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Don Mintz usually starts this thread, but I wanted to show off Sundays effort. My son’s Eagle Scout project was to build benches for the local air history museum. They are 6’ long and weigh over 100 pounds each because of them being made with pressure treated lumber. It was a long day but...

My father and grandfather lived on Chautauqua lake and hunted it routinely in their Alumacraft ducker. They made their own decoys out of a chopped up telephone pole. And I have quite a few of them on display. But several of them did not pass the test of time. There were about half a dozen...

March 21st in Ohio. Ohio decoy carvers and collector association. Big show, lots of great collectors. Anyone else going? If so let’s meet up for a drink!

I had a sudden dreadful thought today. I think that I used to put spar varnish over the tile mastic I used for burlapping decoys before priming. That was 20 years ago. I’ve done 8 or so decoys this winter without varnishing. Just priming. Does anyone just burlap and mastic without sealing...

Do I really need to paint on the 300 feathers on the face or can I just leave it like this? I am finding the exercise rather tedious. This is a wooden head I carved that I will be putting on a herters body that I burlapped. It will be for big water hunting, mixed into my layout rig.

I inherited some foam bodies. I assume they are Herters magnums. I have had them for years and finally pulled them down in anticipation of a weekend indoors. I strongly prefer to carve my own but should not let them go to waste. I notice they are two shapes. I’m assuming the long thin one is...

This was my grandfather’s, now it’s mine. It was primarily used for float hunting creeks. In fact it brings back the fondest memories of my father rowing me down the Sandy Creek to try to bag some woodducks.

I’m doing my first ring neck and I’m not sure what color to do the sides. I am colorblind. I use Steven Sandfords paint tutorials for all of my decoys and he gives the behr paint codes in them so I don’t have to guess. Any help on the color, particularly if it’s one Steven commonly uses...

Many have seen and contributed to my thread about putting a basic blind on my fishing boat. The big concern is the sides of the boat. It is a nice grey color, but shiny. It is a newer boat and I’m picky about its appearance. It is mostly used for trolling walleye on Lake Erie. I don’t want...

I carve gunners. They are modest at best. I’m trying to produce more, to make my rig more “mine”. Glass eyes really slow me down. They are great, don’t get me wrong, but my decoys will never see a table in a competition. What are some alternatives?

I did a little searching and didn’t come up with much. I need some more long line weights. My supply of sash weights has dwindled and apparently they are now “vintage” items on marketplace. What other simple diy ideas are out there short of spending $20 a piece on 5 pound mushroom anchors...

I’ll save everyone the 20 minute version but I’m getting back into it. I’m trying to use up my partial builds to bolster my rig before starting fresh. Waste not want not. I have this burlap foam body and pine goldeneye head I carved years ago. The head sits pretty low in the body. This will be...

I see carvers on videos using a fully articulated vise while standing and carving. Anyone have one they like and know where to get them?

I want to try to use a 12 slot bad for my decoys while keeping them on the long line. I have bags now. The slot walls do not attach at the bottom and lines and the weights work trough the bottom into neighboring slot causing issues. The other bags that I have that are attached are not big...

I know of some people who hunt sea ducks out of the back of their large white fishing boat without any sort of blind on it. The just sit still. I wonder if I could get away with that out of my 18’ fishing boat that has gray sides with bluebills. Has anyone done this? It is the tender boat...

I’m sure this has been beat to death but I am not good at the search function. I have a bunch of long line clips that are very hard to pinch. Especially with frozen fingers. They are stainless steel, thick wire, and actually made for ocean fishing. I would like to replace them with lighter...

I am in NE Ohio. Willing to travel a short distance, 200 miles.

Long story short I?ve been hunting bodies of water that I want to wear flotation on. I have bought and returned two different flotation coats because I found them bulky and cannot layer with, let alone shoulder a gun. I?ve been wearing my life vest while running and setting decoys but take it...

Over two years ago I shared that my best friend, Jon Yenulonis passed away. The following spring I lost my original duck partner, my father. It has taken a while to regain interest in waterfowling. I haven?t been carving or hunting. I have been out a few times recently and am starting to...

After taking a whole season off for a variety of reasons, I am trying to motivate myself for next year. I?ve decided that I want to collect an Eider. My duck hunting partner and I were supposed to go last December but he passed away before we could do it. I?ll likely be alone unless I find...