New Hitch fleet member

[Hitch]

Several years ago, I caught a Purple Galinulle in not so shy of a mood...

MLBob Furia suggested he may make a Purple Galinulle decoy using the photos and would give me first dibs.

Also used for inspiration was Audubon plate No 305 for the pose; it lends itself to the palm frond shape.

Bob's decoy arrived yesterday and today he helped to draw in a few wary teal.

Hitch

 

[Andrew]

Awesome work H.

 

[Bob B]

Man Bob,
that bird is amazing. I am just blow away again.
Hitch, thanks for spending the bucks on the camera so a photo of that magnitude could get into Bob's hands.

 

[Ed Askew]

That's an awesome decoy. Are they really that color during the hunting season in FL? We only see them that way in the spring and summer. Either they somewhere else or they're more of a black color in the fall down here.

Ed.

 

[Ryan Werden]

Sweet decoy Bob.

 

[Hitch]

That's an awesome decoy. Are they really that color during the hunting season in FL? We only see them that way in the spring and summer. Either they somewhere else or they're more of a black color in the fall down here.

Ed.

Catching the color is all a matter of catching the sun at the right angle relative to the eye, or camera lense in this case. These were shot in March I think, but they are as colorful in January. You see many more of them here in February and March though. If your at the wrong angle to the sun or if it's cloudy, they look very much the same.

Hitch

 

[MLBob Furia]

Wow. Beautiful photography (as usual). Good to see that it arrived.

Got skunked yesterday. After we go set, the snow came down heavy for a few hours. Had two on a jerk line that kept them working, but don't think they liked the looks of the rest of the decoys with 3" of snow on their backs. When the snow finally changed to rain, I poled out and dunked all the other dekes and thought we were golden, but alas, no other birds showed 'til pickup time.

Speaking of teal, here's a bluewing that I just finished for some friends who are giving it to their Mom as a Christmes present. Although it's rigged & weighted to hunt, I know it'll never see the water, so I did a fancy- scmancy paint job on the head. Decided I like spatter better.

View attachment BWteal 025 (600 x 399).jpg

I have that high-head teal photo you took stored....and I have a box of small fronds as well.

View attachment BWteal 025 (600 x 399).jpg