Certification Program Objectives

Transcription

1 Certificatin Prgram Objectives The bjectives f the HCA hunting certificatin prcess are t: Prmte Harrier hunting in the United States Encurage the preservatin f wrking instincts, abilities, and functinal cnfrmatin in all Harriers Recgnize Harriers demnstrating cmpetence hunting suitable quarry under natural cnditins Certificatin The HCA awards three hunting titles. These titles include, Entered t Hare (EH), Entered t Fx (EF), r Entered t Rabbit (ER). All Harriers meeting the criteria fr certificatin will be awarded an HCA Hunting Certificate suitable fr framing. Upn receiving a hunting certificate, a picture f the Harrier in a natural hunting setting will be published (cmplementary) and the certificatin annunced in the HCA newsletter. This is an HCA title fr members nly. The American Kennel Club des nt recgnize HCA titles. An hnrary hunting title f Entered in Pack (EP) may be given t Harriers that have been imprted frm ne f the hunting packs in the UK, Australia, r New Zealand if they have cmpleted at least ne full seasn f hunting with their pack prir t their exprtatin t the US. The purpse f this hnrary title is slely t allw the imprts t cmpete in the Hunting Class at the Harrier Natinal Specialty. An HCA Hunting Certificate will nt be awarded fr this hnrary title, hwever, a letter stating the hund qualifies fr the hnrary title will be issued. Owners f imprts that wish t enter the hund in the Hunting Class at the Natinal Specialty must prvide basic prf that the hund has met this requirement by prviding the HCA Secretary with the hund's date f birth and the actual date the hund arrived in the US, prir t the clsing date f the Specialty shw. Hunting Certificatin Criteria During a hunting certificatin test, a Harrier must demnstrate its ability t hunt suitable quarry (hare, fx, r rabbit) under natural cnditins. Each criterin must be demnstrated t the satisfactin f the attendant judge, in rder fr the HCA t issue a hunting certificate. Criteria are: Exhibit ability t cast fr scent and seek quarry, Demnstrate the ability t mark fresh scent r live quarry with vice, Pursue quarry with drive and determinatin demnstrating instinct and wrking ability. Quarry viewed and recrded as hare, fx, r rabbit by the attendant judge, and Harrier and handler wrk tgether cperatively t demnstrate hund s tractability and cntrl in the hunt field A Harrier will be handled in the hunting certificatin by the registered wner. Additinal persns including the judge may assist in keeping hunds away frm rads and hazards r frm riting after deer, cytes r ther unintended animals. Owners unable t perfrm hunt field demands may apply fr a hardship allwance. Hardship applicatins requesting a substitute handler shuld be directed t the HCA Secretary.

2 Criteria Definitin 1) "Exhibit ability t cast fr scent and seek quarry." Hund shuld shw eagerness and activity. Hunds that simply fllw the handler are unacceptable. A hund shuld recgnize prmising cver and wrk t explre attentively regardless f hazards r discmfrt. It is nt necessary that quarry be lcated by scent. Game may be jumped frm cver r the hund may be directed r cast t a spt where the quarry was viewed. N maximum time limit applies, hunds shuld wrk until game is fund. 2) "Demnstrate the ability t mark fresh scent r live quarry with vice." Fr an "entered" hunting certificatin, any use f vice is acceptable s lng as the hund is nt silent and des nt speak falsely. The intent is t prclaim a find t the huntsman and the rest f the pack, but nt t require a Harrier t speak cnstantly when running a line. 3) "Pursue quarry with drive and determinatin demnstrating instinct and hunting ability" Once a fresh track is lcated, r quarry jumped, it shuld be pursued diligently. Game must be pursued nt merely fllwed, and actins shuld indicate a determined effrt t reach the quarry. The speed f the chase is subject t terrain and scenting cnditins. It is nt necessary t catch the quarry and there is n minimum time r distance required. 4) "Quarry viewed and recrded as hare, fx, r rabbit by the attendant judge." Quarry must actually be seen and identified. 5) "Harrier and handler wrk tgether cperatively t demnstrate hund s tractability and cntrl in the hunt field." Hunds must be under cntrl and respnd t handler s cmmands. They shuld be able t wrk a reasnable distance away frm the handler. Nvice hunds that require a few minutes t get under cntrl are acceptable. In a pack, hunds cannt demnstrate any frm f aggressin while wrking. Certificatin will be disallwed, if in the view f the judge the aggressin limits the hund's ability t wrk in a pack. Judges Requirements Individuals with a wrking knwledge f scent hund hunting must witness the certificatin prcess. These individuals are referred t as "hunting judges". Persns wh meet the fllwing criteria are authrized t judge the HCA hunting certificatin. Apprved AKC r ARHA (American Rabbit Hund Assciatin) scent hund field trial judges, r Master, Huntsman r Whipper-in fr a frmal registered hund pack. A judge may nt certify a hund if they r any member f his immediate family r husehld has wned, sld, held under lease, barded, trained, r handled the hund within ne year prir t the date f the certificatin. A judge may nt certify a hund they have bred. HCA members in gd standing, wh are able t demnstrate they have a wrking knwledge and understanding f traditinal Harrier hunting and the qualities required in a wrking pack hund may apply t the HCA fr permissin t judge. A letter and persnal vitae stating the member s qualificatins may be sent t the HCA Secretary fr review and apprval by the Bard f Directrs.

3 Eligibility Any Harrier registered with the American Kennel Club whse wner is a member f the HCA is eligible t apply fr certificatin as a hunting Harrier. Certificatin Prcess Applicatins fr hunting certificatin shall be cmpleted using the attached frm and submitted t the HCA Secretary. A picture f the hund (suitable fr publishing) in a natural hunting situatin must accmpany the certificatin frm. The hund must be ff-lead and the picture shuld nt include peple in the publishable area. The Secretary shall review the applicatin against the fllwing criteria fr acceptance: Applicatin is submitted by an HCA member, Harrier is registered with AKC Frm has been accurately cmpleted and signed by attendant judge Verify judges qualificatins against HCA requirements The Secretary shall cmplete a review within 14 days f receipt and issue a determinatin f either "acceptable" r "insufficient" fr each applicatin. The Secretary will frward accepted applicatins t the HCA Bard f Directrs fr certificatin within 14 days f receipt. The HCA Bard f Directrs has 30 days t review and either accept r reject the applicatin. A majrity f the Bard f Directrs must apprve the applicatin in rder fr a Harrier t achieve hunting certificatin. Rejected applicatins will be returned t the applicant within 45 days f receipt by the HCA. Rejected applicatins will nte specific deficiencies and the justificatin fr rejectin. The applicant may appeal this prcess ne time. Appeals are directed t the Bard f Directrs thrugh the HCA Secretary. Applicatins determined "insufficient" will be returned t the applicant within 30 days f receipt by the HCA. A request fr additinal infrmatin r clarificatin will accmpany the returned applicatin. Additinal infrmatin r revised applicatins may be resubmitted t the HCA secretary. Hunting Certificates, suitable fr framing will be issued by the HCA and mailed t the applicant. The applicant is requested t submit a picture f the dg in a natural hunting situatin t be published in the next available HCA newsletter annuncing the dg s certificatin. Guidelines fr Judging Traditinal Harrier hunting is dne in large packs f ~30 hunds accmpanied thrugh pen cuntry by a prfessinal huntsman, whippers-in, and a large field f hunt fllwers. Suitability fr this riginal purpse shuld be kept in mind. Hwever, the handler and hund are nt required t cnfrm t traditinal standards s lng as they can demnstrate the Hunting Certificate Criteria. Harriers are a versatile scent hund suitable fr many wrking cnditins. The HCA Certificatin prcess is designed t accmmdate as many types f terrain, handling, and hunting appraches as pssible. Handlers may use any cmmands, signals r ther means t actively encurage and

4 direct the hunds. A hrn, whip, and extra handlers (whippers-in) are traditinal, but any methd is acceptable s lng as the hunds are nt abused in any way. Electrnic shck cllars are nt acceptable, but lcatin cllars may be used. Hunds may be wrked individually, r in a pack. Harriers in a pack must be psitively identified by numbers, clred cllars, r ther means acceptable t the judge. Hunds in a pack shuld wrk tgether, but judging criteria are the same as fr a single hund. Each hund must demnstrate all the criteria t receive certificatin. A Hunting Certificatin may be cnducted n ft, hrseback, r even frm a vehicle. Wild game in natural terrain is preferred. Fx r rabbit pens may be used, but shuld be large ( acres) and cnfrm t all lcal regulatins. Released animals must be turned lse at least ne day prir t hunting and in an area with sufficient cver. A Harrier that passes this "entered" level f certificatin shuld be ready t begin a hunting career and cntribute t a successful day f sprt. It is nt required t be a fully trained and seasned hunter. Guidelines fr Cntacting Judges Any member f the HCA may arrange t participate in a Hunting Certificatin. Prir apprval by the HCA is nt required. T ensure a successful test, the member shuld btain a cpy f the Hunting Certificatin Applicatin Frm and familiarize themselves with the hunting criteria and certificatin prcess. A cpy f the Hunting Certificatin Applicatin Frm may be btained frm the HCA Secretary r the HCA website. Questins r clarificatins n the hunting certificatin prcess may be directed t any member f the HCA hunting cmmittee. Members are respnsible fr btaining hunting licenses, fllwing lcal and state regulatins, and btaining landwner permissin prir t the test. Upn request, the HCA Hunting Cmmittee will assist members in identifying candidate judges fr their regin. The member is respnsible fr cntacting the candidate judge and ensuring they meet the HCA criteria fr hunting judges. The member and the judge shall mutually agree n a lcatin, date, and time fr the certificatin test. A lcatin familiar t the handler and hunds where game abunds is preferable. HCA members are encuraged t invite ther members and Harrier wners t participate. It is expected that all participants shuld cntribute twards payment f the expenses. Judge s cmpensatin shuld be discussed and agreed t by bth parties prir t the certificatin. As a guideline, cmpensatin shuld be prvided fr persnal expenses incurred as a result f the event. Allwable expenses cvered by the participating members include: fd, travel, ldging, kennel help during their absence, and ther reasnable expenses. Members shuld demnstrate utmst respect, curtesy, and hspitality t hunting judges at all times. A Hunting Certificatin Applicatin Frm and hunting criteria definitins shuld be prvided t the judge fr review prir t the certificatin. N limitatins r restrictins in cmmunicatin are impsed between the member and the judge during the test. Bth the judge and the member shuld view the hunting certificatin prcess as an educatinal pprtunity fr bth the member and the hund t imprve their hunting skills. IMPORTANT: The judge is an impartial party functining as the HCA s certifying fficial. Pressure r undue influence n the certifying fficial by any member f the HCA will result in a rejectin f the hund s applicatin fr a hunting certificate.

5 If in the judge s pinin, the hund satisfactrily met the hunting criteria, the applicatin is cmpleted and prvided t the member at the cmpletin f the test. The member is respnsible t frward the riginal applicatin and ne cpy t the HCA Secretary fr review and apprval.