Tips on Hunting Under a Full Moon

The full moon period can be a challenging one for hunters. When targeting animals at night, such as hunting coyote, or during the day with deer hunting, the full moon will change the target's behavior. Make the best of your opportunities when hunting during a full moon, using these tips.

  1. Deer: Timing

    • During the full moon, many animals tend to be more active at night and bed down during the day, because the brighter nighttime offers them better visibility. However, deer do not stay bedded all day, and are active during this period from midmorning to midafternoon. Hunt deer during this time instead, such as from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    Deer: Stand or Blind Placement

    • Many deer hunters like to set up a ground blind or tree stand over a field, food plot or other food source, as these are generally good areas for hunting. Set up your blind near the animals' bedding areas instead, as during the full moon, when animals will more likely be feeding at night. This is often on high ground, allowing the animals a good view of everything around them; deer make oval-shaped beds that are relatively easy to spot. Set your blind or stand close enough to see the bedding area, but not so close that you will spook the animals when you walk in.

    Deer: Scouting

    • Since deer are active on nights with full moons, these nights are good times to scout the animals. Scouting will teach you more about the areas in which the deer live and how the deer move through them, which will increase the odds of killing one. Drive by agricultural fields or food plots on full moon nights if you are hunting big buck, for example, to see if there are any big bucks out feeding. If there are, it is a good bet that those animals won't be bedded too far away during the day.

    Coyotes: Be Still

    • Coyotes are predators that are well adapted to feeding at night, which is when most hunters pursue them. But given the light the full moon gives off, coyotes are more cautious than they would be on a dark night. They still will respond to calls, but they likely will be more apprehensive about doing so. Make sure your camouflage is such that it blends well into the surrounding area. Try also to get behind some sort of cover that breaks up your outline and makes it more difficult for coyotes to spot you.