# best lunar phases? / hunting situation



## easternhunter (Jan 9, 2006)

what are the best lunar phases for hunting coyotes, new moon, half, Full Moon or inbetween the 3.Would it be better during the waxing or waning phase? Also i assume the best time to hunt is during a clear night sky, is this true?

Last night i called to several coyotes the first group was probably 2 or 3 pups/ females ? about a 1/4 mile to my left in a valley and a dominant male at the same time, probably 1/2 mile straight out the ridge from me. I made calls with another guy simulating a dog fight and also some challenge bark/howls, tried to imitate pups and a dominant male. the coyotes congregated together at probably 200 yards from me and made alot of noise, but never would come in closer to that, this isn't the first time this has happened to me, should i try to get closer, stick it out and wait hours, what should i do, also i had the wind in my favor


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## LASER MAN (Mar 10, 2005)

personally, i've been calling coyotes since i moved to ND in 1977. i've tried night calling with close to zero success. i too have had a few circling me from several hundred yards, but never coming in. i've done my calling on moonlit nights with snow on the ground. as i mentioned, with no luck. on several occasions, i've gone calling all night with no sightings of any meat eating critters. each of those hunts produced no coyotes until the sun began to pop up. i can't explain why a nocturnal predator would be more reluctant to respond to a distress cry at night as opposed to the daylight hours.

i have also compared notes with other hunters, and we all agree that coyotes don't respond well during the full moon phase. if you hear of some scientific explanation for this phenomenon, please share it with us.


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## easternhunter (Jan 9, 2006)

i'm fairly new to coyote hunting, but from what i've observed so far......
i don't know wether to base my successful situations with patterns or just luck of being close to coyotes when i go hunting. The patterns i have noticed though, as far as getting coyotes to respond to calls and hearing them are on clear nights, moon phase ??? but the best pattern i've seen is timing. From 10 pm through the rest of the night is when i've have heard nearly all the coyotes, also i am in west virginia and i think the hunting is somewhat different than what you all have out in the plains. For one i believe the population here in wv is much lower than out west and i have had zero daytime success, none nothing, i dont know what it is, but even if i spend the last hour of daylight calling i hear nothing until it gets dark then they start to howl and carry on, but it seems that they do not want to make any communcation during the day time hours.


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

Kinda funny you mention that. Ive been trying to get that answer myself, but from my experience in the field in the daytime it has been early in the mourning to late in the evening when the sun comes up and goes down of all that Ive called in. I can only speculate from logic that they dont really have a set time to come in when called. Heres the logic: rule # 1 when really hungry (the belly talks instincts walks) the snow is frozen, (so they can hunt on top of it) the weather isnt wet and cold, (cause they take care of their fur for the harsh winter first year pups don't count they hunt near the den ie. mice ) they run to the call when there is a lot of competition, (this is key they want to be the first one there) and breeding season the female is extreamly horny ( me love you long time) and the male is very territorial and jealous ( stay away and keep your grubby paws off my *****.....*****!!!!) OK. if you dont have a good population of coyotes they get their fill early ( breakfast ) and go back to the den, then they eat near the den ie. mice ( lunch ) and then later on in the evening go hunting for (dinner) dont forget all the saved snacks they had from regurgitating...Not to mention they are very curious and just plain get wise....if you get one to come in for some odd reason in the middle of a snow storm or most of the times I mentioned then go back to rule # 1....... I don't have a clue but I do get lucky sometimes.


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## RedRabitt (Jan 17, 2006)

Im hearing some ppl say get closer to where they live but without getting caught... thats hard to do, cause where Im at I have to travel on foot some three miles to the back side of there dens with snow shoes and gear and take the wind into consideration. It wouldnt be a problem if there wasn't any hills and gullies, but thats coyote country.


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## price403 (Jan 3, 2006)

Hey Easternhunter,
Where from in WV? I live in Clay County, but moving to the Charleston area in a week. I might be able to tell you a couple of hot spots close to either place. Send me a PM and I'll email you some places to try if you live close enough...


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