Keep in mind I'm referring to solo bear hunting. I never did the "traditional" PA bear hunt involving 25 guys banging pots and pans conducting drives-not for me.
I scout a week before the opener of bear. I am looking for beechnuts, hickory nuts, acorns, basically whatever crop is having the best year. Keep in mind, a heavy beech nut crop 3 years ago hasn't been back since. It varies each year. As for corn, none to my knowledge of public land has corn fields, nor are there many corn fields still standing by the time PA's bear season comes along.
Berries can be good, but again last years spot will most likely not be the hot spot this year. I still hunt-cover ground, but painfully slow. I bump bears EVERY year and can't go slow enough. Swamps and other areas most don't want to venture to are also good.