For roe or Reynard

Graham Downing braves the 'lazy winds' of Suffolk, hoping to protect the area's thriving flora and fauna from destruction by deer or predator

- Graham Downing

Before summer hit us with a bang, it had been a long, cold spring here in east B Suffolk. For weeks we had nothing but a nagging north-easterly wind that drove banks of cheerless grey cloud inland from the North Sea. We call it a 'lazy wind' in these parts: "That dunt goo round yer boi, that goo straight thru yer."

While western areas basked under blue skies and warm sunshine, we shivered along the east coast. But the unseasonable chill did at least enable us to hold on to the May blossom for far longer than normal. Right up to the end of the month, the countryside was in her bridal gown, with cascades of white dripping from the hawthorns matched by the lacy trim of cow parsley and nodding stitchwort along the lanes and hedgebanks.

The wedding finery stayed far beyond 18 May, sometimes regarded as the crowning glory of the English summer. Indeed, the remaining blossom, now tinged pink and brown, still hung from the hedge at the edge of Stackyard as I made my way slowly to the top of the farm in the hope of catching up with one of the roe that have been showing themselves recently on the trail cam. There is a nice-looking doe that appears regularly out of season of course at present and a splendid looking six-point buck with whom I hope that she might consort in the coming weeks. He is certainly not for the chop, at least not until after the rut. But there is a smaller, weaker four-pointer, which really ought to be brought to the larder.

Window of action

I looked carefully at the times at which these deer were habitually showing themselves and identified two potential windows: 3.50am to 5.50am and 8.10pm to 10.40pm. In no way am I at all reluctant to take an early stalk, despite the fact that in June a morning session means rising at a truly gruesome hour. But I still went for the evening outing.