Shadow comes home

Shadow enjoying the boys

Jim grew up in east central South Dakota as the oldest of 3 brothers. Jim and his brothers trapped, hunted upland birds, waterfowl, and deer with their father and cousins from the time they were big enough to tag along. Jim and his brothers hunted with an English Setter given to them during their years at home. Upon graduation from college, Jim didn't actively hunt or fish for a number of years as he began his career as a college professor at South Dakota State University and concurrently beginning a crop farming operation. Jim and his wife Laurie were blessed with three sons (Ben, Dan, Adam) who all showed interest in hunting, fishing, and generally enjoying the outdoors. Just before his oldest son reached hunting age, Jim realized if his sons were to truly experience and gain a love for upland bird and waterfowl hunting a good dog was a must. Having a love for pointing breeds, after researching several breeds and the existence of a local reputable breeder, Jim chose the Small Munsterlander. His three sons picked DeJong's HShadow from Ray's litter and the rest is history. His sons were 9 and 13 when they brought Shadow home. They were a great help in obedience training and testing her in NAVHDA Natural Ability. They took her hunting by themselves since she was 1 year old. His sons have helped whelp and deliver Shadow's 3 litters, all over the country.

Muda and Shadow spending time with family and relatives


Who is the wettest, Shadow or Ben?

(click the picture to view a larger version)

Why a Small Munsterlander?

Jim is uniquely located in South Dakota’s prime pheasant hunting and prairie pot hole region. His farm is a mixture of crop land, wet lands, conservation reserve areas (CRP), and food plots. He literally can walk out the door of his house and hunt ducks and geese or pheasants. Occasionally he will do both at the same time, by jumping a stock pond for mallards on his way across a field to hunt pheasants. On numerous occasions his oldest son, Ben, would get home from High School, Jim would already have Shadow out hunting, so Ben would head for the late afternoon “honey hole.” Thick heavy slew grass and cattails. As he stepped in pheasants would erupt, he’d knock down his limit, throw his blaze orange hat on the ground to mark the spot and head for home to wait for Jim to bring Shadow back from hunting somewhere else. When Jim got home Ben would proceed to take Shadow, many times almost or after dark, and a flashlight, head back to the “honey hole,” find his hat and send Shadow to find the birds, he’d shot. Not many times did the two of them come home without all the pheasants he’d knocked down.

The Small Munsterlander Gun Dog was and continues to be a good choice for their family.