Regulations and fees

Regulations and fees

HVCC REGULATIONS AND FEES

APPROVED BY THE DIRECTORS AND CURRENT AS OF JUNE 7, 2008

PREAMBLE

The purpose of the Hidden Valley Conservation Club is to provide its members with quality bird hunting experiences safely and at reasonable cost on private farm land on Vancouver Island.

Quality bird hunting experiences can only be consistently provided by a Club which emphasizes safety, hunting etiquette, good relations between its members and good and longstanding relations with its farmers.

The purpose of these regulations is to provide a set of rules governing the conduct of members, necessary if the Club’s purpose is to be achieved.

GENERAL

MEMBERS TO OBEY ALL CLUB REGULATIONS

A commitment by prospective members to obey all Club regulations is a requirement of membership.

A commitment to obey all Club regulations by members is a term of continued membership.

Non-compliance with any regulation is a breach of Club regulations.

FAILURE TO REPORT A BREACH IS A BREACH

When a member has witnessed a breach of Club regulations by another member or a guest he shall report the circumstances of the breach to the Field Captain at the completion of that day’s hunt and in any event not more that 24 hours after witnessing the breach.

CONSEQUENCES FOR BREACH OF CLUB REGULATIONS

The consequences for a breach of the regulations are to be determined by the Directors in their discretion and include, but are not limited to, immediate expulsion of the member from the Club with forfeiture of birds.  The club has in the past issued fines of up to $200 for a serious breach of club regulations.  If a fine is issued by the directors, the member may appeal the ruling, if the ruling is upheld the member will lose his/her membership until the fine is paid.

IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF MEMBERS

When circumstances of an alleged breach of the regulations are brought to the President’s attention and if in his discretion he considers those circumstances to involve safety issues or to otherwise adversely effect the good order and discipline of the Club, the President may immediately suspend the membership and hunting privileges of the member(s) in question and prohibit the member(s) from entering on to any Club farm.

If the President is unable to consider the circumstances of the alleged breach, the Vice-President may do so and issue such a suspension and prohibition, applying the same factors to his considerations as outlined in the previous paragraph.

Such a suspension shall be communicated to the member as soon as possible by the Field Captain or in his absence by a Director and remains in effect until such time as the Directors are able to consider the circumstances of the alleged breach and determine the appropriate consequences, if any.

ETIQUETTE

Members must demonstrate proper hunting etiquette at all times.

GENTLEMANLY CONDUCT EXPECTED

Members are expected to exhibit gentlemanly or gentlewomanly conduct at all times.  Disrespectful or abusive conduct towards other members, farmers, guests and other friends of the Club will not be tolerated.

SAFETY

Members must demonstrate a total commitment to safety at all times.

FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL REQUIREMENTS

It is the personal responsibility of members and their guests to be in compliance with all Federal and Provincial laws applicable to hunting.  These laws include but are not limited to the BC Wildlife Act and its regulations and the Federal Migratory Bird Act and its regulations. Non-compliance with any Federal/Provincial Act or Regulation shall be considered a breach of Club regulations.

FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL LICENSES AND PERMITS

Members and their guests when hunting on Club farms shall possess all Federal and Provincial licenses/permits required to hunt lawfully and to possess firearms lawfully.

HUNTMASTER

The Executive shall appoint a Director to serve as Huntmaster for the Club.

CONDUCT OF SHOOTS

The Huntmaster shall be in charge and have conduct of High Release Pheasant Shoots, Circle Shoots and Clean up Shoots and goose hunts.

Once a Shoot commences and until the Shoot is finished members, guests and dog handlers must immediately follow any direction from the Huntmaster.

The Huntmaster in his sole discretion may eject from the Shoot a member, guest or dog handler if he considers that the action or inaction of that person is jeopardizing safety or the orderly conduct of the shoot.  Any person so ejected must immediately leave the field.

Any complaints that arise during a Shoot are to be directed to the Field Captain after the Shoot.  No complaints are to be directed to the Huntmaster.

At the end of a Shoot the bag shall be shared between all registered guns.