Stag Do With a Difference

Derbyshire wildlife

As the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness unfolds, so too does a stag do with a difference as Matthew Taylor and Deborah Vernon discover.

The woodland is inky black. We can barely discern individual trees and only the occasional rustle of leaves breaks the silence. It’s an hour or so before dawn and we’re seated on the edge of a forest, above a natural arena, waiting for a gladiatorial spectacle to unfold…