How best (sport wise) to spend a potential gap year? Help and Input appreciated

groach1234

Well-Known Member
Right well i get my A level results on Thursday and I don't have a place at uni as i rejected my 3 offers that i had secured for history for one reason or another. So anyway there is a good chance i will be on a gap year if i can't find a place somewhere i want to be through clearing for a course i want to be on these being either history or land management...decisions decisions...

Anyway if i am on a gap year i don't know what to do with myself. This is as the more i think about it the less i want to go back packing around south east asia like my friends and the more i would like to get involved in some sort of a sporting placement maybe a ghillie or job in an rfd but who knows. The first thing i will be doing (probably even if i go to uni) is my dsc1 at Ilkley from 11th to 14th of september if there are any places left.

So my point is, I have very limited stalking experience so I may end up spending my time working on the farm and spending the money i earn on bought stalking and starting DSC2 and who knows I may scrape enough together for a trip on boar to eastern Europe. Or try and find some kind heart who would take me on for a pittance as a ghillie or assistant or something similar and learn the practical way. The floor i see in this is as i understand it most people looking to do such things have done a college course in deer management or something similar so I'm at a major disadvantage.

I hope you have caught my drift and can offer me some advice as to what would be better to do.

George
 
hi,

personally if it where i and i was your age i would start in Australia, do 2/3 months there.
then i would go to canada and cross over to the states.
i would then go to china.

this i would do if i had another shot at it....

up to you.

work experience is good also but you cant beat life experience mate.

atb f.
 
The first thing that springs to mind to me is that you might like to look for agricultural work in Australia and or New Zealand. I have several friends who have done this either before or during University, and gained a lot from it. If you already have basic skills like tractor driving and so on you should be well positioned to get something and it could prove useful in a number of ways; you still work for most of a year so you won't have to rely on your parents or whatever for money, (and can maybe take a 'scenic' route back to the UK for a few months at the end of the year if you want) you will broaden your agricultural experience and knowledge (useful if you do go on to do land management or Agriculture at University), you should be able to pick up some novel sporting experiences in either country, and getting out into the wider world is a very worthwhile eye opener at any age.

Edited to add; I mean proper agricultural work, rather than just going fruit picking! A mate went and spent a year working on a Sheep station in Western Australia, for example.
 
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The first thing that springs to mind to me is that you might like to look for agricultural work in Australia and or New Zealand. I have several friends who have done this either before or during University, and gained a lot from it. If you already have basic skills like tractor driving and so on you should be well positioned to get something and it could prove useful in a number of ways; you still work for most of a year so you won't have to rely on your parents or whatever for money, (and can maybe take a 'scenic' route back to the UK for a few months at the end of the year if you want) you will broaden your agricultural experience and knowledge (useful if you do go on to do land management or Agriculture at University), you should be able to pick up some novel sporting experiences in either country, and getting out into the wider world is a very worthwhile eye opener at any age.

Edited to add; I mean proper agricultural work, rather than just going fruit picking! A mate went and spent a year working on a Sheep station in Western Australia, for example.

My brother tried the same thing in his forced year off from uni as he had a collapsed lung and surgery to follow. He went to Oz, did a quick crash course in how farming is done out there then got a job but after 6 weeks he and the other lad where laid off as there was no more work for them and they couldn't find any more work so he then went travelling and said it was amazing but expensive and my other brother also did oz on his gap and said it was very expensive when he compared it to everywhere else he had been however new zealand is another option, some where i have always wanted to go.

George
 
Right well i get my A level results on Thursday and I don't have a place at uni as i rejected my 3 offers that i had secured for history for one reason or another. So anyway there is a good chance i will be on a gap year if i can't find a place somewhere i want to be through clearing for a course i want to be on these being either history or land management...decisions decisions...

Anyway if i am on a gap year i don't know what to do with myself. This is as the more i think about it the less i want to go back packing around south east asia like my friends and the more i would like to get involved in some sort of a sporting placement maybe a ghillie or job in an rfd but who knows. The first thing i will be doing (probably even if i go to uni) is my dsc1 at Ilkley from 11th to 14th of september if there are any places left.

So my point is, I have very limited stalking experience so I may end up spending my time working on the farm and spending the money i earn on bought stalking and starting DSC2 and who knows I may scrape enough together for a trip on boar to eastern Europe. Or try and find some kind heart who would take me on for a pittance as a ghillie or assistant or something similar and learn the practical way. The floor i see in this is as i understand it most people looking to do such things have done a college course in deer management or something similar so I'm at a major disadvantage.

I hope you have caught my drift and can offer me some advice as to what would be better to do.

George

A friend of mine, at your age, worked as a jackeroo (cowboy) on a cattle station near alice. He said it was without question the best job he ever had. The stories he tells about it certainly sound good, dirt bikes, helecopters cattle drives etc. From a shooting point of view he was given a rifle when he arrived and told to shoot anything that wasnt a cow, this turned out to be camels dingoes and wild horses, donkeys and roos so certainly not everyones cup of tea.
All I would advise you to do is do something that maximises the freedom and lack of responsibility that comes at your age. I spent a bit of time in oz and a year in the states prior to graduation, kind of work expireance kind of loafing. No way could I do this the same way now as i have wife + kids.
 
I was in a simliar position when i finished college a couple of years ago. I ended up just doing the normal travelling routine around east Africa but actually ended up working on two huge privatley owned game reserves, one in tanzania (i cant for the life of me remember the name!) and another near tsavo east in kenya. I had a great time working on both and despite not shooting very much and mainly doing odd jobs like track clearing, looking for poaching traps, animal census', etc. i had a great time and the best expirience so far in my life!!! I know this isnt very helpful as i pretty much walked into both my accident but have a great gap year anyway!

Phil
 
A friends son went to South Africa and worked on a game reserve, which sounded nice in principal but didn't work out too well. He came back quite quickly. Not sure why, probably a girl, someone elses more than likely, knowing James.

My daughter is off to NZ to the Elite Cricket Acadamy for their summer then coming back and doing a stint as a guard (you know what I mean) at Camp Canada.

Working in NZ and Oz on farms can be an eye opener, "Just go and slot a couple of dag's (scrawny ewes apparantly) to feed the dogs" etc! That and the 75 mile run to "the pub". Happy days!

ft
 
Crackin thread this - very positive.

I've no proper advice to offer, other than to reiterate what others have said about doing stuff which you won't be able to do when you have more responsibilities. The gap between A levels and Uni is pretty special because you have achieved all you can at that given time.

Keep us posted on how things go. I think there'll be a few of us older ones who'll be interested to hear how it goes.

Cheers,

Bob
 
A friend of mine, at your age, worked as a jackeroo (cowboy) on a cattle station near alice. He said it was without question the best job he ever had. The stories he tells about it certainly sound good, dirt bikes, helecopters cattle drives etc. From a shooting point of view he was given a rifle when he arrived and told to shoot anything that wasnt a cow, this turned out to be camels dingoes and wild horses, donkeys and roos so certainly not everyones cup of tea.
All I would advise you to do is do something that maximises the freedom and lack of responsibility that comes at your age. I spent a bit of time in oz and a year in the states prior to graduation, kind of work expireance kind of loafing. No way could I do this the same way now as i have wife + kids.

I did the same as petes mate 700k's from Alice for 6months and 1yr in NZ on family farms and some DOC culling.

best years of my life, mid life crisis is looming I think
 
a 1 year work visa is easy to acuire here in canada if your british! through bunac!

apply to a few guide outfitters here and im sure you would get some work!

you could be hunting bighorn sheep, thinhorn sheep,mountain goat,grizzly,moose,elk,deer,couger,wolf,caribou,buffalo,black bear
for up to a year!
if you would like more information let me know and i can give you some advice!

good luck dan
 
If you want Land Management, then try The Royal Agricultural College, Phil (pwolstenholme) and I, Phil is still there and I graduated this year... Neither of us did Land Management however I have friends who have done so and enjoyed the course maybe well worth a look, especially if you enjoy the country lifestyle which it seems you do...

ATB

Alex
 
It may be too late now but a chap your age would enjoy getting into a bothy as a grouse beater for a few weeks on one of the big estates up here. My son is doing 3 weeks while home from Uni' in Angus. Sometimes opportunities arise for bothy boys to stay on as pony lads during the stalking season. You get your meals and a bed and about £50 per day as a grouse beater.
If you fancy it try emailing some of the big grouse estates, you may drop lucky.
Cheers.
 
If you want Land Management, then try The Royal Agricultural College, Phil (pwolstenholme) and I, Phil is still there and I graduated this year... Neither of us did Land Management however I have friends who have done so and enjoyed the course maybe well worth a look, especially if you enjoy the country lifestyle which it seems you do...

ATB

Alex

I sent cirencester an email about 10 days ago enquiring as to any potential places that may come up in clearing but still no reply so plan on ringing them today. What did you study or 'read' there if you dont mind me asking?

George
 
i traveled the world about 6 years back and its the best worst thing ive done. its the best for experiances and meeting people and the fishing was amazing. the worst thing is when you get back you cant settle and want to get away again because you now know there is so much more in life (than work...)
 
George,

I read International Business Management with Finance & Phil is reading Property and Management from memory...

I would give them a call no reason why you shouldn't, will do you know harm I'm sure of that...

I may also be able to track down the number for the main tutor for Land Management, a call to him and a chat maybe key even if slightly un-PC...

Alex
 
George,

I read International Business Management with Finance & Phil is reading Property and Management from memory...

I would give them a call no reason why you shouldn't, will do you know harm I'm sure of that...

I may also be able to track down the number for the main tutor for Land Management, a call to him and a chat maybe key even if slightly un-PC...

Alex

Alex, thanks for the offer, i will give them a call later today and let you know how it goes.

George
 
There was an ad in the Shooting Times for grouse beaters a few weeks ago, which I would do if I could escape the 9-5. I may be able to track the details down if you're interested, or you could ring ST direct.
 
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