--- title: Best Food Sources to Target Mature Bucks description: Unlock early season whitetail hunting success! Learn how to find key food sources, pattern bucks, and tag a mature deer before the rut begins. image: https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/Mossberg%20-%20960x480%20(46).png --- [Law Enforcement](https://lawenforcement.mossberg.com/) [Sign In](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/login) / [Sign Up](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/create/) [Firearms](https://www.mossberg.com/firearms.html) [Store](https://www.mossberg.com/store.html) [![Mossberg](https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mossberg-theme/images/logo.svg)](https://www.mossberg.com) [Support](https://www.mossberg.com/help/) [Journal](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal) [Dealers](https://www.mossberg.com/dealers/) [Cart](https://www.mossberg.com/checkout/cart/) [Sign In](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/login) / [Sign Up](https://www.mossberg.com/customer/account/create/) [Dealers](https://www.mossberg.com/dealers/) - [Firearms](https://www.mossberg.com/firearms.html) - [Store](https://www.mossberg.com/store.html) - [Support](https://www.mossberg.com/help/) - [Journal](https://resources.mossberg.com/) [Military/Law Enforcement](https://lawenforcement.mossberg.com/) - [Home](https://www.mossberg.com) - [Journal](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal) - Best Food Sources to Target Mature Bucks [Videos](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/tag/videos) [Hunting](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/tag/hunting) # Best Food Sources to Target Mature Bucks 1 Min Read By [Just Hunt Club](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/author/just-hunt-club) ![Best Food Sources to Target Mature Bucks](https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/Mossberg%20-%20960x480%20(46).png) EARLY SEASON WHITETAIL HUNTING SECRETS! The season opening is often your best chance to tag a mature buck before the rut, and it all comes down to finding the food. This in-depth guide reveals the top early season food sources that consistently attract daylight deer movement across the Northeast and Midwest hunting regions. Stop wasting time—learn how to find and hunt the food right now to put yourself within bow range of a big whitetail deer.   What You Will Learn in this Early Season Whitetail Guide: - Acorn Intel: How to instantly identify when White Oaks and Red Oaks are dropping their acorns—the #1 early season food source. - Hidden Honey Holes: Key in on overlooked apple trees tucked into overgrown pastures and field edges. - Ag Field Strategy: Master the use of soybean, clover, and alfalfa fields to locate and pattern early season bucks. - Pattern Recognition: Recognize how changing food availability shifts crucial bed-to-food patterns in September. - **Perfect Timing:** Use glassing techniques and smart trail camera placement to time your first hunt perfectly. Whether you're hunting the big woods of the Northeast or the vast ag country of the Midwest, these simple whitetail scouting tips will help you succeed on your September deer hunt. Don't wait for the rut—the time to tag is now! [Check out our Patriot Bolt-Action Rifles](https://www.mossberg.com/firearms/rifles/mossberg-patriot.html) [![Share on Facebook](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-facebook.png?width=24&name=share-facebook.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fbest-food-sources-to-target-mature-bucks%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-linkedin.png?width=24&name=share-linkedin.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fbest-food-sources-to-target-mature-bucks%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-twitter.png?width=24&name=share-twitter.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fbest-food-sources-to-target-mature-bucks%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fbest-food-sources-to-target-mature-bucks%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Best%20Food%20Sources%20to%20Target%20Mature%20Bucks) [![Share on Email](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SocialShare/share-email.png?width=24&name=share-email.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fbest-food-sources-to-target-mature-bucks%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fresources.mossberg.com%2Fjournal%2Fbest-food-sources-to-target-mature-bucks%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ### About the Author ![](https://resources.mossberg.com/hubfs/channels4_profile.jpeg) ### Just Hunt Club Just Hunt Club is a team of highly motivated Northeastern hunters that chase game and fish in a diverse and often overlooked region of the country. They have learned to adapt and be successful on mostly public access lands in extremely challenging circumstances. Whether chasing ducks, bucks, turkeys, or fish, these outdoorsmen demonstrate how to use extremely effective tactics to be successful while also showing the rich outdoor tradition and culture of the North-Eastern states. [See all articles by this author](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/author/just-hunt-club) ## Related Posts [![](https://resources.mossberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Turkey-Hunting-New-Hampshire.jpg?width=352&name=Turkey-Hunting-New-Hampshire.jpg)](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/turkey-hunting-new-hampshire-big-woods-turkey-calling) ### [Turkey Hunting New Hampshire: Big Woods Turkey Calling](https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/turkey-hunting-new-hampshire-big-woods-turkey-calling) In the deep, contiguous forests of the Northeast, turkey hunting in New Hampshire is less about the... 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