Donal Hickey: What you need to know about deer rut season at Killarney National Park

Great nature photo opportunities here — but don't be one of those amateur photographers who wander into the fields and get too close to the herds, disrupting the animals’ normal routines. And definitely don't approach fighting stags... that's a recipe for disaster

Rutting their stuff… The annual rutting season is underway.  The Irish red stags are bellowing while the Sika are whistling. @KillarneyNationalPark Picture: Valerie o’Sullivan/NPWS

A growing awareness of nature and its wonders is seen as a key factor in the rising popularity of wildlife photography, both amateur and professional.

At this time of year, scores of photographers head to Killarney National Park to get pictures of magnificent, red deer stags during the annual rut, or mating season. Indeed, deer-watching has become a sort of mini tourist industry there.