Every year across the UK, all deer species engage in an exciting, dramatic behaviour process known as ‘the rut’. Photographing this is always an amazing phenomenon and draws in many photographers intending to capture this seasonal spectacle. In November of 2023, I headed to Bradgate Park in Leicestershire at sunrise in the hope of photographing it for myself. I arrived at the park at 5am and the rut was in full swing. This collection attempts to recreate the essence and aura of the experience whilst showing the competitive and brutal courtship that red deer have to endure during this season.