The German Gun Collectors Association awards, upon application and payment of a small fee, a certificate and pin to hunters who have taken game with a Germanic sporting arm in a proper and ethical manner. The full rules may be viewed here. The applications are referred to a committee and upon approval, the award is made.
The St. Hubertus Award of the German Gun Collectors Association
Information for the Prospective Applicant
Here is the necessary information about how to apply for the St. Hubertus Award. The German Gun Collectors Association offers this award to hunters and huntresses who have used a German/Austrian sporting arm to harvest a game species by fair chase methods. If you wish more clarification or you have specific questions that are not addressed here, do not hesitate to contact either John Neumann (502 Riley Rd.,Delphi,IN46923, jaegerjohann@ffni.com) or Richard Hummel (dkhummel@gmail.com), administrators of the St. Hubertus Program.
Above All Else: The hunter/huntress must show absolute respect for the game taken. This is the primary requirement.Below you will find a list of “Do’s” and “Don’ts” to observe when taking a photograph(s) to document your application. You should study these before you go hunting and they should be a part of your personal creed and beliefs.
The Do’s
- Do make sure that the animal is cleaned of any blood or dirt etc. so that the picture presents the animal in a proper manner.
- Do pose the animal in a respectful manner with its forend toward the camera.
- Do tilt your head upward just slightly – or place your cap so that it is slanted slightly upward to insure that we are able to see your face with good lighting.
- Do use fill in flash to insure there is adequate lighting. In a forest or even in a meadow, you may find yourself sitting in shadows that detract from the game and from you.
- Try to have a series of close up photos of you, your firearm and the animal. Make sure they are well centered and fill the viewfinder screen. Also take some photos farther back to provide perspective of the terrain.
- If your photos are posed at the lodge or cabin, remember that your photos are not to be advertisements. We will not print photos with commercial establishment signs in them.
- Do make sure that there are no vehicles in the picture unless the vehicle adds to the understanding of the hunting event or the vehicle is a historic one and was unique to your adventure. For example: a horse, or mule-drawn wagon used to bring your game back to the lodge.
- Present the animal with a respectful creation of boughs, leaves; small branches etc. around the animal so that it is more in harmony with the land.
- The game and the land are one together.
The Don’ts
- Do NOT place your firearm across the antlers or horns of your game.
- Do NOT place your firearm across the animal in a disrespectful way.
- Do NOT sit on or lean against the animal
- Do NOT perform “High Fives” with your guide or friend(s) in the photo.
- If there is more than one person in the picture, everyone should show respect for the game taken
- Do NOT prop open the mouth of the animal.
- Never display the firearm in the photo as if you are pointing it at the quarry.
- Never send photos of the quarry hung from a tree or game pole.
- Never have the quarry draped across a vehicle’s hood/bonnet or hanging off the back of a truck.
Further guidelines/suggestions
- When taking photos of antlered game, it is appropriate to insure that the angle of the photo displays the entire rack of the game animal. Also, do make sure that one of the antlers does not appear to be pushing up into the face of the individual.
- In European hunting cultures the tradition has developed to honor the harvested animal by placing appropriate browse in its mouth as a depiction of its last meal. European hunters/huntresses also insert a small bough or branch with leaves in their Jaeger hats as a further sign of respect. We urge you to consider observing these practices.
- When preparing the animal for photographing, insure that the animal’s tongue is not hanging out the corner of its mouth. Its forend should be facing the camera. If you intend to stand over the animal, you may rest your firearm in front of the quarry – with the action open – or in a manner that insures that it is safe. Then stand in a calm stance with hands clasped in front of you. You may look down toward the quarry or into the camera.
- If a small boulder, or outcropping is present and your animal is indigenous to such ground, it is often possible to arrange the game in such a manner as to have its head positioned in a natural way on top of the bolder and the hunter/huntress kneeling behind.
- This can allow for a close-up shot of both the animal and the individual.
- If more than one person is to be in the photograph with the quarry, try to have everyone in roughly a line behind the game so everyone will be in focus.
- When possible, try to have the photographer at ground level so that the photograph has a slight upward angle. This makes for a more interesting photo and it is easier to fill in the scene with auxiliary flash.
- Be aware of the background in the photo. Turn around and look around behind you before taking the picture.
We trust these instructions will guide you when applying for the German Gun Collectors Association St. Hubertus Award. We believe your example in the hunting field will affect others positively and set a high standard of sportsmanship.