Wildlife Ranger/Stalker

[cunninghamb 2]

Hello all,

 

Well im 16 and live in Scotland, I am wanting to be a Wildlife Ranger for the Forestry Commision or do stalking (or contracts) for a living.

 

I was wondering what I should do now...

 

Leave school now and go to collage or stay at school and get my highers then go to collage, but what should I be looking to study?

 

For my exam results I got.

 

An 1, 3x 2's, a 3 & a 4

 

So my quistion is... What collage and what collage coarse should I be looking at? & What in your view is the best way to start off for any of the above careers that I mentioned (from your experince/knowldge)

 

Thanks very much in advance!

 

All The Best

Edited September 20, 2009 by cunninghamb

[dig2dogs 2]

Hello all,

 

Well im 16 and live in Scotland, I am wanting to be a Wildlife Ranger for the Forestry Commision or do stalking (or contracts) for a living.

 

I was wondering what I should do now...

 

Leave school now and go to collage or stay at school and get my highers then go to collage, but what should I be looking to study?

 

For my exam results I got.

 

An 1, 3x 2's, a 3 & a 4

 

So my quistion is... What collage and what collage coarse should I be looking at? & What in your view is the best way to start off for any of the above careers that I mentioned (from your experince/knowldge)

 

Thanks very much in advance!

 

hi mate

sorry but i dont know an exact answer to your question but, if it was me i would get in touch with natural england or the forestry com. and any other organization you think could give you this line of work and ask them how to get into what your after, im sure that should there be a call for it they will advise you,

good luck and i hope you succed in getting the career you want as you have a long life ahead of you

all the best

d2d

 

All The Best

[wireviz 8]

Tel this chap what you want to do he will tel you what you need he is one of the top men in the FC His name is Ian 07733001686

Edited September 21, 2009 by wireviz

[cunninghamb 2]

Tel this chap what you want to do he will tel you what you need he is one of the top men in the FC His name is Ian 07733001686

 

 

Ok will give him a buzz later on, won't he wonder how I got his number though?

 

Thanks very much.

 

All The Best

[ratattack 111]

Try the gamekeeping colleges, thurso is a very good course that you can go on now and stick with till HNC/ HND levels. A lot of guys from there go on to get jobs in the stalking/gamekeeping industry

 

http://www.northhighland.ac.uk/coursedetai...rse=GAMEKEEPING FOR SKILLSEEKERS SVQ Level 2

 

I got my HNC from there and went straight into a job.

 

Just remember there are thousands of people who want to shoot deer all day everyday and very few get to do it fulltime.

[cunninghamb 2]

Try the gamekeeping colleges, thurso is a very good course that you can go on now and stick with till HNC/ HND levels. A lot of guys from there go on to get jobs in the stalking/gamekeeping industry

 

http://www.northhighland.ac.uk/coursedetai...rse=GAMEKEEPING FOR SKILLSEEKERS SVQ Level 2

 

I got my HNC from there and went straight into a job.

 

Just remember there are thousands of people who want to shoot deer all day everyday and very few get to do it fulltime.

 

 

Cheers mate, did you go to thurso with just your standard grades then progres up to HNC/HND level?

 

Thanks

 

All The Best

[ratattack 111]

Try the gamekeeping colleges, thurso is a very good course that you can go on now and stick with till HNC/ HND levels. A lot of guys from there go on to get jobs in the stalking/gamekeeping industry

 

http://www.northhighland.ac.uk/coursedetai...rse=GAMEKEEPING FOR SKILLSEEKERS SVQ Level 2

 

I got my HNC from there and went straight into a job.

 

Just remember there are thousands of people who want to shoot deer all day everyday and very few get to do it fulltime.

 

 

Cheers mate, did you go to thurso with just your standard grades then progres up to HNC/HND level?

 

Thanks

 

All The Best

 

 

Yep.

 

I worked in a game dealer in aberdeen for 2years and got a placement through that.

Best bet is to give the college a shout, it is probably the best for the course in scotland as it is mainly practical on estate training not classroom based like the others. I was in college about 9 10 weeks a year the rest is on placement, You will learn much more that way. It is hard graft though so dont expect to be shooting deer all the time. It depends on the estate, mine was red deer and grouse which was perfect ( no bloody pheasants!) Great experience thats for sure.

 

Good luck in your choice.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

All the very best in your quest young man .You are are a credit to yourself and your parents ,very polite and i wish you luck .Regards FD.

[cunninghamb 2]

Thanks for all the input guys!

 

Ratattack sounds like you had a good time! I hope that if thats the way I go to get an placement like that!

 

Barryj I have been helping out the local estate over my exam leave and summer holidays, I also did my work experince with the local FC Ranger and it's defo the way I want to go!!

 

FD thanks very much!

 

All The Best

[john robbo 30]

All the very best in your quest young man .You are are a credit to yourself and your parents ,very polite and i wish you luck .Regards FD.

Well said F.D. with an attitude like this he may go far good luck.

I did it another way,

trainee keeper on a YTS then keepering for 20+years off and on then going on to set up my own company taking paying clients out and culling myself at times/still keepering part time just to keep my hand in.

again good luck.

[ratattack 111]

It's a good way to learn the job. give it a go and see what happens

[cunninghamb 2]

Thanks for all the input guys!

 

The coarse at Thurso has already started and the parents go mental the instant i mention leaving school!

 

My plan so far is...

 

Leave school, get a job (farm or estate or where ever!), work untill next Aughust, then go to collage.

 

But I dont think thats going to happen!

 

Thanks very much!

 

All The Best

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Thanks for all the input guys!

 

The coarse at Thurso has already started and the parents go mental the instant i mention leaving school!

 

My plan so far is...

 

Leave school, get a job (farm or estate or where ever!), work untill next Aughust, then go to collage.

 

But I dont think thats going to happen!

 

Thanks very much!

 

All The Best

 

 

AS MUCH AS I DONT WISH YOU TO DEFY YOUR PARENTS MATE ,ITS YOUR LIFE AND YOU MUST FOLLOW YOUR HEART IN CHOICE OF CAREER.YOU WILL REGRET ANYTHING ELSE AND ITS NEVER A SUBSTITUTE FOR WHAT YOU DESIRE MOST .FROM EXPERIENCE .

[comanche 3,045]

Thanks for all the input guys!

 

The coarse at Thurso has already started and the parents go mental the instant i mention leaving school!

 

My plan so far is...

 

Leave school, get a job (farm or estate or where ever!), work untill next Aughust, then go to collage.

 

But I dont think thats going to happen!

 

Thanks very much!

 

All The Best

 

 

AS MUCH AS I DONT WISH YOU TO DEFY YOUR PARENTS MATE ,ITS YOUR LIFE AND YOU MUST FOLLOW YOUR HEART IN CHOICE OF CAREER.YOU WILL REGRET ANYTHING ELSE AND ITS NEVER A SUBSTITUTE FOR WHAT YOU DESIRE MOST .FROM EXPERIENCE .

 

FD is so right . So many youngsters have no idea what they want to do and end -up hanging about the streets upsetting folk and sponging from the very society they 've rejected. You though , already have a purpose in life and if you don't at least try to follow your dream while you can you'll regret it for sure .

Maybe a compromise could be the answer to convincing your parents that you are both serious about your intended career and responsible in your attitude to education . Get yourself signed onto a college course and maybe talk to a tutor and get them to explain to your parents that a bit of practical work would be a valuable asset .

Academic exams can always be retaken even if it means attending night-school but ...well .Read Foxdroppers' post agin .

The very best of luck .

[fozzy41 9]

Hello cunninghamb.

 

I did what you want to do, went to Borders college on a HNC in gamekeeping with wildlife management course with the sole intention of becoming a stalker or wildlife ranger.

I also did contract work and worked under Ian (chief ranger) whom was mentioned earlier, very nice chap. A word of advice mate, do not put all of your eggs in one basket like i did by just concentrating on the forestry commission, for these reasons,

 

1, Jobs that come up with them for wildlife rangers are like hens teeth, 1 or maybe twice a year.

2, I have had a couple of interviews with them over the years and i will tell you now that it aint easy.

3, I have usually found that the jobs are already taken up within there own people but they have a duty to put the vacancies out to the public.

 

I won`t apply for them any more as the amount of work that you have to put in to your C.V and also the other paperwork that they ask you to do, i have found too much trouble for the let down you have when you either don`t manage to get an interview or if you do and you think that you have done well only to recieve a letter a few days later telling you that you were not successful.

The last interview i went to there were 111 people whom applied for that job and i was 1 of nine people to get an interview.

 

I wouldn`t want to put a downer on it for you but take my advice and go on to an estate which covers deer, pheasants/grouse when you go to college and have to do work placement, keep your options open.

 

ATB

 

fozzy