Over the river and through the woods, the restless bucks do go. And food isn't uppermost on their minds.

Cold weather signifies mating season for deer. Numerous insurance industry and government studies indicate during this time, deer become more active and aggressive.

Regis Senko, the information/education press secretary for the Northwest Region of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said, “November is the main rut season. That's the reason you see a lot of deer struck by the side of the road. That's the reason they are moving right now.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports collisions between vehicles and deer cost 200 motorists their lives annually.

Senko said if you do hit a deer with your vehicle and you are a state resident, you have 24 hours to call the Game Commission's regional office to get a permit allowing you to keep the deer and use the venison.

While there is plenty of forage available in the forests and fields, and suburban yards, Senko said the bucks are getting leaner.

“Right now, the males in particular are losing weight. They are expending more energy looking for a mate at this time,” Senko said.

He added bucks become particularly aggressive at this time. “They are normally aggressive with other males; that's what you will see. One male will approach another and chase him off,” said Senko.

“If you see groups of deer, you are looking at does and the fawns from this summer. They are traveling in a family group,” he said.

In the summer, he added bucks may travel together in bachelor groups, but with the cold weather they go their separate ways.

In addition to the dangers of encountering them on the road, deer also carry parasites that can harm people. The ticks that carry Lyme disease live on deer, and proximity to deer can increase exposure to these ticks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness, and about 300,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

The Monday after Thanksgiving, Dec. 1, will mark the start of statewide firearms deer season,

With deer populations increasing in some areas of the state, food sources readily available and hunter numbers appearing to be on the rise, the pieces are in place for an exceptional season, said Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough.

“Obviously, so much of what makes the firearms deer season and its opening day so special is the tradition behind it,” Hough said. “Families and friends make new memories together and might relive some of the old ones during this time. And each year adds a new chapter to those books of memories.”

“That makes me proud to be a hunter, and proud to be a Pennsylvanian,” Hough said. “And the best news is that the elements are all in place for a standout deer season this year, all across Pennsylvania.”

While deer populations are being tracked as stable or increasing in most of the state, many other factors influence deer hunting, said Chris Rosenberry, who supervises the Game Commission's deer and elk section.

The availability of food sources in an area plays a role in the deer harvest at a local level, he said.

This has been a banner year for mast crops in much of the state, said Dave Gustafson, the Game Commission's chief forester.

Production of soft mast crops, such as apples, berries and grapes, is very good this year, Gustafson said.

Meanwhile, he said, the availability of acorns statewide is good to great, with some areas — particularly in south central Pennsylvania — reporting bumper crops of red-oak acorns. Chestnut oaks and white oaks also are widely available, Gustafson said.

The southwestern part of the state seems to be the only exception, with the acorn crop there being spotty — abundant in some areas, absent in others, he said.

Some areas of the north-central region also are reporting good beechnut crops this year, Gustafson said.

“Although not widely distributed, these can be key food sources that are highly desirable for deer, as well as bear,” Gustafson said.

What might bode well for hunters this year is their strength in numbers. License sales are trending slightly ahead of their pace from last season, and each year about 750,000 hunters participate in the opening day of deer season.

Travis Lau, Game Commission spokesman, said license sales are on track to slightly exceed the 950,000 deer licenses that were sold in 2013.

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• The statewide general firearms season runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 13. In many parts of the state, properly licensed hunters may take either antlered or antlerless deer at any time during the season. In other areas, hunters may take only antlered deer during the season's first five days, with the antlerless and antlered seasons then running concurrently from Dec. 6 to the season's close.• Rules regarding the number of points a harvested buck must have on one antler also are different in different parts of the state, and young hunters statewide follow separate guidelines.• Hunters during the statewide firearms season can harvest antlered deer if they possess a valid general hunting license, which costs $20.70 for adult residents and $101.70 for adult nonresidents.• Each hunter between the ages of 12 and 16 must possess a junior license, which costs $6.70 for residents and $41.70 for nonresidents.• Hunters younger than 12 must possess a valid mentored youth hunting permit and be accompanied at all times by a properly licensed adult mentor.