Lot of opinions on this. I was always told full moon is bad time to hunt. Now many writers are saying the rutting moon (full moon) is a great time to hunt. One guy was sayin he likes a full moon at end of October and the next one in November. I know time in the field means everything but just wondering what you guys think.

I hunt whenever I get a chance to go out. Moon phase has no bearing on when I go.

MP

My experience is that I very often see more deer active during mid day hours when the moon phases are full or near full. I can almost guarantee it and I count on it. Rarely fail to see deer mid day then.

I generally avoid the full moon when I have a choice, except during the rut. The "second full moon after the autumnal equinox" traditionally is the best day of the year to be in the woods. Naturally, it's the day after bow season ends in my state this year (Nov. 4th), lol. They screwed NC bow hunters years ago and gave the best week of our season(the final week) to the muzzle loaders. Have said all that, hunt whenever you can. A bad day hunting beats a good day working...and hunt midday during full moons.

I still hunt but its usually midday.

Moon phase definitely influences game movement. When planning out of state hunts, I try my best to avoid full moon periods. When hunting around home, I just go whenever I am able.

Moon phases can alter deer movement, but they don't disappear off the face of the earth. You go to the woods whenever time allows to hunt. As for the rut, the moon phase is a non-player, it's based on biology...not astrology.

Only thing I watch out for during the full moon is those lunar ticks. Cause all kinds of problems. Seems they get worse every year. More of a problem than werewoves. And they don't carry limes, either.

Cant kill them on the couch i get out every chance i can regardless of the moon phase!!

Richard, you must be hunting "down state" somewhere. Here in the Western section we still have that "final week" before general firearms season for bow-only. Our muzzleloader season splits our archery season in mid-October. However, archery is still a legal weapon in muzzleloader season, right?

Look when the moon is straight up or straight down, regardless of it's phase. Good times to be in the woods.

Well you have to be careful shooting in the moonlight always. Once I was out a little later than I should have been 20 years ago and here he comes. He must have turned his head side ways all I saw was bone and a lot of points. I lined up his body and he got the shaft. Since I wasn't sure just where he went I backed out came in at first light went to my tree and found the arrow. I passed through and knew how quick I'd find him. I knew he was in the set of woods I was in he wasn't going to make it to the road to cross. As I looked at vegetation and the trees it was sprayed every where and found him in 50 yards dead as door knob. What disappointment I felt and it was my fault shooting when it was to dark to see. Oh he was an 8 point but only 15 inchs wide and tail enough. Big body but it wasn't his brother. Since we can only shoot 1 buck in Pa. he got my tag. I guess the big body took me back and when he turned his head he looked like he had a lot of points and assumed he was the bigger one. It was good and cold out that night so I had no worry's and slept good because I had the feeling dead animal just a matter of finding him.

Darrin, yes I'm hunting the Northwestern section. I didn't realize they'd inserted muzzleloader into the middle of the Western season, that's new. Yes you can use bows throughout, but I get out of the woods when the blasting starts...can't stand the noise pollution nor dodging lead!

Richard, the blackpowder season has been early October here in the western section for as long as I can remember. I do remember several years ago when they switched the northwestern and maybe some others to the last week before rifle season. That blows. I love being in the woods with my bow that last week or season before firearms. It can be a magical time. Bucks show themselves that we didn't know even existed! I've already put in for that week off from work this year. Maybe a big`un will show up chasing all the does I got on my little farm!

What MP said.

My experience is that during the true rut bucks move all day with very short rest periods when eer they feel the need. And it doesn't seem to matter what part of the country you're in.

I prefer a waxing moon 5-19 days after the full moon phase. Also as pressure starts to mount I focus on Wed. thru Fri. in my neck of the woods.

For about 2 weeks that's our peak I hunt all day. But otherwise its just mainly midday during a full moon.

Shawn may have his moon phases mixed up. How can the moon be directly over head at mid-day when there is a full moon?

I believe the theory when folks were trying to make money selling you the secret best hunting/fishing times was that game was supposedly more active when the moon was directly overhead or directly underfoot(on the other side of earth). Then it evolved to hunting the period when the moon was in those positions at roughly dawn and dusk, when game was most active anyway. I thought those times correlate with the quarter phases.

What about when its cloudy for days and weeks on end? Then what do you do?

The animals are well aware of the moon position even when it's cloudy. I'm not telling when is the best times anymore. I have hunted state fish and game areas when nobody else is there and I like it that way.

Cloudy days really have nothing to do with it. The gravitational pull of the moon is what the animals feel. I think if we lived outdoors 24/7, 365, we would feel it also. As people we've been so "civilized" that we no longer know much about the wilds. One guy who lives in the Akaskan backcountry for 6 months out of the year once said it takes him 2 weeks or more just to get the "buzzing" noise out of his ears and mind once he is away from any form of civilization and to actually "hear" the wilderness and critters.

Right. Deer generally are active when they are hungry, whenever that is. I don' think the moon or clouds impact hunger. I think cold does. Therefore, cold weather, and the rut as well, tend to increase deer activity, movement, and visibility. The moon may have some impact on timing, but probably not on duration of activity. That is more dependent on weather, cold, and daylength cycles, which influence the rut.

Where I live on whitetails the moon def seems to play a role. I've seen deer on a big moon and even had some good days but the odds are against that it seems. Research shows different though but I just don't agree.

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