Central Illinois Decoy Float...

P

Pat Gregory

Well-known member
Thanks to Dave Ludington for hosting our first annual Central Illinois Decoy Float. A good time was had by all. Lots of nice decoys made for the upcoming season. Our gunning crew included Jim Williams with friend Kathy and daughter Katy. Also participating was Dave, Jim Crowley, Kirk Ijams, Tim Speight and yours truly. We were blessed with a great night and, outstanding fellowship and, even a few duck stories...

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Jim Crowley was awarded the coveted "Traveling Coot Award" for an illustrious performance during a layout hunt... Award was presented by Kirk Ijams.

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Jim Williams telling a dynamic layout gunning story to Tim Speight...

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We dined on goose brats and bluebill/goldeneye duck wraps.

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Our host, Dave Ludington...

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Thanks again to Dave for hosting the event and to the good Lord for such great friends...
 
Looks like a great time.

I love those stamped birds too. Scott brought a pair of your widgeon and it was really cool to see the stamps in person
 
Pat,

Now that's the spirit! There is something about floating decoys in the summer that really gets the blood pumping for the upcoming duck season. It's almost bittersweet....

Great looking rigs and good eats.
 
Thanks Chris! I'm learning, you can either paint feathers or stamp them. It's alot easier to stamp them.

Dave - You Michigan guys were our inspiration for this. You guys do it up! Can't wait to hunt this season... Pat
 
Brandon - Those are Dave Ludington's. Both Tim and I agree the hen is outstanding. Dave is becoming quite the decoy carver...
 
I like the Specks and Canada Goose decoys! I am surprised the Canada didn't have feather stamping on it..... Great looking decoys by all of you guys!


Tim
 
Pat,
I have a few Wildfowlers dine, just not painted yet. The painting is easier than learning to run the machine....getting it figured out with each run that I make.

Tim
 
Brandon,

Wow, thank you for the compliment on my Mallards! After floating them next to your Red Heads I feel humbled by your compliment. Pat and Tim have a lot of influence in my carving and it has become a very rewarding hobby. Maybe after the 2014/15 season is over we can work out a swap for one of my blocks for one of yours. Again, thank you.

David
 
Phil - I appreciate the comments. The cans are a copy of some Delta Marsh Cans by Duncan Ducharme. Ducharme copied the Heron Lake canvasback decoy style for James Ford Bell the founder of Delta Waterfowl. They are unique in style and classic Manitoba decoys. It was basically Ducharme's style. Whether he had any specific purpose in the body design, I am unsure.

At the float we all talked about the style and wondered but, by the end of the night, we found them to be very "canvasback like". Bottomline, good enough to fool a canvasback. Here is a shot of an actual Ducharme Can...

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Pat

As we talked about that night, the Delta Marsh cans had a very pronounced silhouette that really showed up when in the water. I have to admit, I too, was confused about the reverse tear drop, but after seeing them in the water I am a believer...after all, how many cans were shot over that style? The world may never know....

Dave
 
Shamefully Dave, too many. In the era of these decoys there was significant over harvest. I am thankful we are beyond that and, through great conservation agencies and directives, we've turned that around. However, out of darkness can come light. In the 1920's, James Ford Bell had a vision to put back 2 for every 1 canvasbacks he harvested on the Delta Marsh. That, gave birth to Delta Waterfowl...

Conserve, protect and be good stewards of that which we've been endowed with...

 
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