Long Island Waterfowling Traditions DeQuillfeldt Family

[Anthony Babich]

Recently I visited a friend here locally to document some content for a new project I've been working on to preserve the rich waterfowling history of my local town Amityville, NY. I visited Paul DeQuillfeldt one of the long-standing generations of our friendly village and was in absolute awe of the variety of historical images, artifacts, publications & artwork scattered around his family's marina. Paul's father ran "The Hunter" a 1930's 42' wooden vessel previously owned by Natalie Peters (Peter's Ammunition Co) and was an avid competition rifle shooter even shooting alongside Anne Oakley! His grandfather was an extraordinary inventor even spending some time constructing various military equipment for WW1. He invented various items from Dog Muzzles, Bottle tops, Bottle Stamping Machines, Self-Turning Shaft Propellers / Rudders, & much much more. It was truly unbelievable to describe the talent & ingenuity..

I spent quite a few hours documenting everything I could find and took well over 600+ images. Here's a sneak peek at some of the content I captured, some may recognize a few images as @Steve Sanford recently visited Paul as well in part of the "150 Years of Waterfowling History" on Long Island.
Many of Paul's family's artifacts are in various museums throughout NY state.

Here's a look inside.... enjoy! I plan on detailing all of this content coming in the Summer of 2026!
Oh and BTW... the woman in the images is Paul's mother who was lucky enough to spend her "honeymoon" out on the marshlands for a duck hunt! Where else would you rather be!?! That's a keeper...
All of these images are captured from the family here on The Great South Bay. (I even caught my father in one of the images from 1976)

Charlie DeQuilfeldt Accepting Sharpshooter Award (1920's)

The SS Virginia In Amityville Creek

Charlie Enjoying a Photoshoot for Amityville Postcard on GSB

SinkBox Gunning on Great South Bay:

The Winning Catch Local Fluke Tournament Caught on "The Hunter"

Heading Back In The "Idler" 3328 In The Background as the Battery Rig

The Morning's Harvest Sub Gauges 4GA / 6GA

Hunting On The Ice "Till The Ammo Was Out" Sailing Rig's

Mrs. DeQuillfeldt's Honeymoon Aboard The Marshboat

Mrs. DeQuillfeldt (Day After Wedding)

Mrs. DeQuillfeldt With The 4GA

Charlie DeQuillfeldt (First Teal) Amityville, NY

Shovin Back In The Low Water

Fishing Amityvlle Creek

DeQuillfeldt Marina

Charlie DeQuillfeldt

Gunning The Ice / Broadbill 1976 My Father Mike in the foreground



Amityville Rowing Team



The Inventions Paid Off! The Rewards...


United States Patent "Throwable Shooting Device"

 

[Anthony Babich]

Some of the Family's Collection

Paul DeQuillfeldt Showing How The Bottle Stamp Invention Works..

Some of the inventions of Charles

Dog Muzzle Invention August 1872

Invention #2 Bottle Stoppers January 1875

Misc Shooting Products Ammo, Belts, Boxes Etc..

THE .4 GAUGE



Shell Sales Kits: Used to Showcase The Loads, Packaging At Sporting Events

The Wood To Make Gun Stocks

One of the stocks almost finished

Self-Loading Tools / Gun Making Equipment

The Original Boat

This is the boat above:

Interior Boat

The Transom

The Workshop:

United States Navy Mounted Compass (Intentionally Destroyed)

Military Invention WW1 Injured Warrior Transportation / Armour

 

[Anthony Babich]

 

[Steve Sanford]

Good morning, Anthony~

WOW!!! I am so envious that you got to spend so much time with Paul! As you will recall, I could visit for just an hour - had to hurry back to East Islip to care for my Mom. My only solace is that Paul and I agreed it was just Chapter 1....
I have not yet visited the workshop - or seen many of the documents and artifacts.

One light-bulb that went on in this old head: I had always known of the Peters estate - right across Champlins Creek where I first launched my clamming garvey - and where my Dad (and later I) kept our gaff sloop WILLET. I believe the land is now part of the Seatuck NWR. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/seatuck

It never occurred to me that the Peters was the same Peters as in Peters ammunition. Sad to say, I recall my Dad's boxes of Peters duck loads - but none have survived the years. The hulls were a waxed paper - but the "brass" was solid brass and actually "rustless".



We are lucky that a few remnants of the original "mainland" salt-marshes along the South Shore remain - all in public ownership now - as parks and refuges. Most were lost during the post-WW II filling and building - before the first tidal wetlands laws (around 1965, I think). The loss to the natural world is truly profound.

Nevertheless - thanks so much for posting. I hope to get back with Paul on one of my next trips south.

All the best,

SJS

 

[J. Overland]

Absolutely fantastic images and stories. Have the 4ga and 6ga remained in the family?

 

[Tim Chelius]

Anthony-
What an incredible job of documenting the amazing history of this one family in Amityville, NY. Outstanding photography as usual! It’s mind boggling how deep this one family goes back in shaping the bay front culture of the south shore of Long Island. Who knew that Peters ammunition had connections to L.I. I can’t help but wonder how many other bayfront towns & villages along the south shore with similar history that are being lost to the passage of time because no one took the time to document it. Kudos to you for keeping the Bayman’s history alive and well in your part of the world.
Regards,
Tim C.

 

[Anthony Babich]

Absolutely fantastic images and stories. Have the 4ga and 6ga remained in the family?

The 4GA was sold for an undisclosed amount, the 6A is still within the family along with other weapons

 

[Anthony Babich]

Anthony-
What an incredible job of documenting the amazing history of this one family in Amityville, NY. Outstanding photography as usual! It’s mind boggling how deep this one family goes back in shaping the bay front culture of the south shore of Long Island. Who knew that Peters ammunition had connections to L.I. I can’t help but wonder how many other bayfront towns & villages along the south shore with similar history that are being lost to the passage of time because no one took the time to document it. Kudos to you for keeping the Bayman’s history alive and well in your part of the world.
Regards,
Tim C.

Thanks Tim, lots of rich history on Long Island specifically Great South Bay & South Shore. Honored to document and share the amazing world of how it once was back then.... truly what a time to be alive! I reached out to Ryan we'll see if we can get something going here a vast amount of information from Inventions, boats, decoys, professional shooting events, the DeQuillfeldt family truly captures it all here.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Anthony

My head is swimming looking at all the wonderful pictures. You said this was in your home town of Amityville. Is this your first chance to see the marina and collection of family history or had you know about it and been there before? I am really looking forward to your project release.

As I was looking through your pictures a thought came to me. I think it would be amazing if the feds would create a "Heritage Day" hunt, similar to the youth and veterans hunt, where traditional guns and means could be used in the harvest of ducks and geese. These tools of the hunt would have to be produced prior to the MBTA of 1918. It would be an opportunity for hunters to gather and celebrate. I suspect the harvest would be insignificantly small but the community of hunters that would gather and celebrate the sport's rich history would be significant.

Excellent work Anthony. You have chosen to focus your photography and video production talents on subjects that would probably go unseen were it not for your undeniable curiosity of duck boats and vintage waterfowling. I salute you!

Eric

 

[RM Anderson]

Anthony,
I love the old sink box hunting photo. One thing that I have always wondered about is how a curtain blind is legal but a sink box isn't? RM

 

[Steve Sanford]

Anthony,
I love the old sink box hunting photo. One thing that I have always wondered about is how a curtain blind is legal but a sink box isn't? RM

RM~

The difference is the "floating".....

Under United States federal regulations (50 CFR 20.21), a sinkbox is defined as a "low floating device, having a depression affording the hunter a means of concealment beneath the surface of the water".

I have never seen a curtain blind, but I always thoughts they were grounded - or even sunk into the bottom - with just the curtain's upper edge floating up and down with the tides.

https://obxoutdoors.com/what-to-bring-faq/

Also, some of us distinguish between sinkboxes (a boat with floodable/pumpable compartments) and a battery (aka "machine" sometimes. Raymond Camp in The Hunter's Encyclopedia:




In the many legal battles in New York over the years (from their inception, it seems), the term "battery" was the term used.

As Eric suggested above, I have long thought that some long-ago "outlawed" methods could be re-legalized. Both batteries (No - not spinning wing decoys!) and live decoys would have little impact on harvest - because the work involved would be limiting. Season length, shooting hours and especially daily limits would minimize their impact. (Note how bans on 3-shells and e-callers have been lifted for Snow Geese).

All the best,

SJS