Becoming a Keeper

[lopylui]

Iv been interested in gamekeeping for a while now but I wouldn't know where to start!

Could anyone share there storys of how they got into the profession?

[rimfire4969]

The place to start these days is Sparsholt college, have a Google and see what they offer.

 

The keeping I do is on our syndicate shoot, I learnt by listening to the more experienced and knowledgable keepers and guns that I mix with.

Edited November 14, 2016 by rimfire4969

[malantone]

Don`t know where you are mate but Newton Rigg agricultural College near Penrith in Cumbria run a Game keepers course.

Edited November 14, 2016 by malantone

[subsonicnat]

Don`t know where you are mate but Newton Rigg agricultural College near Penrith in Cumbria run a Game keepers course.

 

May bump into my son if you go there,Teaching.lol.

[scotslad]

While the college courses will be a lot better than when i done mine (which was a joke really) i'd advise u to try and get some practical experience 1st before u go down the college route esp in eng if costing u 9K a year, make sure it is the route u want to go

 

But i'd try and get out beating on as many estates as possible and try to get known around ur local keepering community and try and get ur foot in the door that way.

U might be able to pick up some wknd work helping keepers out, setting up rearing field, pen building etc and get an idea exactly wot keepers do.

Mostly it's not wot most folk expect

[kennett]

Swanning around in tweed ,running an amazing shoot day and generally being considered a hero is only a very small part of keepering.

Most of it involves chasing poults around all hours of the day, putting bags of pheasant food in pheasant **** and then wiping it all over your arm and shoulder and stressing about weather, beaters and birds lol

I got into by learning from my grandad and being in the right place at the right time

[oldypigeonpopper]

Swanning around in tweed ,running an amazing shoot day and generally being considered a hero is only a very small part of keepering.

Most of it involves chasing poults around all hours of the day, putting bags of pheasant food in pheasant **** and then wiping it all over your arm and shoulder and stressing about weather, beaters and birds lol

I got into by learning from my grandad and being in the right place at the right time

hello, and keeping away poachers !!!!!!!

[lakeside1000]

I was introduced to a head keeper when I was 17, I asked for unpaid work around the kennels and on shoot days, after he got to know me he was willing to trust me with all sorts of things , I learned so much over the few years I was with him, and when I was 22 I set up a small syndicate of just 6 guns, rearing and releasing a few pheasants and training gun dogs,

I had a great time and although I only ever worked 'part time' always felt confident when out on the shoot and talking to the guns,

I also knew a few poachers and through them learned many 'tricks of the trade' which gave me a good insight into how to counter their efforts to steal our birds.

For the last few years ( now retired ) I just do a little wildfowling and the rest of the year keep pigeons off the crops, which is what I enjoy doing the most but I will never forget all the knowledge that old keeper passed on to me for free just because I was willing to help out.