Best food source
 

I hunt in north western PA and south western NY. The areas I hunt have alot of food sources. These include Oak (mostly white and red), American beach , Hickory, Apple, crab apple, wild grape,hemlock, corn and grain fields, oak being virtually everywhere. My problem is knowing which to hunt and when. I hunt all seasons archery, firearm, and late season flint lock. Whicha are preferred by deer (big bucks) the most?

RE: Best food source
 

I myself hunt Oaks during the Archery season. I will find where the acorns are dropping and hunt there. Deer seeem to love Acorns. I would also hunt them around apple trees as well.

RE: Best food source
 

In the early season nothing will beat soybeans. After that white oaks and corn are my favorite.

RE: Best food source
 

Im I correct to assume that different trees drop at different times? And that White oak are preferred over red oak? Do white oak drop earlier, later or does it depend on the particular tree?

RE: Best food source
 

Sport 2: Where are you from? I live in Erie County, and hunt there, along with Crawford and Mercer Counties.

This is what I have found out so far. SOYBEANS! They aren't very common where I hunt and the deer flock to them like nothing else. They will hit them hard...especially early on. Then for the couple weeks when acorns are falling...hunt those trees....try to stay on top of the most recent ones. Then once that is done, the soybeans have been killed by the frost and they move onto corn. In between them is the rut...hunt that accordingly. Find a standing field of corn...and you've got it made......Then once the snow falls....I go back to the soybean fields..they dig in them for the pods. Granted these fields are unpicked (planted specifically for deer) so if the fields are harvested I'm not sure...but thats what I've found so far.

RE: Best food source
 

I like white oaks. I've noticed them some of them dropping in late September while scouting. Usually the acorns are a bright yellowish/green then.

I also like hunting isolated apple trees.

RE: Best food source
 

I think for your best answer you should talk with the fish and game for your areas. They should be able to tell you when deer are most likely to be eating what. Food sources change quite often during the fall. Deer do prefer certain food sources over others. Like they prefer white acorns over red acorns. White acorns and apples are a good bet for early season. Soybean fields are excellent when the plants and young and tender, once they are mature deer don't seem to feed in them as much until the fields are cut. Corn is a good food source, todays combines don't leave much on the ground for them to clean up though. Winter wheat is a good source as well. I don't know much about the other food sources you listed.

RE: Best food source
 

I hunt both Warren co, and Chaut co. Unfortunately I don't know of any soy beans, and I don't own any property to set up food plots (yet anyway).

RE: Best food source
 

Oak(white first)
American beech
Apple, crab apple
wild grape
corn and grain/soybean fields

In this order . If you have persimmon trees where you hunt pay special attention to them , especially after a frost .

RE: Best food source
 

YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH SOYBEANS! IT IS MY FAVORITE FOOD SOURCE. ACORNS ARE GREAT TOO AND ALSO FREE!:D