Moon Dogs

[EO caller]

I'm sure this has been disgussed but I was wondering if anyone had any info on coyotes and how they react to the changes in the moon. I was in some great coyote country this weekend but there was a full moon at night. I had no luck calling during the day, couldn't even get one to answer but could hear them all night. When its clear and a full moon do they hunt all night and sleep all day?

[LeviM]

I have noticed that it can be very tough to hunt during the daytime of a fullmoon. it seems that they are more active at night in search of food. I perfer to wait for a good snowy night and hunt them during a full moon. its easier to locate them and get on top of them. try your spots again during a new moon and see if you have success

[Coyotehunter]

Not to mention the fact that August is just not a great month for calling.

[Prairie Ghost]

I have found that it either slows down or the calling is best between 10-2pm during the full moon.

I agree with Coyotehunter if you give them another month you should start having some real good success if you're hearing that many

[huntinND]

I agree with coyotehunter August just isn't good for calling. I noticed most of there movement is during the middle of the night regardless of the moon phase this time of year. I have called during a full moon at night during winter and my success is about equal to daytime calling. I think tempurature has more of an influence on coyote movement then Moon phase. It would be interesting to find a study on it though.

[coyotero]

Factors influencing the efficiency of fixed wing aerial hunting of coyotes in the western United States by J. R. Mason

[Coyotehunter]

Are you able to post the article?

[coyotero]

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_dama ... 2002.shtml

scroll down to 02-71

[lyonch]

Thanks for the info!! It was an interesting reading and hopefully one day i can recall it in the field when a situation presents itself.

[RandyRoede]

Moon light does decrease your aerial hunting sucess from what we have observed, full moon the coyotes tend to be bedded down by the time you roar in and that may be far off the complaint, usually.
Also bedded coyotes are much harder to find than coyotes still on the move. While during low moonlight they tend to be more active in the sunrise and then again in the sunset timeframe. Extreme cold can equalize somewhat the difference and coyote populations can also, but if on an even playing field ,calling , aerial hunting, trapping ,or snaring is better during low moonlight.
I also get more responces locating coyotes under low moonlight, not full moon conditions. My belief is i get more visual responces during the full moon, coming to the sound, coming up on ridges and looking for me. You will get more of this the farther east you go with all the row crops still in and being closer to the coyotes because of all the roads etc.
Also that information of where the coyotes are at an hour before sunrise when there has been a full moon may indicate the bedding area vs. an hour before sunrise with no moon and coyotes still out hunting possibly a great distance from the bedding area.
None of this is exact just things a person sees over the years happening regularly.

My complaints of seeing coyotes are at their peek when there is no moon, the ranchers see more coyotes during that timeframe, the coyotes are there all the time but they are long gone with bright moonlight usually before they get out there. I can count on the no moon period in Jan thru Apr, to be the time the majority of seeing coyotes complaints to roll in.

[OldDude]

Could all those coyote complaints have something to do with dening season? I know that the coyote population is not at an all time high that time of the year.

[Coyotehunter]

I'm sure this has been disgussed but I was wondering if anyone had any info on coyotes and how they react to the changes in the moon. I was in some great coyote country this weekend but there was a full moon at night. I had no luck calling during the day, couldn't even get one to answer but could hear them all night. When its clear and a full moon do they hunt all night and sleep all day?

Yes, but the original question is about moon phases and how that effects coyote movement.

[OldDude]

I've found that full moon nights are hard hunting, during the day I have had some pretty good luck. I have noticed Coyotes can see better at night but don't like the shadows they cast, makes them spooky. On a full moon night they tend to not move around as much, that's why most night hunters don't get alot of action with a full moon. A new moon is a different story when the sun goes down. Aug is not a good month to hunt? I've had some of my best hunts in Aug. Maybe it where I'm hunting?