My name is Sevilay Sadrazam and I am 17 years old. I am an apprentice underkeeper at Dumbleton Estate. I started my journey as an underkeeper when I first applied to Hartpury College to study countryside management and game.
As part of the course, I was required to undergo work experience, which is when I reached out to David at Dumbleton. I started in April 2020, going each week on a Wednesday and completing tasks set by David, James and the other members of the estate. During the summer holidays I was asked by David to stay on and help get the pens ready for when the birds arrived for the 2021/22 season.
Why did I get into being an underkeeper?
I have been interested in shooting and countryside work ever since I was little when I went out shooting and to work with my dad. I was always interested in game and wildlife but only recently decided to get into it after my dad passed away in 2020 due to cancer. It’s always been my dream to make him happy and proud of me, so I decided to carry on despite everyone telling me it was a bad idea, and I won’t become anything in the future as there isn’t any money in the industry. I chose to ignore them, and it’s got me into an amazing workplace and a great college.
Life as a new underkeeper is a struggle, with increased pressure from both within and outside the industry, bird flu, colleges wanting to stop gamekeeping as a whole, and there being talk about gamekeeping stopping in 10+ years.
My role as an underkeeper is quite varied and can change according to the season. It involves helping David get the pens ready for the poults, controlling the pests in and around the woodlands, and getting drinkers and feeders brought in, washed and back out ready for the pheasants. I also help out with odd jobs around the yard and manage the woodland.
Since becoming an underkeeper, I have managed to expand my knowledge about game, improve my shooting accuracy, and expand my knowledge on managing woodland around the estate with David.
We start the season off in the spring when we’ve just packed all the pegs away from the previous year’s shoot. We collect some of the feeders and drinkers, whilst ensuring a few are left out to ensure food and water is still available. We start repairing and rewiring pens and controlling pests to prevent the spread of disease.
The poults arrive in early autumn. We start feeding then making sure all the water is clean with the right amount of acid and wormer, making sure the IBC is out of the sun to prevent any algae. We continue to maintain the estate, and we start dogging-in to make sure the birds do not break away from the wood. The shoot season occupies most of the winter months, and throughout it we are busy continuing to ensure feeders and drinkers are kept topped-up.
My favourite season is summer when we have finished getting everything ready for when the poults arrive, knowing that there won’t be much work to do on the pens until next summer. My second favourite is autumn when the leaves start falling, because that’s when you know the shooting season is only a couple of weeks away.
Highlight of the job
In my eyes the best bit is when you see everyone having a laugh through the season and talking about who shot the best bird. And when the season ends, and the beaters are relieved they don’t have to walk up the hill till next season. Personally, I think the whole job is the highlight; there are plenty of times when you get annoyed or frustrated, but we work through it and end up with a great season and loads of happy faces on Keeper’s Day.
Most memorable times as an underkeeper
I will always remember being in the industry I love, and being so grateful for the workers at Dumbleton. They made my dream to become an underkeeper possible by helping me make amazing memories and have a great relationship with everyone on the Estate.