Hunter's Moon: October's Full Moon Explained

The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon that follows the Harvest Moon, so it usually falls in October. In 2026, it reaches its full phase during the night of October 25–26 in North America (check your local dates below).

The name comes from the traditional autumn hunting season, when the harvest was over and communities turned to gathering food for winter. The Hunter’s Moon is also part of a useful fall pattern: for several evenings in a row, the Moon rises at roughly the same time, extending the light after sunset.

When is the Hunter’s Moon?

The Hunter’s Moon is usually October’s full moon. In 2026, the Moon will reach its full phase on October 26 at 12:12 a.m. EDT, or October 25 at 9:12 p.m. PDT. The local date will also be October 25 in the Central and Mountain time zones, so check the fact sheet above for the exact date and time in your location.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate on the night of the full moon, try the night before or after. The Moon will still look nearly full to the unaided eye.

Hunter’s Moon dates by year

Why is it called the Hunter’s Moon?

The usual explanation begins with the end of the harvest. Once crops had been gathered, people could turn their attention to hunting and preserving meat for the winter. The full moon’s early-evening light gave hunters more time to prepare for the colder months.

Hunter’s Moon is now the most widely used English name for the full moon after the Harvest Moon, but different Indigenous Nations have their own languages and seasonal calendars, and their lunar periods don’t always line up neatly with Gregorian months.

Other names for October’s full moon

The Center for Native American Studies at Northern Michigan University records *Binaakwe Giizi*, or Falling Leaves Moon, in one Anishinaabe moon cycle. The name reflects one of the most visible changes in the northern landscape at this time of year.

A study developed with First Nations knowledge holders records *W̱ESELÁNEW̱*, translated as “moon of the shaker leaves”, for an October–November lunar period in the W̱SÁNEĆ calendar. The same study lists the Haida name kʼalgyaa kongaas, or Ice Moon, for the time when the first ice may begin to form on standing water.

Is the Hunter’s Moon the same as the Harvest Moon?

No. The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September equinox, while the Hunter’s Moon is the next full moon after it.

The Harvest Moon usually falls in September, followed by the Hunter’s Moon in October. Some years, however, the Harvest Moon falls in early October, which pushes the Hunter’s Moon into November. In 2026, the September full moon is the Harvest Moon and the October full moon is the Hunter’s Moon.

Why the Hunter’s Moon rises at nearly the same time

On average, the Moon rises about 50 minutes later each day. Around the Northern Hemisphere’s autumn equinox, however, the Moon’s path meets the eastern horizon at a shallow angle. Its eastward movement carries it more sideways than downward from one evening to the next, shortening the delay between successive moonrises.

At some mid-northern latitudes, the Moon may rise only about 25 minutes later on consecutive evenings. The effect is strongest around the Harvest Moon, but it continues into the following lunar cycle and helps explain the Hunter’s Moon’s connection with extra evening light.