My first decoy show / Havre De Grace 2014

Paul F Boundy

Paul F Boundy

Well-known member
We spent alot of time in the decoy museum where I became lost in the lore of duck boats and guns.
Will post more of the decoys. Hope you like these.
Best - Paul

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Paul

Thanks for the vintage contest photo's, as I only got to see the winners. So much to SEE and so little time. I like the cameo by Mr. George Strunk.
 
that drake broadbill on Pat Vincenti's table is now in my living room

he makes some nice stuff.
 
I had a wonderful time in Havre De Grace. We stayed in the Currier House, a small B & B within walking distance to the Decoy Museum, the Maritime Museum and Carroll's Light and the boardwalk. Jane Currier is the niece of market hunter, guide and decoy carver James A. Currier. If anyone is looking for a exemplary B&B to stay at, I highly recommend The Currier House.
Her family has owned the house since 1831 and she has decorated the site with family photos including a large number of James Currier shaping his decoys with his hatchets, which are also on display at the home, along with an entire glass closet displaying finished and started decoys. Jane was kind enough to let us have a photo op holding a few of the decoys too.
She was quite the character and is amused by the current market prices of her uncle's decoys, which he sold for 1.25! She also shared that she gets a kick out of how some advertise her uncle's decoys as 'rare' and confided with us that she has hundreds in her basement.
It was just a great, low key, relaxing place to stay with a direct relationship to the heyday of waterfowling.
I will post some more photos of the house and Currier decoys soon.

Best - Paul
 
Great photos. Took me back to my one visit to the show in the nineties. I bought some of those miniature iron sinkbox replica cans, and then had to sell them later in hard times...interesting to find this here the week I was able finally to fit back inside my Harve De Grace polo shirt with the nice logo after losing some weight. Odd connection I know but interesting anyway
 
Great stuff Paul, thanks for posting. It's interesting how many different areas on the east coast had their own methods and traditions. I have a canada goose decoy made with canvas and slats from the Currituck Sound. The guy who made it was in his 80s and his wife had old news articles of the pair of them winning calling contests - calling by Mouth !

regards,
sarge
 
Sarge - Any chance you can post a photo of that slat/canvas goose? Would be very interesting to see a slat decoy from Currituck. Thanks for the info.
 
Sarge - Thank you very much for the photo. That Wire/Canvas Canada Goose, is a good example from NC. I was very curious, because you mentioned Slat/Canvas, even though some were made in that area, they are few and far between... I've been hooked on NC Canvas decoys since the 70's, when I first gunned over them at Oregon Inlet, and then Currituck Sound.

I have made a bunch of Wire/Canvas decoys, and now I'm deep into Slat/Canvas floaters, ala Joe Lincoln. Each one is a real challenge that I enjoy, and all go into my rig.
 
Hi Vince - yes it's wire and I was mistaken. The decoy is also fairly heavy which seems to be caused by the wood base. Not sure if gunners would be this heavy. I got to fish inside of Oregon inlet once and there is a lot of area in a big sound. Apparently, Currituck had a rich tradition but mostly private blinds as I remember reading. The water also looks like it could get pretty rough with the wrong wind !
 
Sarge - My guess is your decoy was made for the shelf, but lots of wires add weight, therefore a thick bottom board helps alot. Currituck. Pamlilco and Abermarle, are not bad if your careful, and have a good guide, or local friend that is Very experienced. Core Sound, in a box blind is where I thought we would DIE (hey we are duck hunters). It Blew A Gale, the Decoys sank on their short lines, and water and waves came in the blind. Redheads and Pintails flew by so close, you could almost touch them... We never fired a shot, and when the guide came to carry us back, he bitched us out for Not Shooting! I said "how would we retrieve the birds?" He very calmly said "Oh I woulda found em". I will never forget the boat ride out and back, ass bustin' and head bangin'. We ate good that night, drank more than enough, and slept very well. Prior to that hunt we spent three days gunnin' Lake Matamuskeet.

Ya, I like NC Waterfowling alot, and highly recommend it to all who love our wonderful (but sometimes Insane) lifestyle.
 
Vince - I know what your mean about not firing in intense weather. Many years ago, we were out on a marsh on the bay side of cape cod in Barnstable. A front went through that produced rain to snow with howling winds and lightning and thunder. This was coupled with a buster of a high tide that eventually flooded the entire marsh. I did not want to shoot because I feared my dog would drown trying to make a retrieve. It was so rough outside in the bay that Brant streamed by us into the marsh. I had never had a chance at Brant but just did not dare.

Now we have to quit the post hijack but before I go.........looks like the Oregon inlet is getting hammered by Arthur right now.....hope all are safe down there.
sarge
 
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