Tom Sykes has been a keen Shot since a young age and has been fortunate to make a living from his hobby. He started his early career as a gamekeeper for some of the country’s most prestigious shoots. He then stepped away from keepering to start his own fieldsports-focused business, Sykes Media, with his wife Charlie.

Tom continues to conduct regular vermin control, primarily corvid shooting. He has always had a keen interest in wildfowling, which started when a young Shot and flourished into a passion. He is a big advocate for eating game and conducting conservation work, believing this is key to the longevity of shooting.

General qualifications

Tom is a qualified gamekeeper and holds a range of countryside qualifications, including deerstalking and countryside management certificates. He is also a qualified shotgun coach and loader.

Tom is a regular contributor to Sporting Gun after writing his first article at the age of 15. He is now in his thirties. Over the years, he has written for Shooting Times, BASC Magazine, Scottish Fieldsports and Gundog Journal. Tom’s photography has featured nationally and internationally in a range of shooting media.