Gamekeepers in the United Kingdom

[8] In addition, there are many people who spend their leisure time and money rearing game and maintaining habitats on their own small shoots.

There are several variations in gamekeeping: The most senior individual dealing with wildlife on a particular estate is often called the headkeeper or headstalker.

The main campus for attaining both NC and HNC levels in gamekeepeing for south Scotland is borders college.

[13] In 1997, the National Gamekeepers' Organisation (NGO) was set up for the same reasons and in addition they felt that the main shooting association was not representing the keepers properly.

[14] The League Against Cruel Sports estimates some 12,300 wild mammals and birds are killed on UK shooting estates every day and sees gamekeepers as playing a key role in the destruction of wildlife.

"We’ve seen evidence linking gamekeepers to bird of prey persecution, and moorlands empty of raptors imply that much more illegal killing goes on undetected".

Head stalker Niall Rowantree (leftmost) taking out a guest (first from left) deer stalking on Ardnamurchan Estate in Scotland
The common pheasant, the most important bird for many lowland keepers
Donald Urquhart, head stalker on the Inverewe estate, late 19th century
Gamekeeper (left) with a shooter on a driven grouse shoot in the Highlands, ca. 1922
Controlled burning of heather , one of the countryside management duties of gamekeepers