Country diary: A springtime mudbath for this herd of deer | Ed Douglas

Blacka Moor, South Yorkshire: Wallowing among deer is more associated with stags in autumn, but these hinds and youngsters have clearly been at it tooIf you want an intimate encounter with Britain's largest land mammal, then the moors above Sheffield are the place to go. Walking up through deep woodland under Blacka Moor we came suddenly on a pair of red deer hinds watching us from among the trees, no more than 10 metres away. Nostrils flared, ears twitched, but nobody moved. Down the hill, a little further off, another four animals kept their soft black eyes on us.In Scotland, those deer would have been out of sight by now, but the few dozen animals that inhabit the Eastern Moors have grown used to people and seem more tolerant of their presence. Our human herd being what it is, these deer now have a substantial social media hoofprint, and I expect there are photographers in the city who know each one individually - the stags at least - since they seem to attract most attention. Continue reading...