To start with, plan your session with the images you want in mind. Keep a close eye on the weather, not for glorious sunshine but mist and even rain; bad weather can be the making of dramatic and atmospheric images. If rain looks imminent, make sure you pack waterproofs for you and your kit as you could be on location a while!

You’ll need either the long end of a 70-200mm or a 300mm or 400mm lens; a zoom will be better for changing compositions so you don’t move and alert the deer. Pack a tripod or a beanbag for support, too; during the early morning mist, light levels will be low and shutter speeds slow enough to cause camera shake. You’ll need to move slowly and remain low, aim to position yourself so the deer are backlit and you can capture the cool air as they bellow, along with any atmospheric mist. Unless you want to create silhouettes, you’ll likely need to use spot metering and add a stop or two of exposure to bypass any metering errors caused by the mist and backlighting.

Then it’s just a case of lying in wait for the perfect shot and enjoying the sounds of clashing antlers echoing through the forest.

Five great parks for shooting deer rutting

1) Hillbridge and Park Wood, Derbyshire
2) Exmoor National Park, Devon
3) The New Forest, Hampshire
4) Richmond Park, London
5) Rahoy Hills, Scotland

To learn more about wildlife photography and photographing a variety of species, pick up your copy of the latest issue, November 2019, in stores now.