Autumn Pleasures and problems

Autumn at Home Farm brings happiness and hard work in equal measures. The Fallow rut is in full swing with bucks coming into my patch from miles around. Numerous prickets are circling the rutting stands hoping for a rapid rape of one of the many young does before a master buck sees him off. Large numbers of deer in the area always mean I am very busy culling, gralloching, skinning etc. I have three Danish guests arriving next week and between us we should take around 50 fallow, roe and muntjac.
On the down side I now have the seasonal invasion of vermin to contend with. Mice in the kitchen, rats in the barn and the compost heaps and squirrels everywhere. The current East winds have caused our boundary ash trees to shed their leaves 6ins deep on the front lawn instead of on our neighbours side. Two hours raking has removed about a third of them.
On the up side again. Tomorrow brings my first day as a Gun in the new syndicate I have joined. 16 Saturdays to look forward to. Not big bag days but good company and a pleasant lunch at pub after shooting.