Frond + Ringneck Drake =

Very cool. I'd like to make a small rig of those. I hunt a freshwater lake once in a while and we'll get a couple small flocks of those. They look like little buzz bombers coming in over the water, low and fast.

Nate
 
Small rig of ringbills?.... Basement, aisle seven, next to the widgeon & waders.

Feathered jets for sure.

ringerrig 004 (600 x 323).jpg

ringerrig 001 (600 x 375).jpg
 
Bob,

You never disappoint! Those fronds have such a lifelike shape. I like the decoy racks. I'd love to see the rest of the collection but I might be overcome with envy!!!

Best wishes,
Gene
 
Dang Bob! You're killing me!! Someday somebodies going to call you in to report you're holdling real ducks hostage in your basement...

Great work as usual. Pat
 
I had the MLBob Pintail in among the spread, the last day I hunted it, had a couple guys walk through on a berm and had to yell at them before they shot at it. Bob's decoys trick the hunters and the ducks :-0

Hitch
 
Bob, I had the pleasure of finally meeting Bobby Sutton this weekend, and he couldn't stop talking about your frond birds. He was telling anybody that would listen how much he loves them. He's quite a piece of work, too.

That's a cool little bird, by the way.
 
That sounds like Bobby. He talks; people listen.

Seriously though, Bob Sutton is one of the National Treasures of the decoy world. If you ever got to see him run an auction, you'd have seen a true master at work. Many's the weekend I suddenly had money to pay the hotel bill and buy some gas & carving supplies only because Bob sold the heck out of my auction bird.

Bobby took the slide that Bill Koelpin used when he painted this portrait of Buckeye Joe:

reflections_small.jpg

He has some great stories about his visits with Joe & Jeannie in Ashley.
 
I've always thought that you make as nice of a Ringneck as anyone. I'm quite proud of my one MLBob carving that I have, a Ringer hat pin I got from Mr Rongers. You always seem to have that same great style.

Tim
 
I have no idea what a "frond" is. Could someone please explain to me what it or they are?
Click to expand...


Chris,

In the areas where they're found, old-time makers ( particularly in some areas of California) used the trimmings from Date & Queen palms (Actually the pod the fronds themselves grow out of) for decoy bodies. With a little imagination and paint the fronds can be turned into some pretty neat gunning birds.

"Fronds" from a Canary Island date palm:

Palm frond dekes 002 (600 x 399).jpg

Carved with head & keel added:

4thblackfrondrig 015 (600 x 321).jpg

At work:

Postseason 037 (600 x 351).jpg
 
MLBOB, wow! I had no idea that you made those decoys from that. Simply amazing. I thought that since i kill a lot of birds that i had the whole thing figured out; only to be "shown the light" be the happenings on this site.
 
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