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This past weekend, Copley Auctions (Massachusetts) held an online decoy auction with a Schmiedlin goose as one of their lot offerings. Jim only made 4 Canadian geese, one is held by the Schmiedlin family, a second sold at auction in 2012 for 24K, fourth one-whereabouts unknown. The underside...

Jim, I sent you a PM. Ken

Kyle, Some history: From 1848, long before making decoys, Animal Trap Co. was a major producer of all kinds/sizes of animal traps. After WW1, they began producing wooden duck decoys. From 1937-1939, they acquired the Wm. Pratt rat/mouse trap business, and then the Pratt decoy business, which...

L. Bush, trust your memory, you are correct. Referring to and paraphrasing an Outdoor Life article from Oct. 2013, "The Science Behind Waterfowl Eyesight" - ducks do have poor night vision, yet they have 2-3 times greater daytime distance vision compared to humans Their eye muscles control both...

Steve: Great pics, thanks for sharing. I remember seeing the Hale-Bopp comet from 1997 night after night. I'm gonna have to get out and spot this one. Ken Zaborski

Tod: Not a dog hair story but a human hair tale. A few years back while getting a haircut, the stylist was telling me how she's had several painful hair splinters in her fingers/hands, with difficulty in removing them. The topic came up when she put on disposable gloves to trim my beard, and...

I had come across this carving on another "blog" site and was so impressed with the artistic license and freedom this young man took with this decoy/decor. I contacted him (Joshua Hinton) and got his OK to post here. He's a Native American member of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, a duck...

Congratulations Vince ! Vince also had an article published in the same magazine a few years back (Mar-Apr 2016) , with a tutorial on how to construct wood slat/canvas covered decoys. Ken Zaborski

Mark: Rustic boxes - a staple item of cabin decor. How about hanging them on rig lines? Simple and nothing to build. Always makes for a nice display. Ken Zaborski

Eric: I've been involved with the decoy collecting hobby for 30 years or so, mostly small time on a limited budget. I continue to enjoy the hobby immensely, attending several local Midwest decoy collector shows (buy-sell-trade) with hotel room to room trading and table displays. A quick...

Mr. Cross: I also don't "get it", your post is just not funny. I admire and respect the strength and support our first responders provide to our communities. Although I have a good sense of humor and can laugh at myself, it's troubling to think that if I had an emergency incident or needed...

Rick: Good questions. I've often wondered myself, in that Jim was not a commercial carver, only making decoys for his personal use, selling some each year to cover his hunting expenses. He worked full time for 40 years at a Pittsburgh brewery, had a family, and carved in his spare time. In...

Rick and Vince: Jim's carving and painting skills certainly evolved and improved throughout the years. Here's one of his earliest decoys - a bluebill from his first gunning rig, Ca: 1975. Jim told me he liked to occasionally include some of his early decoys in his layout rigs for old times...

Rick: Regarding overturned decoys, here's one made by an Italian carver Giovanni Simonsin circa 1950's, as a two-sided "topsy-turvey" bird. Ken Zaborski

Vince : What a nice tribute to your buddy Fred. I've been there and I know it's hard. Take solace in knowing that Fred had a long, happy, loving life; yet no matter how many years they share with us, it still seems all too short. Field/Stream writer Gene Hill once wrote " We never really own a...

Vince : Nice paintings, I never cease to be amazed by the posts on Duckboats of both decoy carvers and flat art painters. Ken Zaborski

Kris: I hope I'm not going too far off topic. As a flat art artist (oils/canvas) with a concentration on mostly wildlife, I've been tempted throughout the years to enter duck stamp contests both on the state and federal levels. I never have, feeling that I wouldn't stand a chance. There is a...

Rob: I have a neighbor who had a 10 yr. old male Boxer that came down with prostate cancer, which is rare in dogs. Vet told him 2-3 month survival rate without chemo. He went ahead with chemo, his dog survived almost a year. Not sure about the quality of the dogs life, but my neighbor told me...

Rick: Never encountered this type of problem. When my wife and I worked days and were expecting a Fed-Ex package with signature, we asked a neighbor couple who were retired if they would accept and left a note on our door with instructions for driver. USPS (Over $700 needs sig.) leaves a...

Pat Thanks for posting. In hindsight, I regret not making it down to Peoria to see the exhibit. I enjoyed the video. Ken Zaborski