A few recent decoys

Well, since my son has grown up and moved away there is a spare bedroom. The snow needs shoveled and the dishes are piling up. We might be able to work something out.

Seriously though, don't be afraid to go your own way Jeff. Whatever you end up with will be far better than just copying a pattern book.
 
hahaha. yeah.. i'm still just copying godin patterns. but i've started drawing a couple of my own. some just a modification of godins but others from photos online.

this is the last one i did from an online photo. all from one piece of cork. I need to go to the local box store and try the 2X like you do. I just think here it is all SYP.

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jeff

Well, since my son has grown up and moved away there is a spare bedroom. The snow needs shoveled and the dishes are piling up. We might be able to work something out.

Seriously though, don't be afraid to go your own way Jeff. Whatever you end up with will be far better than just copying a pattern book.
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I like it Jeff. Ringers are one of my favorites.

Here's a formula that I've been using when I draw my hunting decoys patterns.
Body width= to 1/2 the body length.
Total head length (including the bill) roughly 1/3 the body length.
Body hieght--whatever thickness you like. Wide squat decoys work really well in the real world.
Tail size--1/4 body length on divers, 1/5 or less on puddlers.

Just remember not to be so transfixed by measurements. Draw and carve what you like.

Here's a hen wood duck I did as a Christmas present for my son in 08 using that formula.

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I dunno. I just can't envision breaking those out of the ice and thumping them into the bottom of the boat.......

Awesome work
 
Jim,

Thanks for the nice comment. With the gadwalls that I posted a picture of on my intro I had to do just that before Christmas. I've got ton's of photos of Jim Schmiedlin's decoy in his house that are all hunted over.

My theory is that if the get a little roughed up I'll just make more. That's where all the enjoyment is anyway in decoy carving.

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This photo was taken in October on one of my secret spots here in PA. But try and envision the same spot with about 8" snow and that's where I was.

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john thanks,

that formula should work well. i'll give it a try. I'm working on a canvas black duck next but after that we'll see what i can come up with.

Jim,

I know for me that my decoy is my decoy... let me try to explain. a scenario...I make a decoy for my hunting rig. a couple people say "man that decoy is too nice to hunt with." I then make a better looking decoy with each attempt if i'm lucky, and more and more people think they look great. and how in the world would i actually USE it. To me ... it is still just my decoy that i carved and i'll still hunt it. I guess i'm trying to say that it's just wood and paint to me. If i had to buy them, maybe i would care about tearing them up...but i only have 20$ into a hollow tupelo bird and know how to repair it if needed. I hate to see birds sit on the shelf. what's the point.

Jeff
 
Hunter stops by mid-morning to chit-chat and admires your spread of a dozen: "nice spread, what's something like that go for?"

You: "$500"

Hunter: "Wow, that's a lot of money for a dozen decoys"

You: "Oh, for the whole rig? I thought you meant for just one"

My decoy is my decoy too. Same twenty bucks worth of materials......you guys can just do more with it than I can.
 
heh.. i'd be lucky to get 50$ for mine. I was selling them hot and heavy for 100$ a pop or so.. but then i realized that 100 more bucks isn't worth not having a rig for me and my son. i'm up to about 3 dozen decoys now. I don't know what i'll do when i have 6 dozen except go out each morning before hunting and select 6 from the lot :) but maybe my kid will appreciate dads rig later in life

Hunter stops by mid-morning to chit-chat and admires your spread of a dozen: "nice spread, what's something like that go for?"

You: "$500"

Hunter: "Wow, that's a lot of money for a dozen decoys"

You: "Oh, for the whole rig? I thought you meant for just one"

My decoy is my decoy too. Same twenty bucks worth of materials......you guys can just do more with it than I can.
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Jeff you make a nice bird anyo0ne should be happy to gun over them. John thanks for the pictures, I have been pouring through your tutorial when drawing up new patterns recently. Can't wait for it to warm up so I can get into my garage.
 
thanks tom you aren't so bad yourself ;) If i remember correctly you were right where i am now a while back.. 4 month old at home. born 2 weeks before duck season. I'm still trying to figure out how to do simple things around the house.. let alone carving.

Jeff

Jeff you make a nice bird anyo0ne should be happy to gun over them. John thanks for the pictures, I have been pouring through your tutorial when drawing up new patterns recently. Can't wait for it to warm up so I can get into my garage.
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ahhhh the joys of infants and carving. Nap time is essential to the carver or you get up in the 4am hour to carve. It goes so fast though. One minute they can't do anything for themselves the next minute you have to be wary when painting so they won't run off with a brush. If you are going to have more do it ASAP that way they entertain each other giving you more time to carve..

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yeah.. i pulled out a sharpie the other night and he grabbed it. already ready to start ruining couches etc :). we are going to crank them out asap . it will be tough to have that many youngsters around but we are getting to the age where we do it now or not at all.

now back to john's thread before we derail it any further . great looking kids tom

jeff
 
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