The Gamekeepers Beginning

Speaking to Gemma and Avian on the ShootHub Podcast, he was blunt about the traditional route into the profession – and it isn't through a classroom.

Growing up on a small family shoot, Barnard wasn't allowed near the shooting line until he'd earned it. "We weren't allowed to touch a gun or stand in the shooting line until we had done everything behind the scenes," he said – feeding, dogging in, beating, picking up. "Once we had done all that, then we were allowed to enjoy the perks of it all."

Barriers To Entry

He stayed in education until 18 but mentioned that "everyone was saying we want two years' experience to become an underkeeper," he said. "How do we get to become an underkeeper when we don't have the two years, because no one's hiring them?"

Unable to get a foot in the door in the UK, he took a job in Belgium at 20 – sight unseen. "I turned up at an airport where I didn't know who I was looking for. I was just looking for that typical film thing where you've got your name on a card."

The Payoff

It paid off: promoted from underkeeper to beatkeeper before returning to the UK, he now runs two estates single-handed. His advice to anyone weighing up college against experience is to consider the importance of experience before you make the decision.

Certificates still matter, he says – ATV, chainsaw, spraying, firearms – but they're no substitute for the graft that comes first.

Listen To The Full Episode Now...

Professional gamekeeper Rob Barnard runs two estates and shares the reality behind the job on his YouTube channel, A Gamekeeper's Diary. Listen now.