BIG TRACK HUNTING CLUB RULES 2018-2019 756 Cook Road Geneva, GA 31810 Camp Telephone 706-269-2498 Game Warden: Ranger 1 st Class Jeremy Bolen Wildlife Resources Division Region IV Law Enforcement 2618 Shurling Dr. Macon, GA 31211 (478) 751-6416 (478) 751-6415 1. Georgia game laws will be obeyed; any violation is grounds for revocation of club membership. 2. Camping is allowed only in the main camp area - no women are allowed in the clubhouse when other members are present, unless all members present agree - Smoking is not allowed in the clubhouse at any time. 3. The member's immediate family shall be allowed to use the club facilities and hunt, if they qualify as an IRS dependent, and they accompany the member on the property. Additionally, a 16 year old or younger relative of the member who does not qualify as a dependent may use the club facilities and hunt, as long as he/she accompanies the member on the property. A member is allowed to bring no more than one such non-dependent relative to hunt at a time. Dependents/Relatives under the age of 16 must complete a Georgia Hunter Safety course and a copy of the certificate must be on file at Big Track, before the dependent or relative is allowed to hunt - any rule infraction by a family member or relative will be charged to the member. 4. First year members shall display a club sticker on the front or rear bumpers.
5. Each member must sign a hold harmless form before hunting. 6. Each membership shall be allowed a maximum of four (4) personal stands in the woods. No one is allowed to hunt these stands except with permission from the stand owner. The location of the stands must be marked on the club map with a tack. When the stand is removed from the woods the tack must be removed from the map. Personal stands shall be of the "portable" type and only removable /screw-in steps may be used. Please exercise common courtesy in placing your personal stand within close proximity to an existing personal stand. NO NAILS IN TREES ON PERSONAL STANDS!! An additional four (4) personal stands shall be allowed for the purchase of a Guest/Corporate Membership. No member, through the purchase of Corporate Memberships, will be allowed more than 4 additional personal stands. That is, no more than 4 for regular membership and 4 for corporate memberships (8 total). 7. A. Club stands are available on a first come, first serve basis. Your hunting location must be marked on the club map prior to hunting with one of two Map Pins: BLUE for morning, RED for evening. Do not put more than 2 pins on the map at any one time and then only for the next AM & PM hunts. Once your pin has designated your selection, there is no changing it. You are now committed and must hunt that stand. B. AM hunters are ENCOURAGED to remain on their stand until at least 10:00 a.m. C. With the Exception described in rule 9(A) below, scouting is allowed between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Any areas scouted must be outlined with WHITE pins on the map 2
and the white pins should remain on the map until after the evening hunt. D. Except as described in 9(A) below, still-hunting is allowed between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., but only in those areas not designated by another Member with a Red evening pin for hunting that day. Please check the map closely. E. Except during Bow season, no personal stand may be newly placed within 100 yards of an existing club stand. F. If a new club stand is erected within 100 yards of an existing personal stand, then Rule 7(E) above does not apply to that member s personal stand, so long as that personal stand remains in place. Once removed, Rule 7(E) is applicable to all members for this club stand. G. Hunting over bait is not allowed during deer season. Baiting is defined as any food source, mineral lick or food attractant placed by the hunter. H. Club fall attractant program: No hunting or new stand placement is allowed within 100 yards of attractant or feeders placed by the Club. You are not required to move personal stands already within the 100 yard boundary. 8. A. There will be no small game hunting during deer season. Effective December 1 st, duck hunting will be allowed, but duck hunters must stay at least 500 yards away from any deer hunter tacked in on a stand. (Deer hunters have priority over duck hunters). B. There is no Dove hunting allowed anywhere on the property by anyone other than the Landowners and their guests, at any time. 3
9. Limited Access to Property A. Beginning the first day of November and continuing through November 30 th, there will be no scouting or still-hunting on the property. During this period, the only reason to be in the woods is to stand hunt or trail a wounded deer. During this period, except driving to/from the hunt, all vehicular traffic is limited to public roads. B During the deer hunting season, all motorized vehicles (including electric powered) are prohibited from use on roads designated as No Vehicle. However, such a vehicle may be used to retrieve a deer, or in the case of emergency. Exceptions for medical reasons are granted by the Board of Directors on a case-by-case basis. 10. Kill Rules A. Each membership is limited to two legally killed bucks/year. Kills under the membership shall also include IRS dependant family members, non-dependant family members (Rule 3), and Daily guests (Rule 16). Antlerless kills are only limited by Georgia law, or until such time as the Board determines sufficient does have been harvested. B. The First Trophy Buck taken per membership must score at least 100 Boone & Crockett (BC) inches (gross/green score) and must meet the Talbot County minimum of at least 4 points on one side. The 100 Boone & Crocket minimum is waved on the Teal Road property. Members are strongly encouraged to only shoot a buck if it really is a trophy to you. C. The 2nd Trophy Buck taken per membership or individual 4
hunter (whether hunting on a Regular or Corporate membership) must meet the Talbot County minimum of 4 points on one side and score 120 BC inches (gross/green) or better. D. Fines/Penalties (1) 1st Trophy Kill Rule infraction - $500 Fine (2) 2nd Trophy Kill Rule infraction - $750 Fine (3) 3rd Trophy Kill Rule infraction - $1,000 Fine If the membership goes 24 full months without an infraction the record is cleared. (4) If a Member, IRS dependant family member, nondependant family member (Rule 3), or Daily guest (Rule 16) kills a spike buck thinking it is a doe and neither of the antlers measures 4 or more, the fine is $300, with no cumulative infraction charged as in D (1), (2), or (3) above. However, the member, IRS dependant family member, non-dependant family member, or Daily guest will still have to report this mistaken kill to the Talbot County Game Warden for whatever action he chooses to pursue. Additionally, if either of the antlers measures 4 or more then it qualifies as a Trophy Kill Rule infraction as in D (1), (2), or (3) above. (5) Button Bucks - There is a $100 Fine for the 1 st Button Buck killed under a membership, and $300 for each additional Button Buck killed under that membership. If that membership goes 12 full months without killing a Button Buck then the membership s record is cleared, and the fine reverts to $100. Button Bucks are not considered a Trophy violation. E. Severely Wounded, Piebald or Albino Deer - If a Member sees 5
an albino or piebald deer or a deer that appears to be so severely wounded that it is not likely to live through the winter, it is in the Club's best interest that the deer be killed. A member who kills such a deer is responsible for having the deer processed (if it can be processed) and all the meat from the deer will be donated to the club. This donation will satisfy the Membership's Meat requirement for the year (see Rule 11). If the Membership has already satisfied the Meat requirement, then Appropriate Credit for the following year will be given to the Member. The deer must still be a legal kill under Georgia Law and will count toward the total deer limit per Georgia license holder, but is not subject to additional Big Track "Trophy Kill Rules" criteria. Two or more board members must verify the appropriateness of wounded deer "Mercy Killings". F. Fines for all kill rule infractions are due IMMEDIATELY and hunting rights are suspended until payment is made. If a member hunts prior to payment, $100 will be added to the fine for each hunt taken until the fine is paid; each time you tack in is considered a hunt. 11. One ham (hindquarters) and one loin (tenderloin/back strap) from the first two deer killed per membership must be donated to the club. If the deer is processed off site, it is the member's responsibility to return the meat to the club properly marked. Each part and the member's name should be clearly marked on the freezer wrap. The donation should be confirmed and so noted in the harvest records by a Board member. The member may elect to pay $50 in lieu of donating meat, and that should also be noted in the harvest records. Any member unable to account for their donation is subject to a $50 fine for deer not accounted for. 12. Each member must annually attend and actively participate in the following work weekends: 6
1. One Club Maintenance weekend, and 2. One Planting weekend or Supplemental Feed weekend. The Club Maintenance work weekend commences at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning and concludes at noon on Sunday. If a member is late or otherwise unable to begin work at 7:00 a.m., a fine will be assessed at the BOD s discretion. The BOD will designate two work weekends per year and members may choose which they will attend. A member missing his assigned club maintenance work weekend will be assessed a $200 fine if a regular member or $250 if a first year member. For Supplemental Feed Weekends, members will be allowed to sign up for a particular feeder-filling weekend on a first come, first served basis. A group of 2-3 members will be assigned to each filling weekend. If a member is unable to attend his designated weekend or otherwise cannot meet his obligation, the other group members may cover for the absent member as long as all feeders are filled. However, if the group fails to meet its obligation then each group member will be fined $100.00. It is the group s responsibility to make sure the assigned duties are completed. Members who are asked by the BOD to assist during the Planting Weekend and perform the requested duties are not required to participate in a Supplemental Feed Weekend. Each member's work weekends are listed on the calendar link located on the home page of the Club's web site. All work weekend fines are payable before hunting. Working only part of required 2 work weekends will result in a fine as determined by the Board. 13. Camp Duties: 7
A. All members and guests entering the property must sign in and out in the log book. B. All hunters must complete a Sighting Report after each day's hunt (even if the hunter saw no deer). C. Hunters using Club Stands must mark the Stand History Book after each hunt. D. Any deer killed must be brought to camp to be weighed. The jawbone should be pulled and appropriate measurements and statistics recorded in the Harvest Record. Any jaw bone being removed by processor or taxidermist; carcass must be wire tagged and marked Big Track, remove jaw bone and hold, members name & phone number. It is the members responsibility to ensure the jaw bone is returned to the club, properly marked, and placed in basket located in skinning shed. Failure to do so will result in a $50.00 fine. E. When using the cleaning shed to process a deer, the remains must be discarded at the designated site and the cleaning shed equipment and area must be cleaned before the next hunt. F. No trash shall be discarded anywhere on the property. I. It is the member's duty to see that his, his dependent s and his guest's bunk areas are clean prior to signing out. Personal gear and bedrolls must be stored in an orderly fashion. H. Occasionally, cleanup crews will be appointed, and each member must complete his assignment before signing out. 14. Membership is renewed via invitation sent to members by the 8
Board of Directors. Any member not receiving an invitation will receive notice with sufficient time to remove all belongings from the property prior to March 1 st. A. All prospective members must complete an on-line application. If application is accepted by Board of Directors, an invitation to view the property will be extended. Once property tour is completed, the potential member must make a $400.00 deposit to hold membership. The $400.00 deposit will be credited toward the dues and he then has ten days from notification of acceptance to catch up with the payment schedule. No prospect will be accepted until he is approved by the Board of Directors. If rejected, the $400 will be returned to the applicant within 15 days of rejection. 15. Annual Dues/Fees: Full membership - $1,615 per year. This includes access to the property and clubhouse year round and full hunting privileges. The Club provides food for breakfast and supper during deer and turkey seasons. However, preparation of the food is the responsibility of the member. All Checks should be made out to: Big Track Hunting Club and mailed to Bob Tiller 1461 Montclair Ct. SE, Smyrna, Ga. 30080. The Membership period runs from February 1 st January 31 st. **Dues payments must be received or postmarked by the dates listed below or payment will be considered late and a $50 late fee will be assessed. Dues payment schedule: February 1 st May 1 st June 1 st July 15th $400 $405 $405 $405 A. Guest/Corporate Membership - $1,000 per year - paid by a member and allows him to have one guest at a time (or one 9
dependent choosing to hunt on the Guest/Corporate membership) at any time during the year except November 1 through November 14. (1) The kill/game limit rules shall apply to the guests (or dependent(s) choosing to hunt on the Guest/Corporate membership) collectively, as though the same hunter killed all game. Fines apply in the same manner and are the member's responsibility. Time to Clear the membership record per Rule 10. D (1), (2), (3) and (5) also apply to Guest/Corporate memberships. (2) The member must be present on the property when the guest hunts. (3) Under the Guest/Corporate membership, there are no additional work weekend duties, no requirement to donate venison per rule 11 and no additional payments for assessments (should they be required). (4) When a member purchases a Guest/Corporate membership and a non-dependent guest kills a buck it counts as one of the Guest/Corporate membership s bucks, either 1 st or 2 nd depending on whether or not a previous buck has been charged to the Guest/Corporate membership already. If, however, a buck is killed by a member s dependent, then the member must immediately declare if the buck counts as a buck on the member s Regular membership or on the member s Guest/Corporate membership. The named member may not personally kill deer to be counted against that member s Guest/Corporate membership. Put more simply, Guest/Corporate memberships may be used for dependent s or guest s kills but not regular member kills. 10
If a member s dependant has killed a buck, then his 2 nd buck shall score a minimum of 120 B&C as per rule 10C above, regardless of whether the kill is declared to be under the regular or Corporate membership. In other words, the dependant can t kill a buck under the corporate membership, and then kill a 2 nd buck and declare it under the regular membership, and take advantage of the first buck rule a 2 nd time. C. If payment is more than 30 days late the member may be dropped from the Club. No dues which have been paid will be refunded for any reason. D. Fees for Reserving space: (1) Lower Bunks - $130 (2) Upper Bunks - $60 (3) Camper - $300 (4) Pole Barn Slot - $150 (5) Apartment - $10 per night during Deer and Turkey Season - by reservation up to 2 weeks in advance. Female hunters/guests shall have priority over male hunters in reserving the apartment, meaning a male member or guest may reserve, but may get bumped if a female guest needs it. (Contact Bob Tiller to reserve the apartment or to be placed on a bunk/camper space waiting list, if necessary) (5) Bunk and Camper space currently reserved is held for renewal until January 31 st of the following year. After that, it is available first come, first served. Please contact Bob Tiller, who will be maintaining a waiting list for bunks and camper spaces. 11
E. Assessments - should the Club be unable to meet all operating expenses, it may require an assessment. The amount and due dates will be given with as much notice as possible. Should the Club be successful in collecting additional funds later in the year, the Club may refund a portion of the assessment. 16. Daily Guest Policy - Deer Season A. A member without a Guest/Corporate membership is allowed to bring a guest during deer season except: (1) Opening weekend of the gun season, and (2) The period beginning November 1 st and extending through the Sunday before Thanksgiving. B. A member is allowed one guest at a time and shall be present on the property when the guest hunts. C. All rule violations of the guest are the responsibility of the member. D. Guests are not required to make meat donations. E. Daily guest fees: $125.00 per day. F. Trophy Fees for Bucks taken by Guests: (1) Up to and including 120 B & C - $350 * (2) 120 1/8 B & C and up - $500 * *1/2 of this fee may be credited toward the next year's membership should the guest join the club. 17. Daily Guest Policy - Turkey Season 12
A. One guest at a time B. $100 per day, plus C. $100 per Gobbler or Jake harvested. 18. Daily Guest Policy - Small Game A. Multiple guests allowed, if all hunt together. B. $10 per day per guest for ducks C. No daily guest fees for other small game. D. Dogs allowed during the appropriate season where legal. 19. Personal Food Plots. A member is allowed to prepare a Personal Food Plot (PFP). This does not create a reserved area for the member; however, other members are expected to show courtesy when selecting their hunting locations. Effective as of 3/15/2008, no PFP may be constructed within 100 yards of a Club Food Plot (CFP). Any PFP existing as of 3/15/08 within 100 yards of a CFP is allowed to be maintained. However, said PFP must be planted each year and failure to do so will result in the loss of that PFP. 20. Should a membership be terminated by the Board of Directors, that member is banned from visiting the Club Property in the future. 21. Should a need develop to make changes in order to preserve the Club's principles or improve the membership's enjoyment of the Club, the Board may, at any time, add, delete or modify a rule. 13