T-Hunt.org Rules Page

Rules and General Guidelines

The information below is used by our group in the San Francisco Bay Area, so some may be specific to the geological features of our area.

These items are designed to make our events more enjoyable and help new hunters understand their target fox’s characteristics.

Hunting Hints:

  1. Follow your initial bearing.
  2. Get back on your initial bearing.
  3. Your initial bearing isn't wrong unless you can prove it
  4. If you're near hills and have been moving toward the transmitter, it isn't behind you unless and until you're at the summit.

General Guidelines - Apply to ALL Hunts:

“If one or more of the following rules cannot be met, the hunt MUST be designated as a "Challenge Hunt". (See challenge hunt below for additional information)

  1. The transmitter will be publicly accessible and not require a fee for entrance. If classified as a challenge hunt and there is an entrace fee required, it must be announced in advance.
  2. If a significant walk is required to reach the transmitter, that must be advertised in advance.
  3. The transmitter must be on continuously during the hunt. A short drop of less than one minute for remote controllable foxes is acceptable.
  4. The transmitter must not move.
  5. The antenna must be omni-directional and vertically polarized.
  6. One can "find the transmitter" by locating the transmitter itself or by locating or identifying the radiating element.
  7. The fox is the arbiter as to whether a hunter has actually found the transmitter.
  8. The winner is the hunter with the lowest mileage and is responsible for the next hunt.
  9. Those with mileage within ten percent are considered equal. (The ten percent rule)
  10. PLEASE DO NOT: Hide in San Francisco, or choose a location that forces hunters to drive through San Francisco unless announced in advance. (This does not apply to Bay-Hunts, as teams may start from any location of their choosing). Example: A Fremont Challenge Hunt with the fox located in the Marin Headlands, it should be announced teams may need to transit through the city.

Beginner Hunt Rules:

  1. The transmitter must have a good bearing at the start point.
  2. There must be a clear and direct path from the transmitter to the start point. No mountains, tall buildings, or other large objects may be between the start point and the transmitter.
  3. The transmitter must be in the open and unobstructed, not next to any reflector or absorber (such as behind a wall, fence, under a bridge, etc.).
  4. The transmitter must be no more than ten miles (line of sight) from the start point.
  5. The effective radiated power must be at least 1 Watt, but no more than 10 Watts.
  6. The transmitter must be receivable most of the time (roughly 80 percent) along reasonable routes toward the transmitter.
  7. If the transmitter is hidden and/or disguised, the fox must provide beginners with close-in hunting equipment and assistance to find the transmitter.
  8. The antenna (measured from its lowest point) must be at least half a wave length above the highest point of at least 20 yards in radius.
  9. The location must not be at sea level and directly adjacent to any significant body of water.
  10. The fox must be available on the talk-in frequency for beginners to get help. Beginners are invited to ask for help or hints. The fox must give reasonable warning to those who don't want hints so they can turn down their radio volume for a few minutes.

Normal Hunt Rules:

  1. The effective radiated power must be at least 0.1 Watts, but no more than 50 Watts.
  2. The antenna must be above the average nearby terrain.

Bay Hunt Rules:

  1. Hunters can start from anywhere.
  2. Hunters should share bearings at the start of the hunt on the repeater.
  3. Boundaries (See locations for map showing exact boundaries.):
    1. General Boundary: Fifteen (15) miles from the SF Bay or the top of the last ridge you can see the bay from, whichever comes first.
    2. Western Boundary: The Pacific ocean
    3. Northern Boundary: The Richmond San Rafael bridge
  4. A Bay hunt is not a challenge hunt unless explicitly declared.
  5. There is no scoring, no winners or losers
  6. Please do not hide in San Francisco.

Challenge Hunt Rules

  1. Challenge Hunts must be advertised in advance.
  2. If the transmitter cannot be heard from the start point, the fox must provide a general direction.
  3. There are no other rules ("may the odds be in your favor").