The shorter days and cooler nights serve as a reminder that fall is not far away, and it will soon be time to take to the woods. Pennsylvania features a wide variety of habitats and game species, including the forested tracts of our northern tier counties.

Come fall, there’s something special about being in the “Big Woods” of north-central Pennsylvania. There’s so much to hunt, let’s not limit ourselves to any one species. Tioga County is a great place to headquarter such an excursion, more specifically Hills Creek State Park.

For those unfamiliar with hunting contiguous terrain such as is common in Tioga County, understand that it’s quite different — and in some ways harder — than the broken habitat common throughout much the state.

Big game species such as black bear, deer and wild turkey are harder to pattern, and often require more leg work to locate. Scouting is extra important, particularly in finding food sources, namely hard mast. Acorn-producing oaks tend to fuel the food chain in this part of the state. Mast production varies from year to year. Find the acorns, and you’ll likely find the game, something especially true during times when the hard mast is spotty, rather than spread out.

That said, the hunting in Tioga County is good. Last season 169 bears were taken there. Wildlife management unit 3A, which includes all of Tioga County, contributed 5,400 antlered and 3,800 antlerless deer to the state’s estimated total harvest. Wild turkeys are well-distributed throughout the region, which part of the traditional wild turkey range.

While grouse numbers have fallen to low levels — with flush rates the past couple of years among the lowest in decades — good numbers have remained in both the north-central and northwestern part of the state.

There are acres upon acres of public land in Tioga County. State Game Lands 37 is next to Hills Creek State Park, and covers nearly 9,000 acres. Immense Tioga State Forest adds over 160,000 acres in both Tioga and Bradford counties. Within this state forest Pine Creek flows through the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.” Slate Run and Cedar Run — excellent wild trout streams — are also found there. If the hunting doesn’t keep you busy, a visit to one of these waters is in order.

There are several “grouse management areas” within Tioga State Forest, which should be of interest to not only grouse hunters, but deer and bear hunters as well since both find the reforestation found within such timber cuts to their liking. Much of the forested area of Tioga County is in the form of mature timber, which has more limited carrying capacity. Regenerating timber cuts are often game magnets. The location of grouse areas can be seen on maps available by visiting the Tioga State Forest website at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/tioga/.

Hills Creek State Park serves as a fine base camp for Tioga County hunting and fishing adventures. It has 10 modern cabins, ones laid out in the same manner as that described for Pymatuning State Park. There are also three camping cottages which are available through the middle of October. An 85-site campground is also located within the park, but it too closes the third week of October.

Hills Creek Lake, a warm-water fishing oasis amid mountainous trout streams, is also found within the state park, and supports a strong bass and muskie fishery.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.