The Fun Hunt is just for fun. This is primarily a social event - with a lot of dogs and birds. It's not a test nor a contest. Your dog doesn't need to honor nor be steady to participate. Beginner hunters, whether they be dogs or people, are more than welcome!
Anyone with a Small Munsterlander is invited to attend and hunt. Small Munsterlander owners may invite one hunting guest and multiple non-hunting guests. If you are interested in getting a Small Munsterlander, you may come as a guest of a Small Munsterlander owner. Don't know anyone with a Munster? Email Michelle and ask to attend as her guest. The Fun Hunt is a great way to see lots of Munsters of all ages, sexes, sizes and colors. If you're a breeder and would like to invite your puppy buyers, we'd love to have them! So spread the word! If possible, plan to arrive Thursday evening, March 27th, for the potluck. You may hunt twice on Friday and twice on Saturday, maximum, first-come, first-served. Attendees may scratch hunt Friday and Saturday after the last sessions and on Sunday morning, March 30th, as a thank you for helping us clean up on Saturday following the event. Leftovers will be served Saturday evening for dinner.
Shared accommodations (men only) at Brush Dale in the main floor of the VIP Lodge will be $10/night/person. You will need to bring your own bedding and pillow. Dogs are not allowed anywhere in the VIP Lodge. Your dog may sleep in his/her crate in the heated Hawkeye Lodge. There are several lodging options nearby that allow dogs. See the Lodging page for information. Make your lodging reservations *very early* as there is always an AKC show taking place at the Maquoketa Fairgrounds the same weekend as the Fun Hunt and lodging allowing pets fills up quickly.If you have a group of 3 or more, you may want to rent a cabin/guesthouse at Whispering Meadows Resort, the Brush Creek Schoolhouse (airbnb), or More Than a Room Guest House. Dogs are allowed in the Whispering Meadows cabins (you must bring your own bed covers), Schoolhouse (in attached garage) and in the Guest House (must be crated). You may need a 4-wheel-drive vehicle if you stay at Whispering Meadows, because the cabins are on a long, gravel/dirt lane and it's often muddy this time of year. There's a pond and a lot of room to run dogs off-lead at Whispering Meadows. If you would like to camp at Brush Dale for $5/night, the outside facilities may still be shutoff for the winter, but we can plug you in. You may also camp at Whispering Meadows. There is an electrical hookup adjacent to each cabin. Make your reservations for Brush Dale lodging/camping as part of your Fun Hunt Reservation. Another option you may want to consider is boarding your dog. There are several facilities close by and they will even give your dog a bath and nail clipping before you head for home! The closest boarding facility to Brush Dale is less than 6 miles away - K9 Comfort. With the exception of Thursday night, meals will be catered at Brush Dale. Thursday night will be potluck. You will be assigned to bring a main dish, appetizer, salad, vegetable and/or dessert to share. You won't want to miss the steak and chicken cookout on Friday night! Brush Dale does not have a liquor license, so you must bring your own alcoholic beverages. Bringing a snack and/or a beverage to share has become a tradition. Non-alcoholic beverages and coffee will be provided.
We do our best to keep the hunting parties to a maximum of 4 dogs and 5 gunners. Each day will be divided into 1.5-hour hunting sessions. Each hunter may signup to hunt a maximum of two sessions per day. You may request to hunt one session with a person other than your hunting guest. You are welcome to bring multiple dogs to the Fun Hunt, but you may only hunt with one dog per session. After the last session groups come in, you may form your own group to go out until dusk to hunt the missed birds (scratch hunting).
Typically, more than 300 pheasants are released for the Fun Hunt. That is a ton of bird planting! Getting all the birds out into the fields in a timely manner is quite challenging. Therefore, we need volunteers to help plant birds. If you are able, please volunteer to plant birds for at least one session.
This is a non-profit event. Each $60 pays for the release of 3 pheasants.
Please purchase your license in advance online here. If you were born after January 1, 1972 and have never had an Iowa hunting license, please create your online IA DNR account in advance of the Fun Hunt, but you will not be able to purchase a license online. You must bring your hunter safety certificate to the Fun Hunt, we will enter it into your account and then issue your license.
A Preserve License with Habitat Stamp is just $22.00, whether purchased by a resident or non-resident. Iowa law requires residents and non-residents age 16 or older who were born after January 1, 1972 to be certified in hunter education before they are eligible to purchase an Iowa hunting license. (If you are 18 years or older, the hunter safety course may be completed 100% online here.) If you have not completed a hunter safety course and are at least 16 years of age, you may be eligible to purchase an Apprentice Hunting License ( info & qualifications). Resident Iowa youth under the age of 16 are not required to have a license, but must be accompanied by a licensed adult 18 years of age or older. Non-resident youth under the age of 16 are not required to have completed a hunter safety/education course, but are required to possess a non-resident youth preserve license and habitat stamp. Please see the Requirements for Hunting Licensed Hunting Preserves in Iowa. You must wear blaze orange (hat, shirt and/or vest) while in the field, whether or not you are carrying a gun. Lead shot is OK. We recommend size 6 shot. For safety reasons, the maximum shot size allowed for the Fun Hunt is size 5. | 
