Sports

Gamekeeper

Gamekeepers manage countryside areas used for shooting and fishing.

Annual Salary

£14,000 to £25,000

Working hours

41 to 43 variable

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; flexibly

1.8%
Future employment

There will be 1.8% more Gamekeeper jobs in 2027.
In your local area

What's it all about?

Day-to-day tasks

You could:

  • plan and organise shoots and fishing parties
  • hire and supervise staff like beaters, to flush out birds during shoots
  • keep records of what's shot or caught and arrange the sale of game
  • train and work with gun dogs
  • breed game birds for release
  • protect game from poachers and predators
  • maintain equipment, buildings and game enclosures
  • clear woodland and undergrowth
  • work with the police to deal with crimes like badger digging and hare coursing

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work in a park, in woodland or in a workshop.

Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
College

You could start by doing a college course like:

  • Level 2 Certificate in Countryside and Environment
  • Level 3 Diploma in Countryside Management

You can find colleges offering relevant courses through the National Gamekeepers' Organisation Educational Trust.

Entry requirements

You may need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
For more information
Apprenticeship

You could get into this role through an intermediate underkeeper apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
Work

You may be able to start as an assistant or underkeeper. With further training and experience you could work your way up to become a gamekeeper.

Volunteering and work experience

You'll find it useful to get experience of countryside work by volunteering on an estate or park.

You can contact organisations like The Conservation Volunteers, the National Trust and National Parks UK for information about work experience opportunities.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

  • You'll need a firearms or shotgun certificate for some jobs.
  • have a full driving licence

More information

Career tips

Employers value experience of working outdoors and knowledge of the countryside. Practical skills like carpentry would also be useful.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the National Gamekeepers' Organisation for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can get more details about becoming a gamekeeper through the National Gamekeepers' Organisation.

With experience, you could progress to head keeper.

You could also become self-employed by renting the shooting rights to land, or working as a contractor.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • customer service skills
  • legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • the ability to work on your own
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • knowledge of biology
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
My top 5 skills from the skills bank
Please sign in to compare your skills to this job. Sign in

To save or view your choices and results you must sign in or register (takes 1 minute).

Sign in Register