Hunting Washington Forum
Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: pocketaces20 on October 02, 2014, 10:04:37 PM
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Does anyone have an opinion either way on whether or not moon phase influences elk movement? If so, what patterns do you seem to notice?
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According to Dwight Schuh and other studies I have read, moon phase has no affect on elk. Weather and the Rut are the driving influences.
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My observations have been that elk tend to feed more at night during a fuller moon phase. They hit their feeding areas right before dark and are outa there right at dayligjht or even a bit before. I agree with fishgamereaper that weather and the rut phase are the predominant forces that dictate elk behavior but again, during a larger serving of pie in the sky moon phase, they tend to spend less time during daylight hours in feeding areas but rather more at night. Just my observations.
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Many leading experts believe that the daylight/night ratio is what triggers the rut. The duration of sunlight passed though the retina...etc. more to the point of your question, I haven't noticed much difference except you can walk to your spot before light without a flashlight easier on a full moon. For a few years I was convinced that elk fed more with more moon and therefor bed down earlier in the morning. While there is likely some truth to that ie. (If the browse is easier to find they fill up sooner and need to bed to digest) your hunting strategy should adapt to the information you gather in the field. If you plan to ambush them between food/water and bed, Its good to know what time they move. All the advise in the world won't change these facts; elk need 1. Food, 2. Water 3. Air. Find the first two then take away the 3rd.
