Day in the life of a young keeper

These days, gamekeeping is a job that requires qualifications, with career paths open to those who want to engage in further studies and progress from smaller to larger estates.

"When I was at school, I did a work placement for a week helping out on a shoot at Helbeck Hall, near Brough, and I loved it," says Amy.

"I've always been interested in the countryside and this way of life so I took a two-year national diploma course in gamekeeping and countryside management at Newton Rigg College in Penrith." After her course finished, Amy went to work on a game farm and as a beater on shoots near Reeth.

"I got to know quite a few gamekeepers that way; I told them I was looking for work and I heard that they wanted an apprentice keeper here; so it worked out well."

She has been working alongside head gamekeeper Paul Starsmore and two other keepers since January and it's clear that she's enjoying every minute of her job. "The idea is that after two years you can move on and look for work elsewhere, but I love it here; I'd like to stay as long as possible."

The appeal of the job to her is obvious: she loves working outdoors, although the weather in this part of Yorkshire is not always appealing. "You have to be used to the rain," she laughs, "but when it's sunny up here, it's lovely and it makes it all worthwhile."

She enjoys working with dogs, she is happy in her own company, and shooting has been a part of her family's life for as long as she can remember. In a sense, it's in her blood – her great-grandfather was also a gamekeeper.

"I am up early and out to feed my dogs – a spaniel and a labrador puppy – and then I'm out to check my traps. You have to do that every 24 hours but apart from that no two days are the same. Sometimes you can be up at first light and not finish until 9pm; it depends on what you have to do and the season." There is also a certain amount of autonomy. "You know what you have to do and you get on with it," says Amy.

The vast area of moorland that is her domain is made more accessible by Land Rover or quad bike, though walking is still an essential requirement. "You have to keep your quad bike in good condition because you wouldn't be able to do your job without it. I do a lot of walking, too. I need the bike to get up to where the traps are but then I have to walk to get them. I think gamekeepers in the past must have been very fit."

Pest and predator control are a major part of the job, and it's certainly not for the squeamish.

Rats, stoats, weasels and crows represent the greatest threat to eggs and young birds, while rabbit control is a constant factor of working on the estate.

Traps are set carefully to ensure that other creatures are very unlikely to be endangered. Interestingly, grazing sheep pose an indirect threat to grouse – they eat the heather that is an essential part of the grouse's diet and habitat – so the estate has reached an agreement with the local farmer to restrict sheep in the dale to lower lying areas.

On the upper reaches of Cotter Dale, you can see for many miles in every direction. When the wind isn't blowing, it's possible to sense the kind of silence that few human beings in this country are ever able to experience. Occasionally, the guttural and faintly comical honking of the male red grouse will intrude upon the serenity of the scene but it is the tranquillity of the location that impresses. Five shoots were scheduled for the season when that tranquillity is broken. The number of birds shot strictly regulated by the estate management and head gamekeeper.

Amy lays no claims to being Yorkshire's very own Annie Oakley but she has been interested in shooting ever since she was a teenager.

Her shotgun goes everywhere with her, and with it comes responsibility. "I have a shotgun licence, and you need a firearms licence if you have any other guns. You obviously have to be very careful with your gun. You can't leave it in your vehicle; if you lose it, then it's your fault – then you lose your licence and your job."

Pheasants are also reared on the estate but these are not Amy's responsibility: two other keepers take care of them, though she does assist when there are shoots.

Grouse are very much her preference, partly because they are wild and actually choose to remain in the Dale and also because of their intelligence, not a feature you would necessarily associate with pheasants.

"They are really intelligent and resourceful birds; they manage to survive in really bad weather conditions. I've seen male grouse pretend to be injured, for example, if you go near a nesting hen, to distract you."

Heather is vital to grouse since it provides them with their main supply of food throughout the year. Burning off the heather is an integral aspect of assisting the birds in finding nutritious feed at different times of the year.

"We burn so that there is heather at a variety of different stages on the moor because that's how the grouse prefer it. We set lots of little fires, then we use 'flappers' to control them."

Amy has to use her own intuition as to when it is best to burn – "when the weather is just right – not too wet and not too dry – and always from October to April."

Maintaining the heather in this controlled way is not just of benefit to the grouse (and, therefore, the shooting industry), Amy explains.

"Wherever you find grouse, you will also find other ground-nesting upland birds such as lapwings and curlews."

Amy is one of very few women gamekeepers throughout the country – although there is no reason more shouldn't enter the profession – and her enthusiasm and positive attitude is a great example to others who might be interested in pursuing a similar path.

As Amy says: "This is what I'll always want to do. I don't see it as a job – it's a way of life."