ignored me ..Too much LOVE on there minds...I never saw the Booner I was after... but many 150 to 165 class bucks ...This timing of the rut might sound like BS to some ..But if you try it ..it might work for you too...Dennis