Wanted: job as a ghillie or stalker

[tomh111]

currently studying gamekeeping at sparsholt college
lvl2 and last year of lvl3
have food and game meat hygiene level 1
i have my dsc1 sgc clean driving license
waiting for fac to come back
im looking to go into becoming a ghillie or a professional stalking taking clients out to complete a rememberable stalk.
can work as a team or alone, good social skills, can be trusted

even just helping a stalker or a ghllie to learn the ropes

any work would be appriciated

many thanks
tom haynes

 

[teyhan1]

Tom,
I have written about this before trying to give advice, so although some of what I say may be harsh, it is in my experience the genuine truth.

1. There are very few dedicated stalking companies within ENGLAND that are large enough to employ somebody full-time as stalker. You will nearly always find that they are one man bands who employ part-time help for the busy periods. The only full-time employee is the boss.
2. In ENGLAND most large estates will lease their stalking to wealthy individuals or syndicates.
3. In Scotland they do employ stalkers on estates but they will be expected to do other jobs as well.
4. In my opinion, if you don't get up to Scotland then you've almost got no chance. Sad to say, but if my nipper wanted to do deer stalking as a job I'd be sending him to a Scottish college not Sparsholt.
5. Most stalking jobs will go by word of mouth and WHO YOU KNOW, NOT WHAT YOU KNOW.
6. You have to be bloody minded, almost tunnel visioned to even get a foot in the door. You will have to bang on every door until your knuckles bleed and if they don't answer keep banging.
7. Expect to work for nothing for a while, just to prove yourself. Like an interne.

I am lucky as I consider I saw what I believe was the best of stalking before it finally came out of the closet. Now there is so much demand from single stalkers willing to pay through the nose just to have a go, that I fear for the deer.

My honest advice is to forget about stalking and concentrate on gamekeeping. You will often find that the stalking on estates goes hand in hand with the keepering, so it will come, eventually. Failing that, get a bloody good CV done, buy a camper van and bang on every estate door in Scotland. That's what I should have done, it's just a woman got in the way- LEAVE THEM WELL ALONE they should be called HANDBRAKES.

 

[jimmy milnes]

Tom,
I have written about this before trying to give advice, so although some of what I say may be harsh, it is in my experience the genuine truth.

1. There are very few dedicated stalking companies within ENGLAND that are large enough to employ somebody full-time as stalker. You will nearly always find that they are one man bands who employ part-time help for the busy periods. The only full-time employee is the boss.
2. In ENGLAND most large estates will lease their stalking to wealthy individuals or syndicates.
3. In Scotland they do employ stalkers on estates but they will be expected to do other jobs as well.
4. In my opinion, if you don't get up to Scotland then you've almost got no chance. Sad to say, but if my nipper wanted to do deer stalking as a job I'd be sending him to a Scottish college not Sparsholt.
5. Most stalking jobs will go by word of mouth and WHO YOU KNOW, NOT WHAT YOU KNOW.
6. You have to be bloody minded, almost tunnel visioned to even get a foot in the door. You will have to bang on every door until your knuckles bleed and if they don't answer keep banging.
7. Expect to work for nothing for a while, just to prove yourself. Like an interne.

I am lucky as I consider I saw what I believe was the best of stalking before it finally came out of the closet. Now there is so much demand from single stalkers willing to pay through the nose just to have a go, that I fear for the deer.

My honest advice is to forget about stalking and concentrate on gamekeeping. You will often find that the stalking on estates goes hand in hand with the keepering, so it will come, eventually. Failing that, get a bloody good CV done, buy a camper van and bang on every estate door in Scotland. That's what I should have done, it's just a woman got in the way- LEAVE THEM WELL ALONE they should be called HANDBRAKES.

Excellent reply sir.
Regards Jimmy

 

[tomh111]

hi thanks for the reply yes thats true!! its like anything in the world its who not what you know!! i was very lucky to work at ragley hall with the keeper part time for a few years and i know but sparsholt being the nearest college to me in warwickshire and wanting to be a gamekeeper but of course as its multi unit gamekeeping course you learn about deer stalking and going out my self stalking its got me hooked!!

many thanks
​tom

Tom,
I have written about this before trying to give advice, so although some of what I say may be harsh, it is in my experience the genuine truth.

1. There are very few dedicated stalking companies within ENGLAND that are large enough to employ somebody full-time as stalker. You will nearly always find that they are one man bands who employ part-time help for the busy periods. The only full-time employee is the boss.
2. In ENGLAND most large estates will lease their stalking to wealthy individuals or syndicates.
3. In Scotland they do employ stalkers on estates but they will be expected to do other jobs as well.
4. In my opinion, if you don't get up to Scotland then you've almost got no chance. Sad to say, but if my nipper wanted to do deer stalking as a job I'd be sending him to a Scottish college not Sparsholt.
5. Most stalking jobs will go by word of mouth and WHO YOU KNOW, NOT WHAT YOU KNOW.
6. You have to be bloody minded, almost tunnel visioned to even get a foot in the door. You will have to bang on every door until your knuckles bleed and if they don't answer keep banging.
7. Expect to work for nothing for a while, just to prove yourself. Like an interne.

I am lucky as I consider I saw what I believe was the best of stalking before it finally came out of the closet. Now there is so much demand from single stalkers willing to pay through the nose just to have a go, that I fear for the deer.

My honest advice is to forget about stalking and concentrate on gamekeeping. You will often find that the stalking on estates goes hand in hand with the keepering, so it will come, eventually. Failing that, get a bloody good CV done, buy a camper van and bang on every estate door in Scotland. That's what I should have done, it's just a woman got in the way- LEAVE THEM WELL ALONE they should be called HANDBRAKES.

 

[bogtrotter]

Tom, The previous,posts have been a bit harsh though there is a bit of truth in them, if you want to be a full time stalker you need to be looking at Scotland, and you will be extremely lucky to get a start without some practical experience,sorry to say your college experience wont count for that much most estates will want practical experience. OK thats the negative stuff out of the way if you have set your heart on a career with deer in can be done, just don't expect it to happen all at once. Scotland is still your best bet, Highland estates look for Ghillies on a regular basis, but it is a seasonal job and you would need to find something else for the rest of the year, don't expect to do much actual stalking, your job will mainly be retrieving shot deer, whether that be manual or mechanical extraction, larder work and probably trophy preparation. Many Highland stalkers have got into the job by this route, but expect to do a few years, while you become known and gaining experience for when an opening arises. An other possibility is to look for a gamekeepers position where deer also feature ,ideally that would be a grouse red deer position, as if you are looking to eventually work full time with deer, you are looking at mainly Red deer, as it is more or less the estates with Red deer that employ full time stalkers. A few years experience even if in a limited capacity as far as deer are concerned will put you in a better position if a deer job comes up its always easier to get a job if already employed in a similar type position. Don't dismiss the Forestry Commission they look for young men with college qualifications for positions as Rangers, again Scotland is probably the best bet if you want to work with deer look for positions in deer areas the West or the North expect to have to do other work with the Commission, but if you pick the right place it will be mainly deer work. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[RED-DOT]

Please give Stuart Riddell a call at Beaufront castle estate near Hexham as he was saying that meddling mothers were robbing him of good junior keepers. They think their offspring are too good to be a gamekeepers.

 

[monarman]

is he looking for a trainee or an underkeeper? could you pm me contact details pleas as I have googled the estate and all I get is Northumberland sporting and there's no mention of Stuart on there as keeper or otherwise??.

cheers

steve