And deer start rutting from late September through October, when stags battle for dominance, making for one of the county’s most dramatic autumn wildlife displays.

Whether you’re a seasoned wildlife watcher or simply enjoy a peaceful walk, here are some prime locations where patient visitors may catch a glimpse of wild deer.

1) Holkham Hall Deer Park

Holkham Hall is a majestic country estate. (Image: Newsquest)

Holkham Hall Deer Park, near Wells, is a 677-acre estate home to a large free-ranging herd of fallow deer.

Red, roe, muntjac and Chinese water deer have also been recorded here.

The park recommends visiting at dawn or dusk during the rutting season in October and November for the best chance of sightings.

Visitors are advised to stick to public rights of way and estate footpaths, and to keep dogs under close control.

2) Thetford Forest

Thetford Forest is the UK’s largest pine forest and home to several different types of deer. (Image: Newsquest)

Thetford Forest, the UK’s largest lowland pine forest, is another reliable spot.

Red, roe, fallow, and muntjac deer are regularly seen on the forest’s many waymarked trails, especially around High Lodge, Elveden, and Santon Downham.

Early morning and late evening offer the best opportunities for sightings.

3) The Gunton Arms

Whether you’re a seasoned wildlife watcher or simply enjoy a peaceful walk, here are some prime locations where patient visitors may catch a glimpse of wild deer. (Image: Denise Bradley)

The Gunton Arms, near Cromer, sits within a 1,000-acre historic deer park created in the early 18th century, where red and fallow deer still graze the estate’s parkland and can often be spotted from pub and nearby holiday cottages.

The park is privately owned with limited public access, so the best views for most visitors are from the pub’s terrace and rooms, or designated accommodation overlooking the grazing herds.

4) Hickling Broad National Nature Reserve

Hickling Broad. (Image: Newsquest)

Hickling Broad National Nature Reserve, managed by the National Trust, is another promising location.

The reserve’s woodlands and reedbeds support Chinese water deer and red deer, along with otters and diverse birdlife.

Visitors are encouraged to use boardwalks and trails to minimise disturbance.

5) Watatunga

Opened to the public in 2020, the reserve is dedicated to protecting endangered deer, antelope and bird species. (Image: Watatunga)

Watatunga Wildlife Reserve, near King’s Lynn, is a 170-acre conservation project turned visitor attraction, built on former quarry and farmland by Ed and Anna Pope.

Opened to the public in 2020, the reserve is dedicated to protecting endangered deer, antelope and bird species.

It also boasts several successful breeding programmes, including for the great bustard, which vanished from the UK in the 19th century.