Instructions for the Hunt Test Chair

(HTS= Hunt Test Secretary, HTC= Hunt Test Chair, HTM= Hunt Test Manager, HT= Hunt Test, HTMS Hunt Test Management System) Introduction: Thank you for considering becoming a HTC. Your service to the APLA is greatly appreciated. By accepting this position you are assuming considerable responsibility that many handlers, owners and professional trainers will count on and equally appreciate. Your test will be just one of others and many participants are making plans to attend as many as possible in their geographic area. Your test is very important! Once your test is approved and advertised everyone is counting on your test being held. Cancelations cause rippling effects and are not in keeping with the APLA’s high standards. So thank you for your interest in serving and please be sure to take these valued responsibilities to heart. Please be sure that you will have the time to commit to this assignment. To assist you a member of the APLA Hunt Test Committee will be assigned to you as a liaison. This mentor will guide you through the process and will do all they can to insure your success.

As HTC you are responsible for ensuring that the HT is profitable. Your HTC Mentor is prepared to assist you. It is important that you secure estimated Judges expenses well in advance of the test. If Judges will be flying to your location, airfares booked months in advance are often mush less expensive than last minute options.

Months before the test: . Call Approved Judges and get commitments to the HT. The HT will be listed as “Pending” until ALL judges are secured. The securing of Judges is competitive as we have only a limited number of judges available. The Judges Commission Chair is authorized to provide you with a complete list with contact information for all judges available and will upon request also assist you in locating judges. It is the sole responsibility of the HTC to secure the Judges. Be aware that if your test is over subscribed to you may need extra judges and it would be wise to have some judges in the wings in case this occurs. . The HTC will work closely with the HTS to assure that the HT application is accurate, complete and timely. The HT application is to be sent to the APLA Hunt Test Board Committee Chair by the deadline provided. Hint: If the grounds have been used before for a HT many items necessary for completing the application may have already been gathered and just need to be reviewed. Contact the previous HTS for details. These could be items like: directions, motels, restaurants, GPS coordinates, and more. Though the responsibilities of the HTS and HTC are different, often it is important that there be overlap in duties assumed. Please discuss this with your HTS so there is no confusion on what duties you will be responsible for. . Locate grounds to host the HT. Use the attached document “Ground Requirements for Hosting an APLA Hunt Test”. If using public or private grounds be sure to check state regulations and apply for any permits needed. . Line up your HT helpers. If you need to source some local groups, check with Boy Scout troops, 4H Clubs, FFA Clubs, and/or other HT organizations. Talk to your liaison about the amount of help you need and compensation amounts to these groups. This section completed ( Date ______)

Two weeks before the test: ▪The HTC shall contact the HTM (Sandy Abernathy) to discuss what their role will be using the Online HT registration system. The HTM will provide training in all areas necessary and provide appropriate sign in information. You will have an opportunity to try out the Hunt Test Management System (HTMS) and a Mock Test so you can get familiar with it. Be sure to make sure you are proficient in all aspects well before the test. ▪Get your materials in order. You will be compensated for all materials purchased. . The Chair of the APLA Hunt Test Committee will assign a member of that committee to you as a liaison. Contact your liaison. . Confirm arrival times of ALL judges the day before for setup. 12:00 to 2:00 is a good guideline for arrival times. Inquire about any special requests (be picked up from airport, need camp chair, food allergies, need setup dog or bringing one, etc.) . Communicate with the liaison about APLA HT equipment. What is available, where is it coming from, who is bringing it. Take note of what is happening with the equipment after the test also. Look at attached checklist to make sure you have everything available if not using APLA equipment or something is not available. . CONFIRM YOU HAVE ALL THE BIRDS YOU ORDERED (Ducks, pheasants, and chukar). Know what method of dispatching the ducks are you using. . CONFIRM YOU HAVE YOUR HELPERS. (Historically, this has been a weakness at our tests, and it will hurt the quality of the test)

This section completed ( Date ______)

The Friday after the deadline date ▪Look at your HT entries for each stake and make sure you have enough judges, birds, equipment, helpers, and grounds to run a quality test. ▪Your HTS has an important deadline on this day to email the APLA Secretary with your final ribbon count. Missing this deadline may mean that ribbons won’t reach the test in time. Check with your HTS ensuring the deadline has been met.

Friday before the test . Prepare the location for the Handler/Judges seminar. . Plan on being the first one there and the last one to leave on each day . Look over your grounds one more time, work with the judges on selecting the areas that are available for the test. At the request of the judges have available equipment, set-up dog, and helpers. . At the end of set-up, find out what equipment is needed, number of helpers required, and what time the judges are arriving in the morning at the HT headquarters. . Write down what helpers are going to which stake, let the judges and the helpers know. . Communicate with duck dispatchers what time meeting in the morning.

This section completed ( Date ______)

. Test Day ▪There are generally NO Walk-ups allowed. The exception is when the (HTC only) has received a request by a member who for extenuating circumstances only was unable to register online Walk-up requests must be in person at the test- no requests shall be honored that are made in advance of the test date. Walk-ups by their nature cause extra work for the HTC, HTS, HTM and the Secretary and for that reason will require an additional handling fee of $25 per dog. This fee shall be collected along with the registration fee, proof of membership, application, and dog registration proof, before the dog is allowed to run. ▪No handler is allowed to run a dog without assurance that all fees have been paid and all appropriate documentation has been received by the APLA. ▪APLA INSURANCE REQUIREMENT is that all entrants and observers sign an insurance liability release. 100% compliance to this rule is mandatory, no exceptions.

. All signs need to be out first thing in the morning, before any personnel will be arriving. Each stake should have directions from HQ and signs from outlying areas to HQ need to be provided. If you do not have access to APLA signs contact the Hunt Test Committee chair for permission to have them printed or maybe he can help you locate signs to be transported to your location . Be the first one there. This is a critical time for you to be present, most tests need to start as early as possible. . Assign personnel to dispatch the ducks and divide them for each stake . Organize the equipment into the individual stakes so helpers and judges can get the proper equipment and amount of dispatched ducks. . Organize your help, don’t try to do everything. People are looking for someone to direct them. . When the judges arrive assign them their workers, connect them with equipment ▪Have a plan with your judges about lunches. In some cases, the lunches will need to be brought to the field for the judges and helpers. . Special care needs to be taken to ensure the proper health of all live birds. All dead birds are to be bagged or hung on dryers. This section completed ( Date ______)

The day after the test

. Your HTS still has work to do! Be sure to assist, so that all required steps are completed by the Tuesday morning deadline. This section completed ( Date ______)

Do you have suggestions that will allow this document to be even better Please send your suggestions to the Chair of the Hunt Test Committee Congratulations you did it! All the participants thank you for your hard work!

1/2014 Schmiedeshoff