Moon’s Impact on African Game?

[Fatback]

As a whitetail deer hunter I believe that the moon phase can impact deer movement to some degree here at home. I know weather, stage of the rut, etc… also play big roles in deer movement. I’ve never given it much thought on my previous African hunts. So I got to thinking about my upcoming hunt in 2024. I’ll be hunting buffalo and hyena in Zim this coming September. My hunt starts September 3rd. It will be a new/dark moon. I have only hunted buffalo one other time and have never hunted hyena and was curious what other, more experienced folks have to say about how the moon phase impacts on buffalo movement and hyena’s coming to bait at night? Thoughts?

 

[Hogpatrol]

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think Prey animal hunting is best during the new moon. All else being equal. Hunting Pressure, weather etc. Mid day and afternoon for full moon hunting on average is better. IMHO

 

[Daisy]

As a whitetail deer hunter I believe that the moon phase can impact deer movement to some degree here at home. I know weather, stage of the rut, etc… also play big roles in deer movement. I’ve never given it much thought on my previous African hunts. So I got to thinking about my upcoming hunt in 2024. I’ll be hunting buffalo and hyena in Zim this coming September. My hunt starts September 3rd. It will be a new/dark moon. I have only hunted buffalo one other time and have never hunted hyena and was curious what other, more experienced folks have to say about how the moon phase impacts on buffalo movement and hyena’s coming to bait at night? Thoughts?

Read the book Whitetails by Bob Shepherd. Moon phase has no effect on daytime sightings of Whitetails. Hundreds of thousands of hunter days data points. It’s myth.

Amazon.com

 

[fourfive8]

Read the book Whitetails by Bob Shepherd. Moon phase has no effect on daytime sightings of Whitetails. Hundreds of thousands of hunter days data points. It’s myth.

Amazon.com

Yep, other environmental factors play a much greater role on animal behavior than moon phases. I think it mostly subliminally affects 2 legged predators though. I can't imagine sitting around trying to plan a logistically complex trip half way around the world while trying to keep the schedule synched to moon phases. But then again maybe it can afford another excuse for failure to reach an expectation.

 

[Fatback]

Fourfive8,

Not really looking for an excuse if I don’t achieve my expected goal of taking a buffalo and hyena. Was just curious about other folks experiences and thoughts regarding this topic. I didn’t look at moon phase when I booked the safari, was just curious.

Daisy,

I’ll have to check that book out. My ideas on the topic have just been gleaned from my time in the woods hunting. Always open to new ideas, appreciate your input.

 

[Daisy]

Fourfive8,

Not really looking for an excuse if I don’t achieve my expected goal of taking a buffalo and hyena. Was just curious about other folks experiences and thoughts regarding this topic. I didn’t look at moon phase when I booked the safari, was just curious.

Daisy,

I’ll have to check that book out. My ideas on the topic have just been gleaned from my time in the woods hunting. Always open to new ideas, appreciate your input.

Me too bro! Book was eye opening. So much of what I think hunting was based on personal experience. But really that’s a pretty bad way to gain data!!

 

[Beck]

Boddington wrote an article on Sitatunga where he talks about the importance of the moon. I have no experience in this matter.

 

[Philip Glass]

I prefer to plan my safaris for the dark of the moon. This would be most important for cat hunting than anything else. I agree with your sentiment on the moon and deer movements. It is a big factor. From my experience in Africa most of the month is good and fairly predictable with the exception of the full moon days. I don't like those.
You will likely do fine on your safari regardless of the moon phase. Remember your PH hunts these animals year round and knows what moves to make and when.

 

[BwanaCat]

The anecdotal evidence/opinions for the best hunting time of leopard and lion leans towards hunting during the new moon phase or with heavy cloud cover (feel free to call BS!!). I contend you will get more chances at shooting game the more you are hunting in the field/bush. Also, the old adage that it is better to be lucky than good comes to mind.

Btw, here in North America, I know several hard-core Pike and Muskie fly fisherman who absolutely swear by using the Solunar Tables. The Muskie guys especially really pay attention to them. I contend that the more your fly is in the water, the greater the chance of hooking a fish. No?

 

[ACE (in CT)]

There is a difference in Moon Phase and the Moon's position overhead, some people say waxing is better than waning, and many do say that a new moon is the best for hunting, I think I saw one Outfitter books all his hunts around that fact . Solunar Tables have been around for bout 100 years and when tested usually seem to show about as much accuracy as random chance. I say Hunt When You Can.
YMMV

 

[BRICKBURN]

If you are night hunting that Hyena, a full moon should aid you spotting the critter coming in to the bait.

Buffalo, you will be tracking them down. Whether they were snoozing because they were up late or not won’t be relevant. Watch the wind, drink lots of water and walk them down.

Whether the myriad of other factors play more or less of a role in your hunt is up for debate.

Eg. Poachers deciding to move through the area the week before your arrival will be more disruptive than the moons appearance.

Borrow a lucky rabbits foot, plenty of folks swear by those too.

 

[fourfive8]

To fully understand the effects of moon phases on hunting success would require extremely complex multi-variate statistical analysis which is beyond practical limits. Just this morning I was driving to town at first light, before sun up. The moon was about 3/4 and fairly high. Not far from the house I saw a bunch of cows in an open pasture lying down chewing their cuds. A half mile down the road a small herd of deer were up milling around and feeding. So…. ?

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I have extensive experience driving a highway through a very long deer collision course when hunting in Montana every fall/winter. The pavement on Hwy 2 is pretty much one continuous blood smear from Glasgow to Havre. My primary bird hunting ground is more than an hour's drive from my camper trailer and I'm usually not returning till after dark (pheasant numbers have been very low for several years and I'm lucky if I can fill the bag limit). Because I'm there driving that route almost on a nightly basis for six weeks, I get a pretty clear picture of the moon's effect on deer movement. No moon and I'm generally comfortable driving 60 mph (or even 65 mph in a few spots). If the moon is shining, anyone is nuts driving that section faster than 55 mph. Or they have a relative in the body repair business. Not uncommon for me to dodge twenty to thirty deer on a moonlit night. Curiously, NO pronghorn antelope, moon or no moon. I have only seen one of those in the headlights my entire life (in heavy fog!) and something was obviously chasing it.

Do I need to explain why my Jimmy's hood and grill aren't original equipment? I hit that buck at the same exact location where I wiped out a fawn ten years earlier. Both clobbered on a full moon (different months). My personal experience is moon phase can significantly affect deer movement, especially when it's cold and no snow on the ground. They have to refuel sometime. I have to think antelope and buffalo in South Africa would behave the same.

 

[revturbo9967]

My first day in Zim was a full moon. It did not have an impact on my hunt at all. These hunts are always longer then your typical deer hunt or hunting season in some cases. With a 7-21 day hunt, you will run into some sort of moon that is not ideal for hunting . A good ph will be able to work around it.

 

[Firebird]

What if the clouds cover up the moon during any phase?

 

[Hogpatrol]

To fully understand the effects of moon phases on hunting success would require extremely complex multi-variate statistical analysis which is beyond practical limits. Just this morning I was driving to town at first light, before sun up. The moon was about 3/4 and fairly high. Not far from the house I saw a bunch of cows in an open pasture lying down chewing their cuds. A half mile down the road a small herd of deer were up milling around and feeding. So…. ?

Cows are standing, fish are biting is a popular saying. Seems I always see half and half.

 

[sureshot375]

I think it depends on what you are hunting in conjunction with other environmental factors. A cold windy day in Africa is typically terrible for animal movement, moon or no moon.

If you were planning to bow hunt at waterholes I would say avoid the full moon because the animals are more likely to drink at night.

In general for plains game I think the full moon is not ideal.

For something like elephant or buff I don’t think it matters much.

I’ve hunted over all the moon phases in Africa. I once spent 2.5 months with an outfitter hunting helping and learning when I was kid. I think moon phase can impact a hunt, but is rarely the primary factor in whether or not a hunt is successful.

 

[HUNTROMANIA]

I spent thousands of hours hunting big game in Europe. During the full moon the night activity is extremely low, for all the animals.

 

[C.W. Richter]

https://makeagif.com/i/CE-CBc You'll be fine as they have quick fixes for this sort of thing in Africa. What the moon does do is control the World's oceans, and thus it controls the Weather.