Nova Scotia eider tub

Keith Mueller

Keith Mueller

Active member
Since it is (kinda) a boat....I thought everyone would like to see this eider tub I have in my collection. Unfortuntely I don't have the room to display it, I bring it out of my shed once and a while and set it up. History: this tub came from Tancook Island on the East coast of Nova Scotia. Tancook is known as the premier location in Nova Scotia for eider hunting, and the most important area in Nova Scotia for decoy carving and history. There are many known carvers from Tancook, but the Levy family is the most well known. THis tub was used by the Levy family.

The set up tub......

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Another view.....


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The gunners box....


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Another view.....


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inside the gunners box..... can you imagine the leg cramps from squatting in this box for hours!

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THis is one of the two original "ballast stones" that were used on the tub. It weighs 65 lbs, and it was selected because of its ideal shape....which is round, but wedge shaped from the side. The iron ring was embedded into the stone in a hand drilled hole, and then was wedged in place. Very ingenious!


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THe "underwater" view of the gunners box.....


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An uspide-down view.....


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The "wing board" key set-up. The "keys" are carved oak, and the "wing clips" leather and woven nylon straping which are secured in place by "U-shaped" iron rings.

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A few of the Levy family decoys.....


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I was just about to ask, "They use ballast, right?" The center of bouyancy on that 'box is spooky.

Where do the ballast stones go? In the 'box? Or, are they hung from the bottom, outside the 'box?

Really neat stuff. Love the blocks too.
 
My favorite Levy eider decoy.....


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One of the most common and simple ballast weights for the decoys......part of a metal well pump handle. I have seen horse shoes, railroad spikes, window sash weights, and just about everything you could think of being used.


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The four "wing boards".......you can see that juvenile eider decoys were featured.....


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The mate to my duck tub actually set up off Tancook. (Image from the book "the Open Sea" about Tancook Island.


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ive hunted in them ,and a few other types as well when i was young buck ,but have no pictures ,thank you so much...,they use jack up tubs to as well as sink boxes,ive hunted in alot of different tubs ,from old steel pipes or oil barrels sunk in the bottom of the bay with rocks piled on to plywood ones and even a concrete one all look like an island of rock from the distance...now the deadly ones are like you have there and the jack up ones which now adays has a seat to sit on so you dont get cramps...but i bet the owner of that tub didnt get cramps as back then you were in and got your limit and were trading spots with his buddy on the tender...

the bonus of your tub is can be moved around from bay to bay the jack up can not be moved as it is a tub with in a tub which you raise and lower with the tide...at low tide its like a pile of rocks from a distance...rocks are the ballast.....holding them down from outside..

now ive seen your type of tub with lead sheets in the bottom and extra ballast rocks hung on the sides,, i imagine it would help to hunt with fellas the same weight as a big fella mite get wet jumping in to fast...lol

thank you for a blast from my past....
i never hunted down that way but it is known for some fun shootin...
shermie
 
CP or Robert......you were too quick for me. I was just adding the last post. :) You can see the had forged iron ballast and anchor line attachment strap on the bottom of the gunners box. I believe they still use these tubs in some areas of Nova Scotia. They were legal as of a few years ago, not sure if they still ar! You can check the internet to see if you are interested.
 
As I was progressing through the thread I knew that I had seen pictures of this before......

You answered my question: Joel Barber's book

That is truly a piece of our waterfowling heritage Keith.....thanks for sharing
 
Keith, Thanks for sharing your pictures of the tub. It's an interesting and unique part of Waterfowling history. In looking at the design of the tub, I imagine that setting it up and hunting from it would require calmer seas as compared to a sinkbox. Do you know how it handled rough water?
 
Thank You Shermie, I really appreciate your information and your history with the tub. I will copy your information and put it with the other info that I have on it. My wife and I have been to your beautiful part of the world three times, and we really enjoyed our trips there....in fact we fell in love with the Yarmouth area around Chebouge Point (sp?)....the view on top of the field looking down the marsh looking out over the sea and the islands was breathtaking!! It reminded us of Ireland or Scotland!! Just beautiful!! We were on Tancook once for a short visit.....besides breathing in the decoy and sea duck hunting history, but mostly to try their sauerkraut!!! It is every bit a s good as I heard it was!!! :)

I was also told that often in calmer seas and light winds, the tub would sit too high in the water, so they would partially fill the tubs with sea water to set lower in the water. Than when the seas or winds rose, they would bail the tub out with a "pee bailer"!! I have a large picture of one of the original owners of this box which was set up during a hunt, and the gunner is posing with the "pee bailer" in his hand. I will try and have the photo resized, and if I do, I will post a picture of it.

Once again, Thank you for your added history of "tub gunning".

Regards,

Keith
 
THanks Glen, check out Shermie's reply, and my reply to him. He would be in a better position to answer that for you....he gave us a huge bit of infor about tubs.
 
You are welcome k. and Bob.....I am glad you are enjoying this thread about a really interesting hunting style from our history.
 
Keith,

First off I want to say Welcome to the site, I have admired your work for years and appreciate how you've helped young carvers get started.


Second what's great about the site is how it attracts such a wide base of guys who are serious about waterfowling. One of the guys is Philip Finck who hails from Ironbound Island N.S.. He has a tub that he still uses and is planing on setting up a guide service. The link is to some pictures Dani posted when she and Steve were invited up. Kind of living history.

Dani in the tub

Thanks for posting pictures of your tub. Would Please post next time you have it out and set up so interested guys like myself could swing by and take a look? (editing - Just to put the request in perspective, I'm hoping some time in the next 5 to 10 years that you will haul it our again and when you do please let us know. thx)

Scott

ps: My wife Barb picked up my workbook copy last fall and started to look through it. she looked up and said "this is an expensive book!" You should be commended for providing a top quality product and best of all keeping the publishing local. Thank you!
 
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Very cool post... thank you..

BTW... I work in Chester... would love to come over and see your toys someday... especially the Simmons...

Great stuff.

Thanks, Andrew
 
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Unfortunately I don't have the room to display it,,,,,,,
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Keith,

I suppose the local officials would frown on you setting it up in the local bay waters during hunting season for "display purposes only". Just kidding!!

Pretty neat piece of history you have there. When one studies the items used for hunting at that time, it gives meaning to the term "working decoy". As the picture of the keel weight illustrates, these tools (decoys as well as the box) were made to get the job done, nothing more nothing less.

Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
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