Decoy Carver identification needed

J

John Hartke

New member
Hello all, I have been a lurker here on the site. and it just dawned on me to place pics here and see if anything shakes out. I picked these 4 decoys up 15+ years ago and have been in my collection ever since. The branding on the bottom of all of them is JEP jr ( the jr is capitalized but small than the JEP) see pictures below. All I have been told is they are more than likely from a long island NY carver, the details in paint of the head is so lifelike, solid bottom board and keel board body is of a tight dense cork material. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Alright show why I have been a lurker... I cannot u load the picture cause they exceed a limit? how do I resize the picture or could someone offer there expertise and I will email them to you and can help me ... thanks.. John
"Forever listening in the morning light for whistling wings"
 
John,

Two options;
(A) picture posting help
(B) email them to me and I will post them for you


Photos;

Decoys014_zps370a05a7.jpg


Decoys012_zps7ba9ef39.jpg


Decoys013_zpsf2ce697e.jpg


Decoys015_zpsa71bbe9f.jpg

 
Last edited:
A lot in that bird reminds me of an early ned mayne gunning block. Mainly in the head(relief of the bill) and cheek and crown width, although i don't believe he made any in burnt cork and I've only seen one or two gunners with glass eyes. Really a great find! Ill show it to him when i see him next week and see what he says. I would love to gun over 18 of them!
 
John~

I am virtually positive the carver is Joe Pendergast (not sure of spelling). He was a member of the Pattersquash Club on Bellport Bay (east end of Great South Bay). He and I both lived in East Patchogue for a while. I have one of his birds. His rigs always featured big, rugged "tan cork" (from Wiley's Cork Company back in the day) bodies with the upswept tail and interesting head postures finely painted.

Your's is certainly a nice bird.

The last I heard, he was experiencing poor health.

Let me know if you need more info - I can reach out to some friends who knew Joe better than I. Also, I'll photograph mine and post the pic so you can compare.

All the best,

SJS
 
John~

Here is the bird I have - from the early '90s, I think. Unlike yours, it is not branded. I'm guessing that means it was not from his personal rig.

PendergastBlackDuck001small_zpsaf72f196.jpg


PendergastBlackDuck002small_zps39e70cfb.jpg


That burned/oiled cork is hard to beat for this species.

All the best,

SJS
 
Dave and Steve,
Thank you very much for your assistance, greatly appreciated. Steve sent you a PM with one question if your could help. Thanks AGAIN!!!!
 
those are a perfect match! cool decoys! let me know if any more come up for sale. i want to build a black duck rig of pairs from true black duck carvers to gun over!
 
Steve, thank you so very much for the information on the decoys and also on Joe, I was able to contact him this weekend and we spoke for over a half hour, was able to show him the decoys and he was able to inform me on all my questions regard them, we spoke of the history of, making of, and the wonderful times in the field persuing these feathered fowls. Again thank you to all who viewed and commented on and assisted me in the search to learn more about these dekes.
 
Yes indeed I made those birds.

Always nice to see somebody likes them. I did have a stroke in 2006 and have not carved since.But I was very lucky as I was pretty much completely paralyzed on the left side and could not talk or walk. But I do both now and from my speech no one can tell I had a stroke. I still have some left side deficits so I have not started to carve again yet. I have 100 teal (BW & cinnamons) ready for paint and 100 black/mallard bodies awaiting heads. I will post some pictures of my rig if anyone is interested.

Steve - We lost the shack in March. There is a new inlet right in front of Pelican Island and at one point in was 12 feet deep right off the south meadow bank. We have most of the permits to rebuild the shack on Quanch - full circle as that's where Wilbur Corwin had the Bellport Gun Club.

Being up near the Battenkill, I guess you see Jamie Woods from time to time - say hi for me next time you see him.

Joe
 
Joe~

Glad to hear you are on the mend. Your name came up quite a few times this weekend - on Long Island. I spent most of the time either gunning - or visiting with gunners - some of them at a wake yesterday, for George Rigby, Sr. (You might know George, Jr. from the carving circles.) Some of the people you know include Craig Kessler, Dick Richardson, Mike and Lynne Scheibel. Jamie was back up here shooting geese while I was gunning Oldsquaw on Flanders Bay.

All the best,

SJS
 
Joe,

Beautiful birds ....... charred cork is about the best looking Black duck color going. Now that you found the forum you ought to pull up a chair a stay a while. You won't find a better group anywhere; friendly, helpful, honest, commited (or in need of being commited), etc. On this site everybody pretty much checks their ego at the door. Welcome!
 
Joe, Glad to hear you are doing well. Good to see you here at Duckboats. I still recall fondly our late night conversation at Westlake several years back.

I especially enjoyed hearing all the stories you were hoping to one day put into a short book etc..........IE Bare-assed in a sneakbox! LOL!
 
I remember sitting on the sofa and BS'ing too. It was so nice to put a face with a name...

I want to get out to Westlake this year - telling stories about duck shooting is so much fun.

I shot for the first time since 2006. I have lost so much hand eye.

I was never great, but I was an 18-20 (never 25 straight) shooter and a consistent 65%+ on the sporting clays. I went out and could not hit a thing - 3/25 UGH. But I guess it is just learning all over again I dont think I will ever hit much again (can't swing well) but I have a case of #8 20's to burn up tryin' to learn again.

I'll buy you a cocktail and myself a fake beer if I do get out there (sounds like 15-20 minutes of bull right there - too bad you remember the stories - I can't recycle them!)

Christmas cheer to all.

Let 'em come,damn it - Don't rise up till they put they put legs down.
 
Last edited:
I have a couple black ducks that are very similar to these from the personal rig of a friend of my father's. He has passed away but my dad thinks he may have used similar or the same patterns to make these. The heads have since been repainted, but they look pretty similar.

PhotoDec1175915AM.jpg


PhotoDec1175929AM.jpg


Ken Lion is the carver.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top