A puppy point.
Sunnynook Large Munsterlanders
Pups Afield
Joe & Sheila Schmutz, R.R. 2 Box 123, Saskatoon, SK Canada S7K 3J5
This webpage was mounted on Dec. 3, 2007 and last updated on Dec. 5, 2007 by Sheila Schmutz
This page describes the exploits of pups whelped at Sunnynook with their new owners in various hunting situations. While we encourage our Sunnynook puppy owners to field-test their dogs for the feedback it provides us as breeders, ultimately our breeding goal is to provide dogs for hunting. The dogs mentioned below are used as they were intended, and are doing it well - and there are many others.
Ken reported on Sky's first hunt, a pheasant hunt at 10 months of age in October of 2007. Pictures are often worth a thousand words.......
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A puppy point. |
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a good shot..... |
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and "Look what I've got!" |
Reporting on Ash's first pheasant hunt, Rick writes: "He managed to bump a couple of roosters but I'll call that an over-abundance of energy, since it was only 9:30 in the morning. The most exciting part of the day came in the afternoon. We returned to where the birds had flown to in the morning when we bumped them. We were working the edge of cover on the edge of a wheat field cutting across the wind. Ash caught hold of something on the wind and his tail started racing. He eased into a thick clump of alfalfa and kotia weed and froze, staring intently at his mark. I quietly told him to wait as I walked in to flush the bird. On cue, the bird rose giving me a straight away shot. I was able to hold up my part of the bargain and make the shot. The bird fell and Ash happily raced off to find his prize. He was only about 30yds out but he wouldn't return. I called him and praised him happily to encourage him to bring back the bird. Apparently I hadn't noticed that the bird had fallen within feet of another bird and he was quite busy pointing that one and unsure what my problem was. When I started towards him the other bird flushed, but I was not ready, and missed the opportunity. When I walked up I thought I had hit the first bird poorly and it had managed to escape but then I realized there had been two birds."
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Uli hunted Alberta roosters at 10 months of age. There were other hunters in their hunting party with experienced dogs. All were impressed with Ulišs talent shown at such a tender age. Litter mates of Uli, Ash and Sky have hunted in their first fall and also passed the Hunting Aptitude Evaluation (HAE) offered by the Versatile Hunting Dog Federation (VHDF), as follows.Sunnynook's Ulna 65/77=84% All showed normal temperament and conformation. |
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Sunnynook's Schatz is the only Sunnynook S-pup of 9 that did not run in a field test. However, Schatz has proven herself several times over in the eyes of her owners Jack and Marge, both in the field and the home. Schatz has likely worked more pheasants in her life than any of her litter mates. The score and prize classification of Schatz's 8 littermates in a NAVHDA Natural Ability Test is as follows: .The average score was 107.6 or 96%. |
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Taz and Ken think each other are pretty special. However, their life together is not always so sedate as is pictured at the right. Ken writes: "My friend Taz did something that I have never before seen a dog do. I have SEVERAL witnesses. We were in a huge field of dirty Milo, near a town named "Bird City", Kansas. Taz was quite far out ahead of the line when he went on solid point, in front of a hunter about 30 yds to my right. There was a yearling mule deer standing about 15 yds from Taz, on his left. A puppy Lab spotted the deer, and started to chase it - barking and all. The deer jumped right over Taz, who stayed locked on point. The puppy jumped right over Taz, who stayed locked on point. The nearest hunter could see the rooster pheasant start to run, at which point Taz closed in, and the pheasant flushed. The hunter shot him, and Taz retrieved same, to the hunter's hand. To which the whole gang shouted a bunch of WOWs. He got a lot more treats that night than he really needed." Taz, Ken & Joan once made a heroic trip cross-country to enter Taz in a Natural Ability Test, but it was not to be Taz's day. Apparently still in travelling mode, Taz failed to get a passing score in pointing, earning 71/112=63% overall. Tests provide only a narrow window on a dog's life, but many people around Bird City, Kansas, know that regardless of the numbers on paper, finding, pointing and tracking birds for Ken is not a problem for Taz! |
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Dean writes: Dear Joe & Sheila: It comes with great sadness that I write to inform you of the passing of Sunnynook's Jasper, who lost a short battle with cancer on Oct 16th (at 13). Jasper (as you can understand) was a part of our family as either of our children and will surely be missed. Attached are just a couple of pictures from healthier and happier times. I am sure another dog will be in our future, but for now Michelle & I are content with the memories we have of Jasper, and just missing him will be enough. When the time comes, it surely will be another Large Munsterlander, for he, without a doubt, was the finest family pet we ever had, as well as a great hunting companion. One of his last retrieves was also my son's first grouse kill, and those memories cannot be forgotten. When the time comes I will be in touch for another family member.
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For more information on the Large Munsterlander, visit The Large Munsterlander Club of North America® Website
Please call us if you have any specific questions (306)382-8964. e-mail joe.schmutz@usask.ca or e-mail sheila.schmutz@usask.ca