As we near the end of October, the colours across the woods have begun to turn. The beeches are copper and gold, the oaks heavy with acorns, and the hedgerows are thick with sloes and berries. It’s been an unseasonably mild autumn — one of those years where the leaves have clung on longer than usual and the first real frosts still haven’t arrived.

Across much of the country, oak trees appear to be in a mast year, producing an exceptional crop of acorns. It’s a clever natural strategy to secure the next generation of oaks, but it also means that wildlife, deer included, are spoilt for choice when it comes to food.