NCBA-Member Letters

The first order of business for the BCRS Program is getting "Certifiers" registered, approved and trained so they, in turn can administer the "BCRS-APT" (Accuracy and Proficiency Test) to NCBA members wanting to get "qualified" as "Certified BCRS Members" in the BCRS program. If you qualify to be a "BCRS Certifier", you can download the "Certifier" application from this website and mail it to the chairman. (Or, email me and I'll mail one to you.) Upon receipt of the "Certifier" application, you will be sent a package of "Member" applications and targets so you can begin administering the APT (Accuracy & Proficiency Test) to NCBA members. Certifiers are not required to have completed the IBEP or Hunter Safety Course, but must be NCBA members. They must get another "Certifier" to administer the APT test to them.

According to BCRS Certification Requirements (Article 7), the following guidelines apply to "who" can be an "Official BCRS Certifier."

Persons who will be qualified (eligible) to administer the BCRS qualification tests are NCBA Members who are:
a.     Any “present or past” NCBA E.C. or A.C. officer.
b.     NCBA official measurers.
c.     Officers/Designees of Local Chapter Clubs.
d.     NCBA-IBEP Instructors.
e.     NCBA members who operate public or private, indoor or outdoor ranges. (*These members must be certified by any ONE of the five options listed in “a, b, c, d, or e” above. A fee may NOT be charged to administer the BCRS-APT test. Nor shall BCRS applicants be required to patronize their establishment in any manner, form or fashion.) A simple backyard archery range that allows shooting from 15 and 20 yard distances is all that is required.

NOTE: All persons wanting to become a BCRS Certifier must complete the BCRS Certifier Application and submit it to the chairman. There is NO charge/cost to do this, but all "Certifiers" must be NCBA members.

SPECIAL NOTE: The requirement that "NCBA Certifiers" must send in copies of "IBEP and Hunter Safety" certificates has been deleted. "IBEP and Hunter Safety" courses are no longer required for NCBA members to become "BCRS Certifiers." These courses are still required for regular "BCRS Member Certification", however!

IF you, or your club wishes to get individuals approved as an official "BCRS Certifier," contact the Chairman, Jeff Morrison, HERE.

NEXT STEP... IF you want to become a "BCRS Member", you will need to take the BCRS-APT test and complete the "Member" application that you can get from a "Certifier", or from the BCRS Chairman.. OR.. you can download it from the website.. But, you will need an official "BCRS Target" to take the APT test. A copy of the target is on the website, but it may not print out in the required size for the test. The target must measure exactly 6 inches in outside diameter.

After taking the APT (Accuracy and Proficiency Test) and completing the BCRS "Member" application, you should mail it to the Chairman along with a check or money for $20 order made out to "NCBA-BCRS." You must also be a NCBA member. If not, you must also send a standard NCBA membership application along with (another) check or money order made out to "NCBA." These forms can also be downloaded from the website. To renew BCRS membership each year, the member need only submit the APT target along with the $20 renewal fee. The BCRS Application form is not required every year.

Upon receipt of the "Member" application, you will be mailed a "BCRS" ID card and a "Landowner Registration Form." You can also download a copy of this from this website. In order to be covered by the liability insurance that goes along with BCRS "Member" status, you must list every place you bowhunt that you want to be covered by the insurance policy on the form and return it to the BCRS chairman. This information is strictly confidential. A bare minimum of information is required to be filed with the BCRS office by the insurance company about each landowner. Should a claim be filed, the insurance company will contact the BCRS Chariman to verify that the landowner who is filing a claim was registered with the BCRS office before a claim will be honored. Individual agreements made between BCRS "Members" and private landowners, (primarily farmers or undeveloped lands) need NOT be approved or handled through the BCRS Committee.

BCRS "Members" are also eligible to participate in any "Landowner" bowhunting agreements that are established with the NCBA-BCRS program itself. Examples of these would be agreements with Local/State Governments/Municipalities, Private Corporations, Airport Authorities, Private "Gated" communities, Private Landowners, etc. Any and all "active" NCBA-BCRS Landowner agreements will be posted on this webpage. "Members" must express a desire to be included with each "BCRS Landowner Agreement" that may exist at any given time. Individual "Members" will be appointed to coordinate various "Agreements." Each one will most likely require individual, case by case attention in order to provide the results desired by the Landowner. BCRS "Member" Bowhunters will be assigned on a rotating basis using a random lottery system to insure fairness in the administration of any/all bowhunting agreements.

NCBA-BCRS Committee: Jeff Morrison, Chairman;
Ramon Bell; Don Moore; Matt Silvanic; Ken Penley; Mickey Strader; Cody Reed; JR Stone; John Napier, David Allen, Lin Webb.

Here's what "Mark Trail" has to say about deer overpopulations...
He must've been talking to some of our N.C. Wildlife Biologists!... Believe it.

NCBA-BCRS was formed by the North Carolina Bowhunters Association (NCBA) to help landowners, communities, and local governments in need of a deer reduction program deal with whitetail deer overpopulation problems in a safe, natural, humane manner. The program also is designed to assist with other nuisance animals such as beaver, coyote, groundhog, nutria, muskrat and other small game and non-game animals. It's primary purpose is to provide a service for landowners to help manage deer populations in controlled habitat conditions.

NCBA-BCRS is a program offered by the North Carolina Bowhunters Association that, basically, will serve a three-fold purpose for it's "Members":

2- Maintain a roster of "Certified Bowhunters" to be used as a "Referral" service for interested parties.

3- Provide individual "Bowhunter" liability insurance for certified BCRS members. (Click HERE for more info on this!)

:To serve as a management "tool" for North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) deer population control and reduction goals;

:To educate the non-hunting public as well as the general public about bowhunting’s role in wildlife management;

:To further the positive image of bowhunting and those who participate, and to treat our wild resources with respect and compassion as we carry out our mission by using bowhunting as a sound management tool.

: To provide bowhunting opportunities for NCBA-BCRS certified members that benefit landowners; help manage, control and conserve wildlife populations and habitat. The BCRS program also provides liability insurance for certified members, and landowners if necessary.

Similar Whitetail management groups around the nation have been up and running successfully for as long as ten years in states such as Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. As development continues to increase, and whitetail habitat continues to decrease, the need for organizations such as NCBA-BCRS are becoming more and more necessary.

To assist with reducing to manageable size and maintaining the population of Whitetail deer in urban, suburban and rural areas of North Carolina; on private lands owned by individual citizens; on lands owned by business/corporations with deer population problems... as targeted by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and as needed and/or requested by any county or municipality within the state of North Carolina for a reduction.

The strategy of NCBA-BCRS is to harvest primarily, antlerless deer before, during and after the regular hunting season using kill (depredation) permits. And, taking antlerless as well as antlered deer during the regular hunting seasons using (individual) regular big game tags as well as depredation permits. Acting in cooperation with State game biologists and the NCWRC, NCBA-BCRS will provide individual property owners, homeowner associations, municipal and county governments and other urban dwellers with a year-round source of referrals for "certified bowhunters" for use in "site-specific," management programs. The program is designed to minimize deer-related damage to ornamentals and property, deer-vehicle collisions and the threat of Lyme disease, carried by ticks that live on deer, and other diseases that threaten the overall deer and other wildlife numbers, domestic animals and human population.

Some of the areas we will explore the possibility of acquiring working agreements with are: Municipalities; Churches; Golf Courses; Industrial Businesses; Officer Parks; Homeowner Associations for private communities; Orchards; Nurseries; Vineyards/Winerys, and private landowners.