Full moon and hunting
 

How bad does a full moon and a clear night effect hunting? A couple of guys I hunt with refuse to go when there is a full moon and a clear night. They swear it's a total waste of time. I tend to disagree. I have seen a few deer with these conditions. Just curious to see what you all think and feel about this.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I was told years ago by my grandfather that with full moon, get to stand an hour earlier to get everything settled down.Deer will usually be going back to bed up before shooting light. May have a chance like that.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I never think of hunting as a waste of time but, I do agree I have very little success w/ a full moon. I have to walk across a 13 acre food plot to get to my best stand and I have bumped a lot of deer off that field in the morning on my way to my stand. I have also noticed that the evenings before a full moon the activity seems to be low until just before dark. It is the RUT so right now no time is the wrong time.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

Morning and evening movement slows during a full moon but a lot of times deer will move more during mid day at this time. Sleep in a little bit and hunt from 10-3 you may be suprised at what you see during these hours when its a full moon.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I've had some success in the afternoons during full moons. Much less in the mornings....but you can't get them if you stay in bed either.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I agree with lefty. During the full moon deer move most of the night and bed down b-4 dawn. They tend to move midday after resting. Especially the bucks during the rut. I have seen alot of great deer taken at this time during full moon stages.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

When it is full moon, does will usually bed down just after sunrise sometime. Bucks will bed down about an hour or so after sunrise. They will get up usually again around noon and start pushing the does again. If its a full moon, get to your stand EARLY and hunt areas that are close to bedding areas so you can catch does coming in from feeding. Bucks will be following them. Make sure you are in your stand around noon-2 and hour before sunset.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

IMO mornings after a clear sky full moon is usually pretty bad. I'd rather sleep in an hit the mid-day and evening hunts.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

waste of time i think not, i saw 2 shooters at 8:30 yesterday and i saw one killed yester day 23 pt probably score 160 anyway. i agree w/ the deer moving later deal though. i think your best chances are at first light and mid morning, try to stay in stand til noon.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

Watch the hours that the full moon is up. For instance, if the full moon is still going to be up a after the sun comes up be in the stand. This is a hot time to catch a big buck cruising. I have seen this happen many times.

Good luck

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I hunted with a full moon yesterday evening. But the wind got so bad andit turned cold that I ahd to pull my pants up. LOL

Seriously though I saw 12 deer about 30 minutes before dark. Smaller bucks running does, nothingto shoot at though.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

This particular Full Moon is the "Rutting Moon". It's what kicks off the Major Chasing and Breeding Cycles (in the north) So hunt when ya can, before they all pair up.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

Well, i am a huge believer in you cant get them while sitting on the couch, so i try to get out there as often as possible. I have already logged in over a 100 hours in a tree, since september 10th. According to my log, i have seen deer during the full moom phases, but the number of deer i saw was down drastically, from 8 deer down to 2 on average. Also a number of the deer that i did see were either right at first light or last light. I havent been able to sit mid day, but last sat, i saw a monster buck at 11, so that is close to midday. I would sit mid day if possible and if i couldnt i would stick to the afternoons, i normally see more deer during the full moons then. after this season, im starting to think full moons are a waste of time, but then like i said before, you cant get them on your couch.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

This full moon, November 16th's is pretty darned important in my opinion. From a biological standpoint in association with Photoperiod. Studys upon studies show that Estrus is triggered by photoperiodism. This moon will trigger a ton of does over the next week. Seeking will turn to chasing in which will turn to breeding. Does smell right for about 72 hours, then they actually come into estrus for about 28-32.

BE OUT THERE HUNTING THIS FULL MOON>>>BECAUSE THE DOES ARE NOW TRIGGERED to produce that so important phermone. I wouldnt miss a day for the next 20 if I had them off work.

Full moons outside of the rut do play a factor into deer feeding..but thats a different story than right now!

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I have to agree with shedd. It has all been child's play until now. The dominant bucks are going to be on the move. It is hard for a hunter when he has been in the stand for many many days by this time of the year. Your tired of looking at the same old trees and stupid squirrells. I think a person would have a much better chance to kill the biggest bucks if they just started hunting their area now. It is to hard to do though after you have waited a year for bow season to open. Get out in those stands and catch a big buck out looking for some more sugar.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I'll also agree with Lefty.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

Hunt evenings on the October full moon. Hunt all day during the Rutting Moon of November.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

Thanks for all the inputs folks. Looks like I will be in the stand from mid day till dark.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I agree with a lot of the others. Outside of the rut, I slack off in my morning hunting when the moon is full. But now is a different story. It's on right now in my area. I've seen about 35 deer in the last 5 days. About a third of them have been bucks, with 2 of them being bruisers. I've seen a lot of chasing and every buck has had his nose on the ground or in the air. I hunt close to the bedding in the mornings. If hunting closer to the feed get in very early. With my hunting close to the beds, I go in later when it's light enough to not need a flashlight.Over the last few days they haven't been getting out of the beds until about 8:30 to 9:00, with the majority of the movement during that time or later. Movement in the evenings has been during the last hour. Anyone not getting out there right now is making a grave mistake. Now is when I take my vacation. I've taken my last 3 bucks during the rutting (Full) moon in November. You'll see a lot of the really big bucks taken at midday right now.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I agree that the full moon culls daytime movement some, but a buddy of mine shot a decent 10 pt. yesterday a.m....

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

I've read lately that altho it is the full moon and all, with the rut, it is suppose to be very active during mid day. I'm going to go out and try to sit all day if I can. tomorrow is opening day of rifle. wish everyone thought it was a waste to hunt during the full moon. also, it has been cloudy to partly cloudy at least two days during this full moon, so I suspect there will be a bit more activity.

RE: Full moon and hunting
 

Don't get your hopes up that this full moon means the beginning of the major rutting activity in the north. Our rut is winding down here in Wisconsin. Peak of the rut this year was about the 10th of NOV. Just like every other year.