Clockwise from the top are an apple, acorns, grapes, corn, crab apples and hickory nuts. Hunters who know where to find such food sources will be the most successful during deer season.

The warm afternoons and cool mornings herald the beginning of fall and the archery season opener.

Hunters have been scouting the woodlands in earnest for the past month looking for that special wallhanger buck.

The shorter days and longer periods of darkness have the deer and other wildlife looking for all the food sources that they can find. The deer will add layers of fat to their bodies in preparation for the cold weather and the shortage of food.

One thing that all experienced deer hunters know is that this time of year calls for different strategies. Bucks are not yet in their rutting routine and are still in their bachelor groups with little regard for anything but finding good food sources. The energy they store now will be depleted later as they begin to rut in earnest and chase does in their territory and other bucks outside of the range that they mark as their own.

Hunters who take a survey of the food sources in their hunting areas will have the edge on early season opportunities.

Bucks will be seeking their favorite foods and will stay near the best food resources areas unless driven out by bigger bucks or human interference.

Western Pennsylvania is blessed with an environment that is ideal for the whitetail deer. We have mixed hardwood forests that provide mast such as acorns, beechnuts, hickory nuts, chestnuts and many different fruit that deer, turkeys and bears relish. Abandoned orchards provide apples, pears and wild grapevines, and it doesn't take long for the wildlife to know when the harvest is ready.

Several years ago, I planted a small orchard of fruit trees near my home. I recall a peach tree and some plum trees that produced fruit in abundance. I would go out each morning and test the fruit to see if it was ready to harvest.

When it finally was ready to be picked and I had decided to return to gather peaches the next day, you can imagine my surprise and dismay when I found the trees stripped of fruit. I didn't know who or what to blame at the time, but I now believe that a bear had finished off my fruit trees.

There are many types of oak trees in Pennsylvania, but I believe deer relish acorns from white oaks most of all. Setting up a blind or tree stand in the lanes between bedding areas and the oaks will pay off for a patient archer.

In agricultural areas, don't overlook old orchards of apple or pear trees. Deer love apples, but they really go for a juicy, sweet pear. Fruit trees drop fruit throughout the fall and sometimes into the winter, and should never be overlooked.

Corn and soybean fields are another good bet. They say that corn has little nutritional value for deer, but no one seemed to tell them that. They still mow down cornrows.

Another area that I like to hunt is in the acres of crabapple thickets that seem to favor the edge between overgrown fields and the woodlands. I have seen countless deer using these thickets for food, bedding areas and hiding areas. Hunt the trails and inside the tree line for best results.

Deer use the habitat as a cover and safety area for their travel routes to water, food and as an escape from predators. Many times you will find scrape lines, rubs and deer beds in your exploration.

Don't leave your scent all over the place. You should find the spots, set up nearby and then stay off of the main travel paths as you wait for your chance at a trophy deer.

Jay E. Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.