DCHA Bylaws

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DOUGLAS COUNTY HUNTING ASSOCIATION Bylaws

The Douglas County Hunting Association is established as a deer hunting club. Although some of our properties have populations of other species such as turkey and hogs, this is a bonus for those members who would like to hunt them. The majority of our members are deer hunters.

I consider myself a guest of the landowner. I will conduct myself in a manner so I may be welcomed back. I will obey the rules of safe hunting and will be courteous and firmly insist that others do the same. No member of the Douglas County Hunting Association is above the rules and/or the Bylaws of the club. The Board of Directors encourages all members to report violations through the chain of command beginning with officers, land managers, etc.

GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

  1. Members will follow the laws of the State of Georgia, the regulations of the Department of Natural Resources, DCHA Bylaws, and all rules and regulations set forth by the owners of the properties that are lease/referred through the rest of this document as club property.
  2. Visitors are not allowed to hunt on any club leases unless they are children that are not living with the member(s) and are of the age of 17 or younger.
  3. Target practice is not allowed on any club property. This applies to firearms and archery equally.
  4. Silencers and/or sound suppressors are not allowed on club property.
  5. Driving around any gate and joy riding ATV’s, side by side, or any other motorized vehicle is strictly forbidden.
  6. Motorized vehicles are only allowed in the woods during the hunting season to retrieve a harvest. During off season a motorized vehicle can be used for the placement and retrieval of stands, feeders, etc.

MEETINGS

  1. Meetings of the Board of Directors will be scheduled as necessary. But at a minimum, the Board will meet as needed.
  2. During the first quarter of the year prior to the officer’s meeting.
  3. During the second quarter of the year, to resolve issues or suggestions arising after the officers meeting.
  4. If needed, whenever the Board determines.
  5. A Meeting of the club’s officers will be held at least once a year. All current officers will be required to attend.
  6. Membership meetings will be held during each workday. Officers are required to attend the workday on the property that they are assigned to. New members and returning members are encouraged to attend these workday meetings.
  7. No side arms are allowed during meetings.

MEMEBERSHIP DUES, FEES, AND FINES

  1. Membership in the Douglas County Hunting Association includes the person who becomes the member, the member’s spouse, and children that are 17 years old or younger who are living at home.
  2. Once a child achieves the age of 18, a separate membership is required for that person.
  3. Regardless of when a member pays his/her dues, the term of that membership starts June 1st of the current year through May 31st of the following year.
  4. The returning membership dues is $500.00. Paid on an annual basis with checks payable to Douglas County Hunting Association and is due by April 30th of the current year.
  5. Any returning member who pays his/her dues after April 30th, will pay a fine of $100.00 on top of their dues of $500.00 making it a total of $600.00 due.
  • After May 31st, any member who has not paid his/her dues is dropped from the club. The nonpayment of dues will result in having permanent stands removed. If a non-paying member wants to rejoin the club, they are welcome to join the membership waiting list. Also because of not paying your dues by May 31st will result in having permanent stands removed from all properties.
  • Membership dues for new members will be $600.00.
  • A member who fails to attend an “Mandatory” Workday will be fined $200.00.
  • First Responders, Military, and other members whose work schedules/health concerns that conflict with the workdays must contact the Board of Directors A.S.A.P. for an exemption.
  • Fines must be paid before the member or the hunter’s family returns to the clubs’ properties.
  • Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the club.
  • Fines must be paid and cannot be worked off.

DEER, HOG, AND TURKEY HUNTING

  1. Club members are allowed to harvest a total of 5 deer per season from club properties as follows:
  2. Single memberships are allowed to harvest a total of 3 antlerless deer.
  3. Memberships are allowed to harvest one buck of at least a total of 3 points and a second buck that must be 4 points or more on one side as is required by Georgia DNR regulations.
  4. Family memberships are allowed to harvest a total of 8 deer as follows:
  5. Bucks – 3 per family per state regulations.
  6. Any adult who harvests a spike/first year deer will be fined $100.00. This does not apply to any child who harvest his or her very first deer ever which is a spike.
  7. Does – 4 per family.
  8. The club may decide to implement Quality Deer Management (QDM) restrictions on some properties. These restrictions will be noted on either the property’s pin-in board, Harvest Record, or both.
  9. The club may decide to further limit the total number of deer a member may harvest from a specific property.
  10. Members are not allowed to harvest more than 1 doe per hunt. That is to say that is a hunter sees two does together, he or she is only allowed to harvest one of the deer. Members are allowed to harvest 2 does in a single day only if 1 doe is harvested during a morning hunt and 1 doe during an afternoon/evening hunt.
  11. Violation of this rule will result in a member being fined $100.00 and/or dismissal from the club.
  12. Hunting at night, regardless of the species, is NOT permitted during deer and turkey season.
  13. Violations of this rule will result in immediate dismissal from the club!

BAITING

  1. Salt, bait, protein feed, mineral blocks etc. are permitted per Georgia DNR regulations.
  2. Each paying member is limited to a total of 2 feeders in the immediate vicinity of the hunter’s stand.
  3. All corn must be removed from club property within one month of the end of deer season and cannot be returned to feeders or feeding areas until after turkey season ends.
  4. Violation of this rule will result in immediate dismissal from the club.

FOOD PLOTS

  1. The club, when financially possible, will provide the seed and fertilizer needed to plant food plots on each tract of land.
  2. All club funded food plots are available to any member of the club and may not be claimed as a personal or private member food plot.
  3. Members are allowed, at their own expense, to create a food plot and may hunt directly over it.
  4. Private food plots must have prior approval of the land manager.
  5. Under no circumstance should any pines, whether seedlings or more mature, be destroyed or damaged when creating a food plot.
  6. Violation of this rule will result in immediate dismissal from the club.
  7. When a member who creates a food plot is not hunting in the immediate area of his/her food plot, any other club member is allowed to hunt that area as he/she is not in their stand. (Refer to the section on stands for any clarification).

Stands

  1. All permanent stands must be marked in the immediate vicinity of the physical stand and on the pin-in board. Members who hunt exclusively from portable stands or ground blinds may leave their stands in the woods as long as the vicinity is marked as one of the member’s permanent stands.
  2. Each member is allowed 2 permanent stands.
  3. A member may mark 2 stands on the same property or one stand on 2 different properties.
  4. Actively hunting spouses may make one additional permanent stand after providing the coordinator proof that the spouse is currently licensed to hunt in Georgia.
  5. No membership shall exceed a total of 3 permanent stands.
  6. All permanent stands must be marked at eye level with the member’s number and current year. Spousal stands will include the letter “S” after the member’s number.
  7. Permanent stands must be placed beyond 150 yards from another member’s permanent stand and must follow state and local regulations regarding property lines.
  8. Members may not hunt from another member’s permanent stand without written and dated permission from the permanent stand’s owner.
  9. If a permanent stand is not occupied on a specific day, a member may hunt the immediate area surrounding that stand using a portable stand or ground blind.
  10. If the owner of the permanent stand arrives to hunt his/her permanent stand, the member using the portable stand or ground blind is required to immediately leave that area.
  11. Stands may not be permanently nailed or bolted to any trees. Trees, especially pines, whether a seedling or more mature, damaged, removed, or destroyed when erecting a stand.
  12. Selective trimming of pine is permitted, however, removing or cutting any trees to create shooting lanes is not permitted.
  13. A portable stand or ground blind within 25 feet of a member’s permanent stand will be considered a single stand.
  14. Members who renew their membership must update the year on their permanent stand or markers by May 31st. Failure to mark their stand may result in the loss of the member’s permanent stand.
  15. Any Member leaving the club for any reason including not renewing their membership, being dismissed from the club, etc. must remove their stand(s), signs, markers and or ribbons within 30 days after the member’s last hunt.

PIN-IN BOARD/PROPERTY MAPS/HARVEST RECORDS

  1. Each tract of land has a Pin-in/Pin-out board for the safety of the members.
  2. Members are required to mark on the pin-in board, the vicinity of each permanent stand with a dot/magnet with the member’s number. Over time, members may need to refresh the marks on the board. These marked spots are to remain unless the member moves his/hers stand after the hunting season and before May 31st.
  3. Any markings in the woods are to be updated as well.
  4. Members and family members are required to pin-in prior to entering the woods to hunt and pin-out when returning from the hunt.
  5. Members should not pin-in the night before a hunt.
  6. Pins must have the member’s number.
  7. Members choosing not to hunt a permanent stand are still required to pin-in and pin-out. In this case (where possible) the member is required to place a pin with the member’s number in the area that he/she plans to hunt.
  8. All deer harvested on club property MUST (even before taking the deer to the processor) list the deer on the Harvest/Kill list for the specific property it was harvested on.
  9. Any member or family member not reporting a harvest will immediately be dismissed from the club and the entire member’s membership will be cancelled.

CAMPING

  1. The following properties have designated camping areas:
  2. Coweta County
  3. Haralson County
  4. Taliaferro County
  5. Whitesburg in Carroll County
  6. All camping must be done in these designated areas.
  7. Electrical hook-ups are available in Taliaferro County and Whitesburg for an annual cost – $75.00 for a single A.C. Unit or $100.00 for a double A.C. unit per site.
  8. Electricity will be turned on by Labor Day.
  9. Electricity will turn off 14 days after the end of deer season.
  10. Club officers may have reserve campsites with electrical hook-ups on the property he/she most often hunts.
  11. All other campsites are available on a first come first serve basis with campsite manager’s approval and paid electricity.
  12. Campers/tents should not be brought to club campground more than 14 days before the start of archery season.
  13. Individual campsites must be maintained in a clean and tidy manner and campers must be respectful of other campers. Members must take their trash with them after each stay.
  14. Campfires must be contained in a fire ring or burn barrel.
  15. Campfires must be completely extinguished before leaving the property.
  16. Upon returning from a hunt, each member or family must unload, and properly store all firearms.
  17. Members are not allowed to wear sidearms in camp. Violation of this rule will result in a 4100.00 fine or immediate dismissal from the club.
  18. All structures such a cook tents, etc. placed on club property are considered temporary and along with campers must be removed from the property within 14 days of the end of deer season.
  19. The Douglas County Hunting Association, Board Members, and Landowners are not responsible for any damage to or theft of any member’s property that has been left in a campsite.

Miscellaneous Rules

  1. Violations of these Bylaws may result in a disciplinary action brought forth by the Board of Directors which may be in the form of a reprimand, a fine, or dismissal from the club without any refund. In some cases, a violator may be blocked from rejoining the club.
  2. Violation od State game laws may result in referral to legal authorities.
  3. Small game hunting is not allowed during either deer or turkey season.
  4. Each property will have a single designated area where animal waste is to be disposed of.
  5. Members and Spousal Members must carry on his/her person, their photo ID, their club ID, (may be requested by an club officer) and their valid hunting license (may be requested by the game warden), whenever they are on club property.  The member must also display their club tag with the current year sticker affixed to it on the dashboard of their vehicle.
  6. All Members and their Family understand that they are hunting at their own risk. The Douglas County Hunting Association, Board of Directors, Officers, and landowner are not responsibility for any accidents, injury, or damages to a member or a member’s property.
  7. Each tract of land will have at least one workday/food plot planting day immediately before the start of deer season. Each member is required to attend at least one Mandatory workday per year and sign in with the coordinator. Again, members not attending a Mandatory workday will be fined $200.00
  8. Land Managers may at his/her discretion may organize additional voluntary workdays on specific tracts of land upon prior notification of the Board of directors. These workdays do not exempt a member from attending a Mandatory workday.
  9. Although the Georgia DNR and the Douglas County Hunting Association encourages hunters to kill coyotes, members must not under any circumstance kill a domestic dog (someone’s pet).
  10. Coyotes can be killed during deer season only if one is encountered during a deer hunt and may not be specifically hunted at night during deer season.
  11. Pre-season scouting ends Labor Day weekend. If you need to continue scouting after this date, please check the pin-in board and avoid another member’s designated areas.
  12. All members must remove any trash at their stand after every hunt.
  13. Deer drives are not permitted on any club property.
  14. Any member organizing or participating in a deer drive will be immediately removed from the club.
  15. Dues will only be refunded at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The club refunds dues because of health conditions, death, Military deployment, and moving out of the southeast area.
  16. No DCHA Member shall possess or consume alcoholic beverages while on the Coweta tract. Violation of this amendment will result in immediate dismissal from DCHA.

Amendments to Bylaws

  1. Amendments to the Bylaws will be voted on by the Board of Directors.
  2. Members may propose changes to the Bylaws by submitting them in writing to the members of the Board of directors at any time.
  3. The Board of Directors will determine the effective date of any changes to the Bylaws.
  4. Upon approval of any amendment the official Bylaws document will be updated and posted to the club’s website.