South Shore Waterfowlers Duckboat Show - Sunday, November 5

George~

That never really got off the ground. I recall only a couple of years where it was featured - and the only Shows I've missed were Show #1 and Superstorm Sandy. They kept it on the flyer for years without really having a decoy contest or show. Which is why we have the Contemporary Decoy Exhibition at the LI Decoy Collectors Show in March - http://lidecoycollectors.org/2018-annual-show-contemporary-decoy-exhibition/

(You'll be getting some mail soon).

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve - Looking forward to seeing you and hopefully some other DB.net members there.

Seems the rescheduling from today till next week may work out better for the show. The weather report looks like it will be more accommodating then today's weather on Nov. 5th. However, there is a scheduled rain date of Nov 12th. if necessary.

Joe
 
Good morning, Joe~

I am happy to see the November 5 date - but I'll be gunning up here on the 12th if the 5th gets rained out. Interestingly, the early shows were all in November - back when our season opened before Thanksgiving. The November date was picked back then to give guys enough time to have their boats grassed and ready-to-hunt. Of course, we often "enjoyed" bone-chilling gales out of the northwest during the Show.

See you soon,

SJS
 
Steve - I'm really hoping the show will be on the 5th. The 12th I have a tentative appointment upstate in an treestand waiting for delivery of backstraps

Joe
 
Good morning, Phil~

Chance of showers in the afternoon - dry AM.

I'll be leaving here around 3:00 - counting on SHOW ON.....

It has been postponed only a time or 2 in 40 years.

SJS
 
Good morning, Rich~

Somehow we missed each other....

I had a great time. Got there at 7:30 and left about noon:thirty. It seems the last minute date change and threats of rains kept the attendance down.

I forgot my camera. I had left home at 3:00 AM, got almost 4 miles down the road when I remembered it was still on my bench in the shop.....no turning back.

So, I have a bunch of bench photos of a few decoys that made their way back home with me.

I bought this Al McCormick bird because I had no high-head of his. It has a bit of re-paint on the head - Al typically sprayed the crown stripe - so I will likely try to return it to its original condition in my "spare time".

Click to enlarge any photo.

View attachment sm 01 McCormick High-head FULL.JPG

The next bird was a real surprise. I met Charlie Pfankuchen a couple of years ago at this Show. He provided a bunch of wonderful photos for our On the Falling Tide Black Duck documentary - including our only photos from Jamaica Bay in the 1930s. Charlie made this nice preener when he was 15 or 16. He just restored it and presented to me as a gift.

View attachment sm 02 Pfankuchen Preener FULL.JPG

The next decoy was yet another Black Duck - not surprising on Great South Bay. This bird is one of the first Wildfowler Decoys - from Old Saybrook, CT - in 1939 or 40 (company was started in '39). It is life-size balsa - their Superior Model.

View attachment sm 03 Wildfowler - Superior Model Black FULL.JPG

It was this exquisite head that caught my eye. And - because the bird has seen some hard use - the price was in my bracket.

NOTE: Later on, Wildfowler mortised the bases of the heads into the bodies.

View attachment sm 04 Wildfowler - Superior Model Black - HEAD.JPG

Tim Sieger - LIDCA past president and expert collector - assured me I could restore it without any harm to its value. It'll be for my own collection - probably residing in my shop where I can appreciate that sweet profile.

Here is Page 61 from the Cowan & LaFountain Wildfowler Decoys book.

View attachment sm 05 Page 61 - Superior Model Decoys.jpg

The next surprise was from John Verbeke. John was one of the "stars" in our When the Broadbill was King on Great South Bay DVD. He turns 80 in a week or so. His high energy and good cheer are always a treat. He was given this Goose many decades ago when he rescued another gunner and towed him back across the Bay in a blow. He will be giving it to his daughter and asked me to re-carve the head and body to give it a bit more style. The head is pine and the body is layered natural cork - probably salvaged from life jackets.

View attachment sm 06 Verbeke Goose FULL.JPG

It seems that at every Show, good friend Bill Ferraro sidles up to me with a sheepish grin. It always begins with a request for advice and soon devolves to "Would you do it ?" This year it's a RBM - Sheldrake in our local parlance.

View attachment sm 07 Old Way Decoys - RBM FULL.JPG

This nice black (aka refrigerator) cork bird was made by Old Way Decoys in western New York. I have never heard of them - but I'm hoping Glenn Sweet may have some leads. Or, Franklinville is not far from Vince Pagliaroli's haunts, I believe.....

View attachment sm 09 Old Way Decoys - STAMP.JPG

The tail replacement with be the subject of a separate post - complete with painting tutorial. I hope to save the cork now attached to the tail board - and make a new tail insert from 1/4-inch AC sealed with epoxy.

View attachment sm 08 OLD WAY MERG - tail break.JPG

Next year, I will remember my camera.

All the best,

SJS
















 
interesting - I think of the Franklinville area more as grouse country than for ducks


i'll have to keep an eye out for them when we go antiquing around there

the stamp on the bottom looks to be the same print style as the Decoys Unlimited markings
 
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