Hunting Certificate (HC):

A hunting certificate is awarded only to dogs whose owners are AWTA members in good standing during the entire period of qualifying work. This certificate is issued to dogs regularly used for hunting above ground such quarry as groundhog, rabbits, squirrels, opossums, rats, raccoons, muskrats, mongoose, feral pigs or for flushing and/or retrieving upland birds and other quarry found acceptable by the trustees on review of an application submitted by a member for hunting above ground done to that quarry. Certificates will be awarded to either a specific quarry or multiple quarries. The game must be accounted for by the dog or taken using another legal hunting method. A dog must spend a full season hunting or at least 6 consecutive months depending on the quarry or quarries worked before a certificate is issued. A season is whatever time is allowed by state hunting regulations when the species is controlled by state game laws or 6 months from the first qualifying hunt if the species is not controlled by game laws. When a combination of quarry (controlled and not controlled) is hunted to qualify for a HC, the time allowed is 6 months from the first qualifying hunt (controlled and/or not controlled). An AWTA member or combination of members must have witnessed the dog hunting on at least six occasions and attest that it is used regularly for hunting.

An HC application which includes a written, detailed report describing your dachshund’s or terrier’s hunting experience, bearing the signatures of the owner(s) who hunted the dog and at least one or more witnesses who can attest to at least 6 hunting occasions and to the fact that the dog is used regularly for hunting above ground. The application must be sent within one year of the end of the hunting season or the end of the 6 month qualifying period which ever applies along with a five dollar ($5.00) filing fee (additional $5 for an award flask if wanted) to the Hunting and Working Certificate Secretary. The H&WC Secretary will send a copy of the report to each of the Trustees for their review and approval. A unanimous approval is required to award the Hunting Certificate. Reason(s) for disapproval will be sent to the person requesting the evaluation. When more than one person owns a dog, the only name(s) that will appear on the hunting certificate are those of the owner(s) who actually hunted with the dog.