Full Moon During Bull Hunt in NV 111-115, 221 & 222

[seighen]

OK, so I need some insite. I have pulled my first Elk tag (rifle Nov 4-18) and unfortunately it is in an area I was told to put in for, but I have zero experience in (kinda dumb, I know). I have been doing some reading and heard a lot of archery hunters talking about the phase of the moon during the season and how during a full moon the elk will graze at night and be less active during the day. During my season, the moon will be going from half full to full and then back to half again, so there is going to be light in the sky during the entire season. Unlike archery, there is no rut happening during the rifle season, so there is really nothing to keep them active during the day.

How important is this and what should I be expecting to see, or not see...? If I am not camping on the mountain top, what times should I plan to be on the hill?

Hopefully I am not chasing a minute detail, but it has me concerned as I am truely a novice here.

Jamie

 

[kcebcj]

In my opinion the dark of the moon is optimum. Even with a moon you can still catch them moving to their beds so you need to quietly be in place a first light. I don't hunt elk past three in the afternoon....just cause.

If you know what you're doing and have a good partner to hunt with you can work a mountain side where elk are bedded and jump shoot them. That used to be my most favorite thing to do for both elk and mule deer. Now though that I'm older and the long range thing is working pretty good I let the boys work the mountain side and I pop them from across the canyon if a good shot presents itself. Of course you need to do the home work and know where the elk are bedded.

If you're lucky and it's overcast day and night then the moon does not have much influence and in November that's a good possibility

 

[seighen]

Thanks Jim
I am hoping to get out to the area this month to take a look at the area and become a bit familiar, but work schedule with determine if that is possible. If not then possibly once in September and once in October.

I have never hoped for bad weather during a hunt before, but in this case I guess a little prayer for cloud cover couldn't hurt.

I am just trying to gather as much knowledge and info before the actual hunt as I can. I have heard that "eating" a tag does not tast too good. One of the guys that I am hoping to talk into coming out with me had to eat his tag for this same area before, but he admitted that he was hoping to find the "father of all elk" and passed up a handfull of nice ones. So with his assistance and favorible weather, I have a shot at being successful.

Jamie

 

[HARPERC]

Chased mulies a bit in some of that country, weather can make it better if you're over by the park or wilderness area. If your tags good over all that country it's a lot of ground! Good Luck

 

[seighen]

yup, tag is good for the whole area. I think that is what has me worried the most. it will be way to easy to skip from place to place hoping to find where they are and in fact move right past them. This is the largest hunt area for elk in the state.

 

[ATH]

Last year we had no luck finding any elk during the full moon...I cannot say if that was due to the moon, or just no elk being in that area. Given what I heard from others, I think the latter.

It apparently had a very significant impact on the deer, however. We hunted both whiteys and muleys, and for most of the hunt we couldn't find much of anything during the day -- evening dawn and dusk. Then the last night was heavily overcast...the next day we saw more animals than we had the entire hunt.

 

[WyoElk2Hunt]

Animals have a tendency to feed at night with a bright full moon. You can still catch movement or start hunting north facing timber during day. Full moon makes it harder hunting IMO.

 

[chas3stix]

The weather can play a large part in your elk hunt. Most of the elk movement we saw in area 221,222 was early morning and at dusk. We got snowed on a couple of years ago and the elk just quit moving. Well, if they were moving,we never saw them. The areas you drew are HUGE to say the least. There's the Kern range at the north end of Spring Valley. The Snake range is on the east with the Schell Creek range on the west. And that's only areas 111/115. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[seighen]

Thanks a ton for all the feedback. I am planning on taking my first trip out to get familiar with the roads this weekend. I might even tag along with a friend for an archery cow tag. I am just absorbing as much knowledge as possible, while also getting in shape by hiking the steepest hills as possible.