Full moon and archery elk

[vandeman17]

I wanted to see how you guys felt about how full moons effect elk in the rut. We are going to Oregon this year for an archery hunt and it runs from the end of August until the 22nd of September. It will be a full moon on the 19th and that scares me because I would prefer to be there the last week in hopes of maybe cooler weather and more rutting activity.

[JLS]

I wouldn't worry a whole lot about the full moon.  I would go from the 10th-22 (or 15-22 if you can only go a week).  Weather patterns have a whole lot more effect on daytime elk activity than anything else from my experience.

[washelkhunter]

Its been proven that the elk rut corresponds with the position/angle of the sun in the sky. The moon isnt involved other than its makes it easier for elk to see at night. The moon has 0 effect as far as weather is concerned. Mid sept is peak rut activity around here.

[vandeman17]

What I am worried about is there being a full moon and having clear nights and warm days. If that happens then they are likely to hold up in the dark timber during the heat of the day and do most of their moving at night. It happened to us in Montana and it was miserable!

[elk247]

There have been studies done that the elks retna's process the moon phase and is thought to trigger the rut. I think from personal experiance i would agree with your feelings on perfering darker nights hoping the elk will feed longer into the morning. Cooler temps imo have more to do with rut conditions. Im planning on hunting oregon two years from now and i wouldnt change my plans except for a forest fire or something similar. Best of luck! Keep us posted on the results. Are you familar with the area already or going with a guide? Im going DIY and scouting is my biggest hurdle.

[washelkhunter]

What I am worried about is there being a full moon and having clear nights and warm days. If that happens then they are likely to hold up in the dark timber during the heat of the day and do most of their moving at night. It happened to us in Montana and it was miserable!

So go in there and try to get one. I always thought "miserable" was just a normal state for most elk hunting.   

[elk247]

Its been proven that the elk rut corresponds with the position/angle of the sun in the sky. The moon isnt involved other than its makes it easier for elk to see at night. The moon has 0 effect as far as weather is concerned. Mid sept is peak rut activity around here.

Not where i hunt. Its the last two weeks of september. Espically the last few years with 90 degree temps through bow season. The elk are barely even in pre rut conditions.

[vandeman17]

There have been studies done that the elks retna's process the moon phase and is thought to trigger the rut. I think from personal experiance i would agree with your feelings on perfering darker nights hoping the elk will feed longer into the morning. Cooler temps imo have more to do with rut conditions. Im planning on hunting oregon two years from now and i wouldnt change my plans except for a forest fire or something similar. Best of luck! Keep us posted on the results. Are you familar with the area already or going with a guide? Im going DIY and scouting is my biggest hurdle.

We are doing a DIY hunt and this will be my first time in the area and hunting Oregon overall. It will be my father and I hunting and he lives down in Redmond. They have a friend that was born and raised in Oregon and he is a die hard elk hunter. He has been giving us tips on where to go but we will still be doing a bunch of scouting this summer. It is about a five hour drive for me and a five hour drive for him so a few weekend trips are in store.

[vandeman17]

I found this article and it seemed pretty good. http://www.elk-hunting-tips.net/elk-rut.html

"During a full moon a lot of activity, including feeding and rut action, will occur at night. Then elk will rest more during the day because of the overnight orgy. Be advised, however, that rut activity might continue into the early dawn before the silence sets in. After a dreaded full moon many elk hunters, including myself, have learned to be in prime country before daylight listening to the cacophony of elk rut sounds to determine where they are and where they’re going.


More elk activity occurs during the day after a dark night. If the moon is in a dark phase, particularly during the peak of the elk rut, don’t miss it if you can be there!

In 2012 the dark of the moon occurs on Saturday, September 15th! I will definitely be riding my mountain bike in the dark mornings up toward my favorite spot Friday through Monday of that weekend.

Cold snaps and light rain or snow can’t be predicted ahead of time, but if it occurs during the latter half of September, be there!

When I hear wolves howling in the darkness on the way into my hunting areas, I don’t expect much of the day. Usually the elk will quiet down when they hear wolves to avoid giving their location away. The wolves will usually move on in nomadic fashion. So the very next day might be back to normal."

[elk247]

That sounds right to me. I havent had wolves in my elk area yet, thankfully. Cool weather, dark nights = be there!

[vandeman17]

I would give anything to have cool nights down in the 30's and 40's and then daytime warming up but clouds the whole time. Even a little drizzle a few times would be fine as long as it didn't pour. I know its a lot to ask but worth a shot anyway. It is like 5 months away but I can't wait!

[Fullabull]

The best calling season I ever had here in WA was during a full moon. We were calling in bulls every day and mostly from late afternoon until end of shooting light. But that was when the season ran later into September and bull were looking for cows.

[JLS]

If there is a full moon and the elk have gone very nocturnal, get out of bed earlier.  Plan on leaving the truck two hours before daylight so that you can animals located and be in position when they are moving at first light.  If you cannot get into them at that time, dog the herd and work them in their bedding areas.

[christopheri]

Its been proven that the elk rut corresponds with the position/angle of the sun in the sky. The moon isnt involved other than its makes it easier for elk to see at night. The moon has 0 effect as far as weather is concerned. Mid sept is peak rut activity around here.

Not where i hunt. Its the last two weeks of september. Espically the last few years with 90 degree temps through bow season. The elk are barely even in pre rut conditions.

X2

[Tbar]

  I will only speak of first hand experience. The two biggest obstacles for me in calling/ hunting rutting elk are (1) hot weather, and (2) getting discouraged. Hot weather will sometimes shut down all daytime activity regardless of moon phase, find water with sign, if they aren't there they will be.  The second is staying positive (this is one I struggle with). Often times when things go wrong, and they will, I lose focus and deviate from the game plan. If you stay the course things usually will eventually go right.
There is always the luck factor (both good and bad) but if you prepare and pay close attention to detail when it comes to setup it will work out for the good. Close attention to setup has had a more positive effect than any negatives including moon and weather. If they are doing all their playing at night move in on them early, real early and keep a safe distance until light allows proper setup.
Good luck, stay positive, and have fun. You have a special gift of hunting with your dad, it will be a success no matter what tags get punched.