drift of the forest

noun1

1. •
   (UK, historical) The act of driving or herding cattle in a forest to a particular place in order to determine who they belong to and whether the owners have a right to common or pasture them in the forest, and whether any fines should be paid by those without such a right.

   • And every three years there was a special Drift of the forest, which was a sort of census of the venison. — 1895