One common theory is that animals will feed and water by the light of a full moon resulting in fewer hunting opportunities during legal hunting hours.

Some questions I've had about this is that no animal I've hunted seems to be hindered by any level of darkness.
Another thing about low light visibility is that a layer of snow provides more than ample illumination provided there is any moonlight at all. My personal opinion is that snow seems to be more advantageous than any moon phase but not necessarilly because of visibility.

A less popular theory is that animals are most active when the moon is directly overhead or directly below ones feet, regardless of the moon phase. This one seems like a tough one to benchmark and quantify.

I have questions about this too and would like to hear the real scoop.

I've always been told deer(and I assume elk) are less active in the full moon stage because of the intense amount of light. They feed early and and bed down before legal shooting hours. That what I have always heard

I like being able to get out of the tent in the middle of the night to do my business without needing a flashlight!
Especially if there is paperwork involved...............................

I'm sure some of you know where I'm coming from.

I'm suprised more hunters don't have an opinion about hunting during a full moon. Any results. Do you think it will limit success during the Elk rut?

It's been my experience that when the bulls know it's time nothing matters. Not even the moon, weather, or what have you. The "herd" Bull keeps pushing the harum, and the lone rangers keep trying to break some off.
............nothing like an Elk bugel, and hunting the rut.

There probably aren't more distinct obervation posts because nobody remembers what the moon phase was from last year, or before that, while they were hunting. Years ago I useds to keep a log of game spotting, recording time of day, location, overcast, etc. But once I settled in to my familiar haunts it just kind of fizzled away. I wish I had kept it up.

It's been my experience that during nights with a lot of moonlight that elk are more active at night resulting in bedding down sooner and getting out later. But to my knowledge there is nothing bilogical that happens. Meaning the moon phases don't cause elk behavior to change but intense moonlight sometimes can.

I've always noticed better sightings during the new moon. Except when the rut is on or near, when anything can happen.