Stag photographed with wire wrapped around antlers

During mating season male deer try to make their antlers look bigger

A wildlife photographer has captured an image of a stag with green fencing wire wrapped around its antlers.

Paul Wilson, 56, who lives near the Quantocks, Somerset, took the photo while following the deer during the current rutting season.

He said the stag was unaffected by the wire, it was not blocking his sight or too close to his mouth.

"The stag is in good condition, it's one of the biggest stags up in the Quantocks," Mr Wilson said.

Mr Wilson enjoys following the deer on the Quantocks

Mr Wilson takes holiday every year to follow the deer, often waiting hours to get the perfect photo.

"I went up early one morning and I saw this stag with all green wire wrapped around his antlers and I thought that would make a nice photo," he said.

"This time of year they try to make their antlers look bigger than they are. They thrash around in the heather or fern to entice the ladies."

The photographer has lived near the Quantocks all his life.

"My grandfather used to bring me up here when I was a child and I've just followed in his footsteps," he said.

Mr Wilson said he prefers it to "a holiday on the Caribbean".

"With wildlife, you never know what's going to happen, you could be there six to eight hours, waiting to get that perfect photograph but sometimes you might be lucky and be there for 10 minutes."

Jochen Langbein, from the Quantock Deer Management Group, said Mr Wilson's photo was something seen occasionally in male deer during rutting season, when they often have foliage or bracken in their antlers.

He added that it could do the stag harm if anyone tried to remove the tape and that the antlers would eventually drop off before regrowth next year.