VERIFICATION OF APPROPRIATE DEDICATED ACTIVITIES
5.1 NHSA Accepted & Appropriate Dedicated Activities are understood to be a hunting or sport shooting related activity or event as described in paragraph 4 above, which reported activity or event must be strictly legal, and clearly firearm related as understood in terms of the use of firearms licensed under Section 16 of the FCA, and then also clearly hunting related, and/or; clearly sport shooting related.
5.2 For a member’s dedicated activities to be approved by NHSA, an entry MUST, with no exception, be accompanied by attached documentary proof showing clearly that the reporting member had participated in that activity or event (as explained in paragraph 4 above). Proving documentation must be scanned in PDF format before being attached to entries please.
5.3 This is the only way in which NHSA can responsibly verify that the activity was conducted by the member on said date and place as required by Law, as all our communications in this regard are conducted electronically. We also do not have branches where members come together to formally participate in a specific event which can then be verified as participated in activity there and then.
5.4 Note the Following:
5.4.1 Multiples of targets shot on one day (albeit with different calibres) are calculated as one activity as it is not the targets shot, which constitute the recognized activity, but the fact that the member was active at the shooting range on that day;
5.4.2 A hunt which took place on one day is calculated as one activity (the fact that you could not hunt anything still means you were on a hunt - enter the activity as such);
5.4.3 A hunt which took place over multiple days is calculated in units of two days as being equal to one activity (date left from home to hunting venue and date left from hunting venue to home included).
Members can attach up to three proving documents at each activity entry (these also serve as a system of record keeping for the member self).
5.5. Reports for other Accredited Associations: Members are welcome to attach the annual reports they have submitted to another accredited association they might also belong to, as proof of their dedicated activities. However, attaching an Annual Report meant for another accredited association is, in itself, not verification of the activities mentioned on that report, unless the activity is clearly shown to be verified by the association it was intended for. You can read the reasons for this proviso here.
5.6 Use your activities report to be more than just a process to maintain your dedicated status, because proof of use of firearms are very important at renewal of firearm licences - read why this is so here
5.7 Special note to Professional Hunters who are also dedicated hunters with NHSA: Regulation 4(e)(ii) prohibits an accredited hunting association to maintain dedicated status of a member if the association is aware of the fact that the dedicated member, does hunting related work (like PH work) with Section 16 licenced firearms.
Despite requiring documentary verification for activity entries to be approved, NHSA accepts that the dedicated member understands that all entries on the Activities Page of his/her Personal Natshoot Profile Page, are taken to be Sworn Statements, due to the legal implications attached to a member's holding, and NHSA awarding, dedicated status.
Read our Legal Responsibilities in this regard HERE