I know there is alot of talk about moon phase and animal movement, but wonder if there is any data for this in South Africa.
I will be heading to the Limpopo region this August for a ten day bow hunt and wonder if I should consider the moon??
Any and all comments welcome.

It will be interesting to see if any one has scientific data.

I don't have any but this is what I think. Take it or leave it.

I tend to believe the dark phase increases daytime movement of animals. But I don't think that's nearly as crucial as weather.

If it rains, bowhunting a waterhole will be almost futile. Wind (especially shifty) is another killer.

I think this is one of those bullshit ideas born in the head of a drunken arm chair writer.

We hunt in the day time, so I cannot see how moon phase can affect that.

And those who hunt at night use spot light, again negating any argument as to where the moon is at any time.

Don and I had some interesting conversations with our PHs on this subject. Suffice it to say, both PHs do NOT believe that moon phase has any effect on game activity during the day. To paraphrase, "it might have some effect on your whitetails, but it doesn't make any difference here.".

FWIW, Don and I hunted Tanzania during a full moon, and there was a fair bit of game activity during the day.

I also hunted the Limpopo area of RSA in '05 during a full moon phase and everybody saw tonnes of game everyday.

Cheers,
Canuck

The moon only plays an effect if there is pressure on the animals then you will find that some animals will browse and graze at night and hide in the thick stuff during the day. So if there is pressure on the animals the best time to hunt will be new moon when it is so dark that the animals will have to move during the day. My 2 cents it especially counts for animals like kudu bulls.

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Originally posted by Safari-Hunt:
The moon only plays an effect if there is pressure on the animals then you will find that some animals will browse and graze at night and hide in the thick stuff during the day.

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We hunt in the day time, so I cannot see how moon phase can affect that.

Replies:

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The moon only plays an effect if there is pressure on the animals then you will find that some animals will browse and graze at night and hide in the thick stuff during the day. So if there is pressure on the animals the best time to hunt will be new moon when it is so dark that the animals will have to move during the day.

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I tend to believe the dark phase increases daytime movement of animals.

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And those who hunt at night use spot light, again negating any argument as to where the moon is at any time.

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Ever tried to use your spot light during a bright moonlight night to do some hunting?
If you had, you will know that it is a hopeles case!

Statement made:

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Don and I had some interesting conversations with our PHs on this subject. Suffice it to say, both PHs do NOT believe that moon phase has any effect on game activity during the day. To paraphrase, "it might have some effect on your whitetails, but it doesn't make any difference here."

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Just always remember that PH's must have as many as possible hunting clients during the hunting season. Só, for them to admit that the phases of the moon have an effect on how easy or difficult it may be to hunt, is an act of self destruction.

If you live close to nature like we as farmers do you will certainly know that the moon phases has a lot of influence on animal movement during both day and night times.

The moon phases has a huge influence on the pattern of rain fall cycles, similarly on high, low and spring tides at sea level.

Please don't tell me you haven't noticed any of this at all!

Nature is a highly organised and synchronised system at work, yet for those who ignore its timeously indications and warnings as to what can be expected next, it may end up less favourably than for those who learned to read the signs correctly.

We hunted Zim in Matetsi unit 1 July 06 for 20 days.The only animals that seemed really affected by the full moon were leopards.In the 2 days prior to the full moon, the full moon and the 2 days after the full moon none of our 8 active baits were hit anytime other than between 12:30am and 4:00am.These times were confirmed with trail cams.After these 5 days their routines were as normal as one can expect for leopards.All other animals seemed to not be affected at all.

I don't pretend to be any kind of authority and I to was under the impression the moon has no effect in Africa... and maybe it doesn't. In 2005 while hunting in Limpopo during the full moon it was harder (it seemed) to see game. When they were found they seemed to just be standing around rather than active - this was in late April so heat wasn't an issue. Game was readily seen at night more than usual though. Now seeing them at night may have simply been because it was EASIER to see them but I personally vowed to check the calendar before booking my next hunt!

oupa wrote:

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I don't pretend to be any kind of authority and I to was under the impression the moon has no effect in Africa... and maybe it doesn't.

The only way the earth's moon could have no effect in Africa is that the continent Africa should be located on another planet than Earth!!!!!!!

The moon has an affect on many things, all over the planet Earth (read your own post again!) - not only in one specific continent only - but each and every one on the globe we call Earth.

Only the totally ignorant amongst us has never seen any of it - city dwellers never going out in nature at all - TV and PC addicted souls.

Please allow me to explain...

When I said "...I to was under the impression the moon has no effect in Africa..." I meant an affect on game behaviour. As someone mentioned above, it is widely believed (correctly or not) that moon phases have an effect on Whitetail deer behaviour in the states. Not only in their daily activities but in determining when the rut begins and such. The moon does have other well known global effects such as tides, etc... and many - particularly police and emergency room workers - swear by its effect on human behaviour. Some of this is fact, some conjecture and some pure superstition. I do KNOW geese here in the states are active at night during the full moon - not because of some magical power being exerted but simply because there is enough light to see! It would only follow that other game react similarly. Of course hunting pressure will force game to be more active at times they are not normally hunted - day or night as the case may be - as well as altering their behaviour in other ways and I suspect this is more the cause than the moon. Just the same, before I travel half-way around the world for my next hunting trip, I'll be sure its not during the full moon. Call me foolish, supersticious or whatever you like but I'm not taking chances!

Oupa-If I am going to be hunting for two weeks I try to make it the two weeks surrounding the dark of the moon.

I hunt with bow only and mostly from blinds at waterholes.

As with most things African, it's a case of never say never and say always. for example an area where the PG suffer a lot of predation from large predators might not be the same as an area with no predators.... that said, I personally don't think it makes much difference at all in most areas or with most species. Even Leopards can be hunted at a full moon with no more difficulty than with no moon..... IF YOU DO IT RIGHT!- do it wrong, and it won't work, no matter what the moon phase.

Thanks to all for your comments.
Funny thing happened today. My friend and PH, John Henry, from South Africa called to say hello and talk about our hunt. I am taking a rather large group with me and for most it will be their first trip to Africa. John Henry is wanting to make sure the trip is as good as it can get and we talked about when would be best. The very first thing he said was "We must be sure to hold the hunt during the dark of the moon!!!!!!
John Henry is a bow hunter and specializes in bow hunts, and he has followed this over the years and is a believer, that it does make a difference.
We booked to start our 10 day hunt on or around the 5th of August.... the dark of the moon.
Again, thanks for the comments.

Moon phases have not a lot to do with the movement of PG. They only have a few things to worry about, feeding, being alert to their enimies and trying to mate now and then. If their feeding time is increased with the full moon, they have more time to check for their enimies in day time. They are definatly more alert during full moon. But it also depends on when the moon is rising and when it is setting. If the full moon rises in the morning it will have no effect. It is all about the time they get more light to feed.

If you do the job properly, you wiil still get your animals, you might have to work a little bit harder

bo-n-aro, stick to your PH, John Henry's advice:

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The very first thing he said was "We must be sure to hold the hunt during the dark of the moon!!!!!!

Clearly a guy who knows what he's talking about, based on solid field experience - very honest about it too - quite admirable!

The moon rises once the sun has set! Fact.

It will reach full moon peak times as per the above table varying from day to night times.

Best periods to do day hunting therefore is from Last Quarter to beginning First Quarter - the darkest part of the moon cycle.

See why bo-n-aro's PH selected 5 August, 2007 to start the hunt? Perfectly correct!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SpringTrap:


The moon rises once the sun has set! Fact./QUOTE]

Sorry I cannot agree with that statement. It takes the moon 27.32 days to orbit the earth, with the earths spin taken into account it takes 29.5 days to orbit the earth. It will orbit the earth 12.37 times in a normal year. This is true on the equator. When you move north or south this must change. I am not a mathematician but the above tells me the moon will rise at a different time everyday. I have on many occasions saw the moon during daytime. Looking at the tidal chart in RSA the tides changes later everyday. The moon is the biggest force on sea tides. If the tides occur at later time every day it means the the moon is in a different position.

When checking the moon phases it is also important to check what time the moon will rise.

Eddited

Jaco,

You are hereby invited to please come and visit me some weekend. Bring an earth globe. I have a light to represent the sun. I'll explain the rising and setting of the sun and the moon in non-mathematical terms. The seasons too, and we'll talk about a lot else!

I'm sure that Spring Tram meant that the "full" moon rises as the sun sets. But let's discuss these wonders over a beer, or two, or more!

Heresay, or second-hand facts, have it that there was a retired Professor in Statistics at Pretoria University who kept very accurate records of all groups who hunted at his farm. One of the questions of his pre-hunt interview was always: "What do you hope to shoot?" In his post hunt interview he then compared the "want" with the "actually got". Now my secondhand info tells me that the closest these two came together was near New Moon. It sort of made sense to me and I started looking out myself.

Personal observation bears out the fact that any hunting party of which I was a member were more satisfied if the hunt was arranged near New Moon. Since then, for many years now, I arrange my own hunting near New Moon. [I also just love to look at the stars, and to wander......!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

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The transit time of a celestial body refers to the instant that its center crosses an imaginary line in the sky - the observer's meridian - running from north to south.
The New Moon transits at about the same time as the Sun; the First Quarter Moon transits about 6 hours after the Sun; the Full Moon transits about 12 hours after(during the night)/before(during the day) the Sun; and the Last Quarter Moon transits about 6 hours before the Sun. ~ US Navy.

The important thing about full moon is at NIGHT times - nobody, including animals, worry about it during the day times.

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The moon rises once the sun has set! Fact.

Agree, the full moon, yes! To make it more clear then, once the sun has set it is the only time the full moon has any affect on animals' movements resulting in a condition that does influence hunting them during the following day.

2B or not to 2B!
Either you know it or you don't know it!

I'm not aware of any preference for PG. I know leopard is better without the moon.

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Originally posted by beams:
I'm not aware of any preference for PG. I know leopard is better without the moon.

beams,

Is your "...know..." based on any statistics or other hard facts?

I can, and do, say: "In my personal experience hunting plains game seems easier near New Moon.", but this is not a fact - just an opinion. It will only be a 'fact' if I can honestly quote a large number is hunt statistics - which I can't, and therefore I regard it as just an opinion.

If anyone has any real concerte facts, or definate personal opinions based on own, or even hearsay opinions, we'd like to hear them. If an overwhelming number of people express the same opinion, we can start looking at the opinion as 'an unproven 'fact'!

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

I hunted Namibia during the full moon and TZ during the new moon. Filled quota both times.
Dave