Eight amazing pictures show deer grazing in field near Hereford

Hereford Times Camera Club member Robert Lee was lucky enough to capture pictures of the four deer on the outskirts of Haugh Woods, near Hereford.

The woods, just outside the village of Mordiford, and Dinmore Hill, between Hereford and Leominster, are the areas in Herefordshire where deer are usually spotted most often.

Mr Lee said the pictures were taken about a week ago and the deer are normally grazing in the field before the sun rises.

The Hereford Deer Management Society, established in 1984, said on its website that the population of native deer, topped up with imported species and released captive animals, has exploded in recent years.

An exact head count of deer is difficult due to their nature but the group believe that there are more deer in Britain now than 1,000 years ago.

"Deer have re-established themselves throughout the countryside and their range and numbers are steadily increasing," the group's website said.

"It's nice to see deer in the countryside, after all its part of our natural heritage.

"The increasing numbers are a true indication of how the landscape has been improved for wildlife in recent years with set-aside and reforestation."

But it said that deer cause significant damage to forestry by reducing tree regeneration, browsing saplings and bark stripping.

It added that ancient woodland is also being irreversibly damaged and native woodland plants are under threat from unchecked deer populations.

Crashes with cars are also possible, it said.