Bowhunter Certification and Referral Service

Overview

Bowhunter Certification and Referral Service (BCRS) is a FREE service to communities provided by the NCBA.

The NCBA-BCRS program was approved by the NCBA Executive Council on April 2, 2005. The BCRS program was patterned after programs from other states that have been successfully operating for a decade or more. The primary goal of the BCRS program is to provide a free service to the public by offering certified bowhunters to assist with deer management programs. After seven plus years of operation, more and more people are becoming acquainted with the NCBA-BCRS program. The professionalism of the BCRS program and its members speak for itself. We have provided services for private gated communities, private individuals and other private corporations and organizations. BCRS volunteer bowhunters are available on a year-around basis. We operate under NC WRC DMAP programs, depredation permits, and also when the regular deer season is open. Each contract, or agreement is tailor-made to suit the clients specific needs. BCRS also has its own set of guidelines that apply to BCRS members at all times.

BCRS Member Solicited Hunts
 

There has been some confusion surrounding how BCRS hunts are established, how BCRS members are informed of the hunts, and who may participate in the hunts.  The purpose of this message is to explain how the BCRS program works regarding hunt opportunities.

As the BCRS program has matured, the way new hunting opportunities have come to us is two-fold.  The first way (class 1) is that landowners approach the BCRS management team with an opportunity.  The second way (class 2) is that a BCRS member solicits a property owner and obtains a BCRS agreement.  To state it formally:

(Class 1)- BCRS hunts are generated by referrals directly to BCRS management by any source other than a BCRS member.
 
(Class 2)- BCRS hunts are generated by BCRS members who solicit a landowner to place a property into the BCRS program.

Class 2 hunts are nothing new to the BCRS program. We have just not placed much emphasis on this type of hunt until now.  Here are the rules that will guide how these 2 types of hunts will be handled by the BCRS program:

General Rules:
1. All Hunters who wish to participate in a BCRS hunt are required to join the NCBA and the BCRS program to assure that our insurance will be in effect.
2. All hunters must comply with BCRS rules and guidelines and all conditions set by the landowner.
3.  The hunt coordinator will determine who can participate in the hunt.

Class 1 Hunts: 
1. BCRS Management will determine who will serve as the hunt coordinator for the hunt.
2. BCRS hunts will be advertised yearly to all active BCRS members, if hunter vacancies exist.

Class 2 Hunts:
1.  The BCRS member who solicits the property into the BCRS program, will be named as the hunt coordinator for that hunt. He will be in charge of coordinating the hunt and choosing who will be allowed to hunt it.
2.  The hunt coordinator must submit a signed BCRS Agreement to the BCRS Chairman.  This agreement is kept confidential, but must be kept on file for insurance purposes. 
3.  The BCRS program will advertise for hunters only at the request of the hunt coordinator.  The landowner's identity will not be disclosed.
 
In general, it would benefit the landowner, hunt coordinator and the BCRS program to have all hunters turn in the "BCRS Observation-Harvest Report" at the end of each season so we and the hunt coordinator can evaluate the success and effectiveness of the program, and know how much each hunter had participated in the hunt to help prepare for next year's hunt.

BCRS members should take advantage of the benefits the BCRS program offers to help them procure signed (Class 2) agreements with landowners. Look for more information via email, on our webpage and in our magazine that can assist in selling the BCRS program to landowners and hunters in NC. Color brochures are available from the BCRS Chairman upon request. We can also email these brochures and other info informational files to you upon request.

We want the BCRS program to grow and work to help solve deer management problems in North Carolina.  We are trying to market a Free service to the landowners in our state. We hope to continue growing the BCRS program, and add more members and landowners to help manage the deer herd and improve the image of bowhunters in North Carolina. With your help, we can accomplish this goal!


There is no other program in N.C. that offers so much to it's members, and to the public, as the NCBA-BCRS program offers.

NOTICE: There is now an annual deadline of July 1st for all BCRS members to be ACTIVE and eligible to register to participate in fall hunting agreements on Class 1 hunts.  All BCRS members must have ACTIVE status on July 1 and on July 1st every year thereafter, to be eligible to participate in fall hunts. All BCRS members must also maintain and keep ACTIVE their NCBA membership.  Effective Feb 12, 2013, the previous one year NCBA membership for new members to be eligible for the BCRS program has been replaced with a May 1st deadline.

|2.12.2012 |

Are you a BCRS member?

A BCRS client's defense of its benefits

There are those who would wish to debate the motives of a hunter. However, a non-hunter, BCRS client shares with Bill Howard, past BCRS Chairman, a very thought provoking letter to his community about the benefits of a deer management program, like BCRS, to the community in a way that even environmentalists would find hard to ignore.

To read the letter for yourself, Click Here!

| 2.15.2012 |

BCRS Contact Information

Send ALL BCRS correspondence to the BCRS Chairman.

BCRS Program Committee

BCRS Chairman: Todd Herndon

bcrs@ncbowhunter.com

343 Newnam Road

Stokesdale, NC 27357

BCRS Co-Chairman: Andy N. Smith

BCRS Committee Members: Jamie Brady, Tommy Kimball, John Thompson, Andy N. Smith, Wayne Smith, and Bud Blaylock

BCRS Forms

Download Required Forms

Download the BCRS Rules and Guidelines here.

Download the BCRS Application Information here.

Download the BCRS APT Certification Target here.

Download the BCRS Certification Requirements here.

Download the BCRS Land Form here.

Download the Disabled Sportsman Program Application here.

| 5.08.2012 |

BCRS

Insurance

The BCRS program provides the members of the NCBA, as well as the BCRS members, are currently covered under a $2 million dollar liability insurance policy. The annual $20 BCRS membership fee primarily goes to pay the premium for this aspect of the program.

BCRS members who have (themselves) obtained permission to bowhunt on specific private lands, will be provided with a insurance certificate with the landowners name cited on it, upon request.

Private lands that each individual member lists with the BCRS office are kept confidential in our files. No one other than that member has the right to bowhunt properties listed in each BCRS members' personal file.

All other properties that are covered under an official BCRS agreement will automatically cover all certified BCRS members. All certified members will have access to bowhunt properties that are covered under any/all BCRS agreements.

| 7.29.2009 |

BCRS Education

Required Certification

If you are missing some of the required education for BCRS members, take a look at our Education Links

BCRS History

Progress and timeline

October 19, 2002: Official proposal to the President and members of the NCBA Executive Committee at the next scheduled E.C. Meeting.

April 6, 2003: The (former) NCBA Records Chairman submitted the initial proposal to the NCBA Executive Committee for review.

September 14, 2003: Initial proposal presented to NCBA Executive Council members.

April 25, 2004: Discussed Final (Revised) proposal in preparation for implementation within next 6 months to a year. Committee asked to submit suggestions to revise proposal for final copy.

December 23, 2004: Final revisions made before proposal will be presented to Executive Council.

January 15, 2005: Presented proposal to E.C. Council. Members voted to accept the proposal, in principle. BCRS Committee members must review proposal. We will attempt to hold a meeting before next E.C. meeting in April, 2005 to finalize proposal for final approval.

March 1, 2005: Committee members should try to submit all comments, ideas, suggestions to chairman by this date.

March 13, 2005: Committee meeting set for this date at 2 p.m. was held and proposal finalized for presentation at E.C. meeting on April 2, 2005. All BCRS committee members attended along with NCBA President, Jimmy Carroll.

April 2, 2005: The NCBA E.C. officially adopted this program. It is now ACTIVE and the process of training Official Certifiers is the first order of business for the BCRS program. As soon as we can get this started, we can also begin certifying BCRS Members.

July 1, 2005: BCRS program officially is ACTIVE as of this date. Program has 40 Certifiers and 24 BCRS Members on the roster as of this date.

August 2006: Firsts NCBA-BCRS Agreements are completed and initial hunts planned for fall of 2006 in several locations across the state.

January 8, 2008: Jeff Morrison officially assumed the position of Chairman of the NCBA-BCRS program.

March 6, 2010: Bill Howard (Wilson, NC) applied and was appointed as Chairman of the NCBA-BCRS program, succeeding former chair..

December 15, 2011: Dennis McClure applied and was appointed as Chairman of the NCBA-BCRS program, succeeding Bill Howard.

| 8.6.2015 |