Zach Houvener
Active member
Is it just me, or is it seeming like forever to get to duck season...
This last couple days, I have had that bug...that drives me 24/7 to just be around ducks,decoys,books,anything that has something related to the obsession I call a hobby. One thing I've really had the itch to do is try taxidermy and mounting my own birds that I know some members do, I've looked into building a boat, but after limited funds and trying to graduate high school...the one thing that I know I can do right now is carve decoys...
Im a very goal oriented person, and setting goals for myself is what I like to do, whether athletically, school wise, or duck wise(sp?) Im into the rich hunting tradition and the things that go along with that, one of those things is having a rig of handcarved cork or wooden decoys.
One of my lifelong goals I've decided for myself is to carve a rig of every N.A. species, and to harvest a speciman with that certain species of decoy deployed. I know theres some debates about which species are huntable and what not, but for my sake, I will limit it to 30. Wood duck, Green-Wing Teal, Blue Wing Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead, Ringneck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Barrows Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ruddy, Common Eider, King Eider(I can always dream right ) Harlequin, Oldsquaw, Surf, White-Wing, and Black Scoter, Hooded, Redbreasted, and Common Merganser.
So off I went into "the shop" and since have been working on my rig. Recently have finished a rig of three G-W Teal, which is my favorite puddler...
and working on a Woody...
Both are Cork, with Pine inserts and painted in oils...I only make gunners as every bird I make I WILL hunt with. I have been accepted and am going to Western Washington University, and am excitied for the duck hunting oppurtunities I will have there. Anyone who carves up in the B-Ham area I would love to get together and carve on a couple weekends if your up for it! Thanks for letting me vent, as I am stoked for the upcoming season!
Zach
This last couple days, I have had that bug...that drives me 24/7 to just be around ducks,decoys,books,anything that has something related to the obsession I call a hobby. One thing I've really had the itch to do is try taxidermy and mounting my own birds that I know some members do, I've looked into building a boat, but after limited funds and trying to graduate high school...the one thing that I know I can do right now is carve decoys...
Im a very goal oriented person, and setting goals for myself is what I like to do, whether athletically, school wise, or duck wise(sp?) Im into the rich hunting tradition and the things that go along with that, one of those things is having a rig of handcarved cork or wooden decoys.
One of my lifelong goals I've decided for myself is to carve a rig of every N.A. species, and to harvest a speciman with that certain species of decoy deployed. I know theres some debates about which species are huntable and what not, but for my sake, I will limit it to 30. Wood duck, Green-Wing Teal, Blue Wing Teal, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Pintail, Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Eurasian Wigeon, Canvasback, Redhead, Ringneck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Barrows Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ruddy, Common Eider, King Eider(I can always dream right ) Harlequin, Oldsquaw, Surf, White-Wing, and Black Scoter, Hooded, Redbreasted, and Common Merganser.
So off I went into "the shop" and since have been working on my rig. Recently have finished a rig of three G-W Teal, which is my favorite puddler...
and working on a Woody...
Both are Cork, with Pine inserts and painted in oils...I only make gunners as every bird I make I WILL hunt with. I have been accepted and am going to Western Washington University, and am excitied for the duck hunting oppurtunities I will have there. Anyone who carves up in the B-Ham area I would love to get together and carve on a couple weekends if your up for it! Thanks for letting me vent, as I am stoked for the upcoming season!
Zach
