Posted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:51 am Post subject: Beat keepers
I wonder if someone could explain where Beat keepers fit into the scheme of things please, I've never really understood where they fit and the difference between them and an under keeper.
The boundaries seem to be a little more vague these days, as with many things in the modern world.
In my experience, gamekeeping hierachy went as follows.
Lad/student/trainee. Accompanies a more experienced 'keeper and simply assists and observes. Often given kennel duties, cleaning and swilling out etc., and the more straightforward tasks such as cleaning drinkers, topping up feeders etc. Accompanies keeper on trapping and feeding rounds, pen maintenance etc.. As they learn more, dependent upon the level of interest, initiative and attention to detail more responsibility may be given, perhaps feeding a pond or a pen themselves.
Underkeeper. Often works alongside and under the direction of the Head Gamekeeper. Often covers the Head 'keepers feeds when he has other duties such as on shooting days or days out loading. Sometimes responsible for pens on his own but under the direct supervision of the head 'keeper. Generally assists the head keeper, perhaps with dogging- in often being a main duty.
Normally responsible for running a part of the beating line such as a flank or taking a team off to blank in.
Needs to be generally useful and interested and carry out most aspects of keepering under direction.
Beat Keeper. Usually someone with several seasons experience as above. Normally solely responsible for the day to day feeding and care of a section of a shoot. Under the general direction of the head 'keeper but required to be able to work under their own initiative and motivation and manage any issues and report to the head keeper.
Often takes sole responsibility for running his own drives if the Head keeper places Guns on shoot days, or would be required to run part of the beating team if the head keeper brings drives in.
Normally has some input on drive selection and details of how drives are brought in.
Head Game Keeper. In control of the entire shoot and liases directly with the shoot owner/ shoot captain. Oversees all underkeepers and beatkeepers and more usually also has his own beat to run. Normally responsible for ordering birds, feed and supplies etc. Liases with other departments, farm tenants, contractors etc.
Often required to load for employer both at home and on other shoots where Boss attends as a guest.
Takes responsibility for all aspects such as obtaining beaters, pickers up, loaders, catering, vehicle maintenance, disposal of game, accomodation issues, sometimes has financial control of budgets etc. May be required to host days in employers absence.
Takes charge of rearing duties and normally runs rearing field, incubators etc.
Single-handed Gamekeeper. More or less as Head gamekeeper but without the assistance of any underkeepers or beatkeepers. _________________ CPSA Qualified Level 1 Instructor
CPSA Qualified Level 2 Coach-ESP
There are less major shoots these days than when these terms where created.
It would be more normal to see the roles described as a Head gamekeeper and an underkeeper these days.
On bigger shoots where there are several beats then the older terminology would still apply.
It is also more common for younger keepers to progress to a single handed post directly from assisting the head keeper rather than follow the more traditional path up the various rungs of the ladder. This is often as there are simply more single handed posts as shoots cannot justify the expense of running two keepers. Also the technological advances in rearing, feeding, watering and most especially in 4x4 transport such as quad bikes and Mule type vehicles make it possible for one modern keeper to cover larger areas and cope with greater bird numbers than his predecessors could have managed. _________________ CPSA Qualified Level 1 Instructor
CPSA Qualified Level 2 Coach-ESP
All the shoots I'm personally involved with are keepered by part time keepers, putting down a couple of thousand poults or so, who we assist with a bit of feeding and general repairs, paid for by a bit of vermin control.
I've several friends who are full time single keepers, even with 35000 to 40000 poults to look after. As you say, mechanisation has so much reduced the time it takes simply to get to do jobs like refilling feeders!
John, I used to beat on an Estate in SW Scotland. It was a big Estate in total but was divided up over a large area of the country. Each area had a beat keeper who reported directly to the head keeper. The head keeper was responsible for the day to day running and shooting of the "home beat" which was obvioulsy the ground around the Estate House and the beat keepers ran their own areas which had around 4/5 drives each. Some of them had duck drives along with pheasant. Although the head keeper was the top man, in reality when the outside beats were shot he would take a bit of a back seat only ensuring guns were on the right pegs and the beat keeper would organise the beating line/blanking in. I have no doubt that the head keeper had his eyes on the ball though just to make sure operations went as they should. There was one beat that was larger than the others and as well as the beat keeper there was an underkeeper. (Beat keepers son).
It worked fairly well. As you could imagine not all the beats were shot on the same day and therefore allowed the Estate to shoot a few days a week without continual disturbance.
Spooky that I was over that area this morning doing some deer control and saw the head keeper who I have not seen for a while. As usual with these big estates his father was the head keeper before him.
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