If you want to collect one decoy a year, which carver would you start with???

I've been working on a rig for my Son and each year for his birthday I add to it. All have been from friends. One I really, really, really wish I had in his rig is a Lee Harker bird.
 
Mentors, freinds, guys from this forum, carvers you meet, but most importantly decoys you'd like to hunt over, are made to hunt over and can afford to use and scratch up. If its someone new to me, I ask whats their favorite bird to carve or what bird they like to hunt. I also like to buy decoys from different regions and match the species thats most likely to be shot in that area. I do trades with fellow carvers and like to buy one or two a year from guys I meet. I have also gotten in buying old decoys that don't have collector value and restore them to be put back into use, I have a few that date to well over 100 years old. But again buy what you like.
 
I would take a pair of scoters or eider from Hank Garvey. Then, maybe a scoter or eider from Keith Mueller. A pair of blacks from Grayson Chesser. A pair of widgeon from Jim Higgins. I'd love to get a black duck from by bud, Kenley Robison.

If they were still alive today, I would love to have an eider or coot from Capt. Gerald Smith. A self bailing scoter from Joe Lincoln, and an eider from Gus Wilson would be sweet too.




Nate
 
This should keep you busy for a while... In this order...

Mojo Flyway Feeder Motion Duck Decoy

Vortex Rotating Spinning Wing System

WINDUK Snow Goose Decoy

Edge Expedite Top Gun

Baby Mojo Motorized Duck Decoy

WINDUK Duck Decoy – Mallard Drake

Super Wonderduck Tornado

Splash "Skeeter" Swimming Duck

Wonderduck Pintail Paddle Wheel



A serious answer would be to go local or go with guys that you know and like. What species are you thinking? Have you given any thought if you would like cork or cedar? I like building rigs (not that I've done much carving or collecting in the past 5 years) - for someone in the Northeast Blacks make a lot of sense as a rig to start with.
 
Last edited:
A twist I've put on the little bit of collecting that I've done is to look for decoys that are pleasing to my eye, find out who the carver is, then try and get a bird or two from their hunting rig. Some these can be challenging to obtain. For example I pestered Bob Swann (Wisconsin)for two years before I was able to get my hands on a pair of Bluebills from a rig he carved back in '04-'05. I also have rig birds from Phil Babe, Ron Snow, Pat Gregory, George Williams, Burel Goodin, Tom Humberstone, George Root and Jim Williams. Its really fun to sit back and compare the various birds...how they look on the water, head positions, etc. while waiting for the next flight of ducks. They also give me some pretty good examples to model my decoys after. Most of all just have fun with it!
 
I would say first and foremost the decoy(s) must appeal to you.

I also have some loyalty to decoys from my region, but a lot of the chesepeake bay style canvasbacks really appeal to me.

Collections are personal, so you have to collect what you like.

Investing on the other hand . . .

NR
 
I hae thought about collecting decoys of each species instead of mounting birds, the wife can handle decoys better than dead stuff hanging around.
So, who would I collect first?
Not sure who would be first but the carvers who hang out here & the MLB site would be my first picks. We are truely blessed with some talent on this site.

Dream rig would be a full spread of decoys by all the guys on the site and a boat by Dave, that would be sweet!
 
I collect decoys I can hunt over, not just shelf sitters, and although I'd love a Schmedlin decoy or 20, I just can't shell out that kind of dough.

Here's whose decoys I hunt with, in the order I thought of them:

A few my kids made or painted
Grant Werdick
Ian Feir
Geoff Vine
Dave Sikorski
I've got a bunch of Lou's
Tommy Matus
Special K's
Dr. Steve
John Linn
Brian from Oz
Lee Slikkers
Stefane Bougie
Mark Schupp
Patrick Vincenti

For me, if I saw a decoy I liked I tried to buy or trade for it. Its fun that I got to know the carvers in the process.

A friend of mine told me a while back that if a piece of art talks to me, and sticks in my mind, I should buy it right away. He said it will never be cheaper than the day I first saw it.

I'm with Carl too. I started a collection of mounted birds, but decided decoys were more fun. I write stuff on the bottoms too, like if I hunted with the guy or what kind of day it was on a memorable hunt.

If I was making a collection as an investment, I have no clue. But as a gunning rig to use and display there's a lot to chose from under $300 a bird. If you see a decoy you really like, check it out.

Mike
 

Several years ago, Gene Chandler (Eugene Allen-E.Allen) & I drove out to Keith Mueller's place in CT and then we all drove out to hunt Nantucket Sound with Dave Clark, Paul Dobrosky, Tim Leary (and a couple others I can't recall). When I saw these dekes of Keith's.....I thought that I'd like to own one someday. Bummer, when he was ready to sell them, he wouldn't ship and they went somewhere else. I do have a pair of our E. Allen Oldsquaw that were painted by Keith and given to me sometime later to gun over. Very cool.

Then too......I'd like to have a Dave Clark bird, Garvey bird, Dobrosky bird...and many more.................so little time, so little money. ;)

The pic is of Keith holding some of those hand carved, hollow, painted birds of his. Very cool.
Lou

View attachment EiderHt-01.jpg
 
Ryan I can probably hook you up on that... Let me know what your looking for... We kept a few...


As for collecting,

We cant wait to get a Pat Gregory decoy! (we as in mainly Blake) Just need to save up my dollars before christmas as that is one thing he already has on his list....


Bridget
 
What a great thread. Over the years I have collected by what I like in bird. My favorite is the GWT followed by Canvasbacks and Black ducks. Then I met a few of the carvers, liked their work and collected their work. I have decoys from:

Myself, as they don't belong in public
P. Rutgers
Ian Feir
Pat Gregory
Yukon Mike
Willy McDonald
Pat Vencenti
Paul Gibson
Capt. Harry Jobes and Sons
Birdsall
Jim Higgins
and more

Eventually I'd like to collect a:

T.Matus
B. Furia
Cigar Daisy
Jodie Hillman
Chesser
and a
Jeff Coats (Pit Boss) Scoter

Bill V.
 
I did not see George post yet and I thought he would by now. Every year at the HDG show we have a picnic and swap. What ever the rig is for that year is the decoy that we swap. We have been doing this for a bunch of years. It has been fun and you never know who's decoy you will end up with.
Mike
 
Aside from the money value, I have been lucky to trade some decoys with several guys, some from this site, and really cherish the ones I got. I have met most at sometime or another and that means alot to me. They are not just a decoy but a person behind the work. Does that make sense. I am proud of each and everyone and hope the other guy feels the same. Rodney
 
Wow , thats a bunch of information, i really want decoys i can hunt with , and i'm trying to look up all the names that were mentioned in this thread trying to familiarize with thier work.
 
Denks, just remember, decoys were made to hunt. Last week, I floated a 1920's pintail of my great grandad's. He'd abeen proud! I'll bet those Roots would suck'em in on Pool 13... pg
 
nobody is gonna throw a cajun in the mix? I will buy a Vizier
Click to expand...

Actually, there's already a Cajun in the mix....Pat Godin. He's Cajun by marriage since his wife is Jimmy Vizier's daughter. ;)
Lou
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top