any decoy shows coming up?

E

ed gagne

Well-known member
ive been looking for some decoy shows/competitons i can go to this year. if anyone knows of any events happening preferibly within 500 miles of Vermont let me know.

eddie gagne
 
Best one in the country next weekend in West Lake Ohio.. Duane Ganzer will probably post up here..he is a big wig there. I won't be making it this year but it is a real hoot and is huge...something for every carver, beginner or master.
 
well i wish i got on this site sooner its a little late for me to save the cash to head down there now but hopefully i'll see you there next year. do you go to any closer to new england?

eddie
 
No, Westlake is the furthest I've been to a decoy show. It would be neat to go to Clayton and the Ward Worlds but...I'm not independently wealthy.
 
well ive only been to one and the show dosent exsist anymore it was in hartford conn. and i took a few ribbons but im so much better now that i really want to go to one bad and soon.
 
to think that anyone that is from the NE is close to N,J, even though I know thats not necessarily ture.....that said start thinking about Tuckerton in late Sept. I've enjoyed Westlake everytime I've gone but if I had only one show that I could return to it would be Tuckerton...

I went the first time in the 80's...stumbled on it by pure accident when I was in Philadelphia for a business meeting and decided I needed to see Brigentine NWR. Drove over on the weekend and saw theis big ass Swan silhouette on the side of the road saying "DECOY SHOW"....followed the Swans and found the show.....

I've been back about a dozen times since. What makes it superior to any other show, IN MY OPINION, is that it cover ALL of the facets of waterfolwong...they have boats, make that incredible boats, they have decoy rig competitions, they have shorebird rig competition, they have working decoy competition, they have dog compition, they have Punt Gun demo's, with actual firing of the gun, they have historical displays, and they'l have vendors selling everything from antique decoys to decoy bags to calls to artwork to EVERYTHING........

Its a great show...check it out...

Steve
 
thanks i will keep it in mind for this fall. i want to get some ribbons just to say to that they make the judges happy as well as jetlagged ducks.
 


I get around yeah I get around o/o/
Which one of the beach boys were you Stev?.I haven't been there yet,but I checked out the web site and also talked to a builder in Mayo,MD...WWW.clasicbarnaget,com and he had nothing but high praise for the fall show at Tuckerton,NJ.You would think that the eastern shore of MD would have some great shows for waterfowlers,but he said they are mostly attended by artsy bunny huggers and bird feeders.Thats OK mind you,as long as you carry a nice SxS with you.
3Dogs
 
Harve de Grace, MD not sure its worth a trip, but

May 4-6
26th ANNUAL DECOY & WILDLIFE ART FESTIVAL
Havre de Grace Decoy Museum; Premier carvers and wildlife artists, carving competitions, live and silent auctions, retriever demonstrations, and children's activities.. Free shuttle to HdG High School, Middle School and Decoy Museum; Fri. 6-9pm, Sat. 9am-5pm, Sun. 10am-4pm; $; 410-939-3739



There is also the Tuckerton show in NJ late sept. This one is worth the trip not just for decoy show, but all the other waterfowling stuff.
 
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for the Museums....If you're interested in Waterfowling history, decoys to sinkboxes, you shold got to it at least once. Not sure if the Upper Bay Museum is still "appointment only" at the time that the decoy show is being held but I liked it more than the decoy museum in town....things could have changed since I've been there and that might not be true anymore but the last time I was there it was more like visiting your great grandfathers barn that was jma packed with neat stuff while the Decoy Museum was a Museum....

The show in HdG is fun but there are no boats and even the decoys aren't "hunting related" to the extent that they are at Tuckerton. No boats and little "hunting stuff" compared to Tuckerton but its still a pretty neat weekend in an area with History out the ears.

Steve
 
Bill, don't forget the punt gun demo on saturday at the museum--that is often a shocker to folks watching the competition from the walkway! blackduck rigs sunday at the museum---all the nonstool are now at the new building next to the middle school-high school is no longer being used as a display venue--this new building is a h de g town thing--should be interesting to get the show back to just two sites! Yep, northeast is usually open on saturdays and sundays--neat old fishing, gunning stuff---hell, there is even a huge stuffed sturgeon hanging from the ceiling---the building housing the northeast stuff was once a fish factory!
 
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to do in the area, besides the decoy museums mentioned in HDG and Northeast. Within 2 hours of HDG there is the maritime Museum in Easton, which has a building or 2 decicated to waterfowl, decoys and boats. In Northern VA there is the NRA museum. The Ward museum in salisbury may be a bit far(another hour past Easton). Plus if you brought the family there is the all the sights in D.C.. So I stand corrected if you were to come and schedule these other places in your trip it would be well worth it. You could also add few meals of crab cakes and oysters to round out the Cheasepeake expereince.
 
huh, my must not have been there on sat afternoon, I didn't know about the punt. Two sites will be nice. What kind of stew you have planned for this year? I have some Buffalo hamburger in the freezer that my brother shot, I am thinking of doing something with.
 
Dear Ed,

I have only heard wonderful things about the Westlake Show. This would be a great one for you to attend.

I agree with Steve Sutton on the Tuckerton Show. I went last year, and really enjoyed it. I look forward to it again, this year.

For those looking to attend "The Nation's Largest Decoy Show" (according to its promoters), the Midwest Decoy Show takes place this April 27-28 in St. Charles, Illinois. I have attended in the past, and will do so again this year. It completely fills up the huge MetroCenter at the Pheasant Run Complex there.

In all, there is always something to enjoy at such events. I just love them!

God Bless,

Mark Rongers
 
maybe we should plan a GATHERING....I've been wanting to go back and I know there are several here that are close enough to drive that would likely go if they knew there'd be a celbrity of your status there.......lets do it..the only problem I've ever had with the show there is the lodging....where did you stay last year when you were there?

Lets plan it....

Steve
 
Dear Steve,

You crack me up!

We stayed at a couple different hotel chains, who's names I don't remember. They were between Tuckerton and Pleasantville, as I recall.

Yes, let's INDEED plan it! That, and you and Debby coming up to Ontario, this Summer? We need to hang out on the beach with the Reders and Bires.

You know that Molly will never be the same, unless you return!

God Bless you and Debby,

Mark
 
you are going to tell us when we need to plan to come to Erieau.....she's looking forward to it..... you figure out the dates and we'll be there...

I'm gonna start looking at Tuckerton for a fall get together...who will be coming with you?

Last thing. I'm going to pick up tht "item" tomorrow night and will have it in the mail to you on Monday....


Steve
 
Yeah and the Museum of the Chesapeake is close by too (I forget the name of the town ) but well worth the side trip (lots and lots of wooden boats and ships and decoys and guns).

It's just a great part of the world to spend time in.
Best,
Harry
 
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