Full Moon Hunting

[wseested]

Hey guys, I've been scouting my hunting grounds and I am pretty sure I will be setting up near a wooded clearing on the eastern face of a ridge this coming spring, as the sun will warm that side faster and earlier. However, while looking at my calendar and counting down the days, I noticed that opening day (April 18th) will have a full moon.

I am a huge tournament bass fisherman and the moon has the ability to affect damn near everything the fish are doing depending on its stage. Never really thought about it before, but how does a full moon affect wild turkey behavior? Does it affect it at all? What are your thoughts?

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I've started a study on that this year. I beleive it does, look how much it effects deer movement and fishing. A lot of guys are saying they aren't hearing the gobbling that they are used to hearing on a lot of the opening weekends, does the moon effect that? I would think it would, they may only gobble a couple of times on the roost and hit the ground quiet, and stay that way until late morning when most hunters have given up and went home. I've had birds do that, stay quiet untill 11:00 and then fire up and gobble their heads off at midday, but never thought to see what the moon was? It'll be interesting to see what the outcome is, but I'm betting it does effect them?

[Cut N Run]

I've always heard that the deer tend to move 7 hours after dawn on a full moon night. I don't know if that's a fact for sure, but there seems to be something to it. While deer are comfortable moving around after dark, turkeys are not.

I know from experience that its easy to get busted on the way to a set up near a roost in a full moon.

Jim

[turkeylimb]

I WOULD SAY YES JUST LIKE IT HAS EFFECTS ON OTHER CRUTTERS AND HUMANS FOR SURE.

[SpitnDrum]

I hadn't really thought of it affecting turkeys in anyway.I would be interested in seeing what you come up with Scott.As Jim said about the roost on full moons.I try to hang back if the visibility in the timber or skyline is to bright from moonlight.

[mark hay]

This happened on opening day 2008. The moon was full. The sky was clear . The wind was calm .
 We knew there was a longbeard in that holler because we watched him at sunset and made him shock gobble at full dark .
 The following morning being opening day found myself and Linda's oldest and youngest sons standing on top of a break ridge above the roosted gobbler , but we didn't know exactly how far he was .  We topped the ridge by moonlight about an hour before the sky began to lighten in the east . You could have read a newspaper by that moon that morning .
 Show time ! I made some faint yelps and the old boy gobbled . Then the whole da'gum holler came to life . Gobbles , jakes yelping , fighting and the whole procession moving toward some ol' red headed fart trying to set a mouthcall on fire . I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it . A dozen bearded birds came in quick . The boys were set up below me on the side of the ridge , I was  on the opposite side of the narrow top break in an old stump hole ,,,,still working that mouthcall , but only getting smoke and sweat . I could hear the birds running, in between my calling, but could not see any. Craig had picked the right side to kill his second ever turkey . In his excitement he jumped up and spooked the rest . As they all came running to the top another  old longbeard came up the side I was sitting on . He had come silent . Just as he topped the ridge he was met by the running birds from the opposite side . The flock turned west and ran off . The lone bird simply turned and pitched off the break ridge .
 
 We heard lots of scattered gobbling birds that morning . Did battle with one for over an hour before he drifted away . The youngest son called in a jake and messed it up all by himself .
 
 The following morning under the same moon but overcast found the youngest and I 100 yards down the trail and called two off the roost to Chris' gun .
 
 Both of these gobblers were 3 year old birds . Craig's bird , on opening day , had been brutally whipped . His legs and thighs were full of holes and festered ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,no , it wasn't lead poisoning . Seconds before Craig pulled the trigger his bird gobbled and another gobbler ran to him and flogged him good . Craig saw it and I heard it happen . As the bird ran from his assailant Craig fired and dropped him .
 
 I can't and won't say one way or the other ,,,concerning the moon. I don't know .

[eggshell]

I have made it a point to watch this and one of the biggest changes is spooking birds, they will see ya better. I once had a bird gobbling at 4:00AM when daylight/shooting hours was 6:30AM. For the most part they seem active on a full moon, but I believe barometric pressure matters more. With that said a high pressure system on clear skies and a full moon and all heck ought to break out. 

[WillowRidgeCalls]

That's some great info boys. [;)]

[wseested]

I think y'all are definitely on to some things. I agree that they are going to see you alot better during a full moon. Just a few other thoughts I had as I was reading:

1.) Maybe they locate hens earlier because they can see better, and are harder to call in?
2.) Would they be more likely to fly down in open fields because they can see better and are less concerned about predators?
4.) Would they fly down earlier?
3.) Again, relating this to fishing, bass spawning (reproduction) is likely to peak during a full moon. Could the birds actually be more aggressive, and more likely to investigate our calls during this time?

I think there is something to this, and I'd love to keep hearing opinions. Thanks!

[roycefromrc]

I dont know much about turkeys,but.I know barometer greatly affects geese,cattle and trout. low pressure=high consumption.High pressure=low consumption. also gotta factor in temps. high temp low intake,low temp high intake. I would asume turkeys are affected too. you guys have me thinking.