What an amazing day!

Unfortunately only a temporary place in heaven.
If she is half as good as I think she is, they would be daft to let her go.
It is a great "inner" for her and news in the world of stalking travels - she will already be the talk of local Estates.

Very much hope it goes well for you Mouse.
 
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Nice pics, how far was the extraction?

Willowbank
Apparently they were a long way out! I haven't heard the full story yet, and she's out on the hill all day again today, but no doubt we'll get another instalment in due course!
If she is half as good as I think she is, they would be daft to let her go.
It is a great "inner" for her and news in the world of stalking travels - she will already be the talk of local Estates.

Very much hope it goes well for you Mouse.
Yes, she's already been offered a few months extension to help with the hind cull, so that's a step in the right direction, but after that there won't be enough work to keep her there. Hopefully she'll be there long enough to make her mark, and as you say, other estates nearby may have opportunities coming up that she'll be well placed to take advantage of.
🤞
 
Apparently they were a long way out! I haven't heard the full story yet, and she's out on the hill all day again today, but no doubt we'll get another instalment in due course!

Yes, she's already been offered a few months extension to help with the hind cull, so that's a step in the right direction, but after that there won't be enough work to keep her there. Hopefully she'll be there long enough to make her mark, and as you say, other estates nearby may have opportunities coming up that she'll be well placed to take advantage of.
🤞
It's not an easy job to get into especially if you don't have relatives in the job, I was lucky my father was known in the industry and that was enough to get both me and my brother a start he didn't stick it attracted by bigger money and shorter hours which did not last and now too late he regrets his decision.
I hate to say it but it will be even harder for Mouse being female it should not be the case but it is, thankfully things are slowly changing equal opportunities and all that
however you can't legislate for prejudice.
Some employers fear that a female will not be able for the manual nature of the work, leave to get married, have children etc.
As I say there are a small number of female keepers /stalkers that number is increasing but it's slowly. quite a few females get employment as pony persons is that the right term or is it pony woman however while its good for experience I'm sure Mouse has invested too much in her career to remain a pony person oops almost said ponyman.
As her father it falls on you to prevent her from becoming downhearted which the young can so easily do when things don't happen as quickly as they wish.
She has come this far which proves she has the staying power, next time I read of her I hope it's that she has landed a fulltime job in the deer industry.

Wishing you the very best of luck Mouse.
 
Think positive.

The women blacksmiths I know, while being perfectly capable of matching any man at the work, have occasionally benefitted from the novelty factor of being in a "man's" world.

I hope the same circumstance opens doors for Mouse rather than her encountering any prejudice.

Alan
 
Unfortunately only a temporary place in heaven :cry:
She's still looking for a full-time deer job.
(Potential employers, please take note!)

If she wants to stay in Scotland, owns a rifle, 4x4, deer dog, and a thermal, has DSC2 and can hold a lamp steady then she can get sub-contracting work, either as a shooter or assistant.

Might not look the best on a CV if applying for private estate jobs down the line but you'll shoot more deer in a season than most outside the industry will in a decade.

The private estate world can be a closed shop as family, friends and relatives often take presidence when employment decisions are being made.

The way contracts are going, if you can move up and down the country at a moments notice in a caravan towed behind your pickup, can live like a vampire (dawn to dusk) and possess the ability to get the culls done, you will always be in work for the season (start September till end of March).

Does not matter who you are, where you come from or what you look like, if you are competitive you'll get it.
 
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