Sunday, October 16, 2005
Too Much Moon: Not Enough Moon?
The moon was big and bright tonight, and what few deer moved, did so right at the end of legal shooting time.
It brings us to the eternal question. Is hunting during the full moon a waste of time? No type of deer hunting, in my opinion, is a waste of time.
My experience during full moon periods is probably similar to yours. The deer often move late, and not many deer move during legal shooting time, but I’ve seen exactly the opposite on several occasions.
There haven’t been an overabundance of good deer hunting days during the full moon period, but there have been a few spectacular nights that I well remember. I take a different approach to hunting than many do.
I love deer hunting. Shooting a deer every time a person hunted would soon rob this pastime of its enjoyment. For me, being afield with a bow in hand is more important that the time of year or the moon phase.
It’s very obvious that it’s impossible to hunt from inside your home. We have to be out in the field, and each morning and/or evening hunt, is very important. I don’t pay much attention to the moon phases—I just go hunting, day after day.
The rut is still about two weeks away, and I’ll hunt every chance I get during that period but trying to pin down the peak of the rut to a specific day or days is much too scientific for my tastes. I figure if I hunt every day, regardless of the moon phase or rut phase, I’ll have my opportunities. It’s up to me to cash in on them.
The one thing I do know is that during the rut the bucks seem to move more during that period from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and hunters who can be afield then often find bucks moving. I’ve seen days during the full moon when bucks move fairly well during the middle part of the day.
Hunting deer is my life. So why should I concern myself with counting days after the second full moon during the fall, or picking an arbitrary day to pinpoint when the rut starts.
Hunters who are in the woods will know when the rut starts. Those same hunters who are afield at various times from sun-up to sundown during the full moon will also see bucks. It’s persistence, patience and practice that puts bucks at risk around me.
And ... I suspect it’s the same thing for most hunters. The more time we spend hunting normally means the more successful we will be. It certainly works for me.