KidZone Science
Hunter Moon

This first full moon of October is known as the Hunter's moon as this is the time of year when game animals are fattened in preparation for the long winter ahead. Aboriginal people chose this time of year to hunt in earnest, storing up for the winter -- they took advantage of the bright full moon to stalk their prey through the night.

It is also known as the Blood Moon, Travel Moon and the Dying Moon.

The farmer's almanac included nicknames for the full moon depending on what month they occured. Most of these nicknames were based on the names North American aboriginal people used. Although many tribes gave nicknames to the full moon, the most well known come from the Algonquin tribes who lived in the area of New England and westward to Lake Superior.