The Decoy Shed

Tim Speight

Tim Speight

Active member
A few years ago while Pat and I were on one of our adventures we decided someone needed to start telling the rest of the world about the unique personalities we’ve met in the waterfowling community.

Being unable to find anyone else capturing this information in a video format, we decided the someone had to be us.

So we’re creating a series of web episodes which will provide ideas and tips on how to get started carving or collecting. We’ll also share interviews with folks doing really cool stuff in the decoy world, and we’re going to introduce you to the current crop of working decoy artists and other folks striving to preserve the traditions of waterfowling.

We wanted to tell these stories and share this information in a new and engaging way. So we’re launching this video project to introduce and preserve as much about waterfowl decoy carving and collecting as we can.

Check out what we're up to at www.thedecoyshed.org

We’re off to a good start, but we need your help.

First become a sponsor… then tell all your friends about us, and invite them to become a sponsor as well.

Please help preserve and promote this distinctly American style of Folk Art.

Video segments from the St Charles decoy show will be posted soon.

Thanks!

Tim Speight







 
I like how you setup the head and very informative. Learned a few things I'm going to change in the way I currently setup a head.

Thanks,

Phil
 
Great site. I really liked the video on how to set up a head. I'll be changing a few things I have been doing. I also forwarded the video on decoy collecting to a friend of mine who has recently started collecting. I look forward to see what is to come! Thanks for taking the time.
 
Tim,
This is a great project. I was just commenting yesterday that waterfowling and decoy carving has such deep and interesting history associated with it and many of us are interested in that history but its almost a spoken history in many respects. When to many old guys pass on we loose some of it. We need to work to preserve the history foster interest it it and bring new people into the world of carving and or waterfowling.
 
what a cool concept! I was just talking to my dad at the ward world championship about the disconnect between guys my age(28) and his 64 when it comes to hunting. There were few to no young guys or girls at the show when I was there on sunday.... a real embarassment to the ward brothers who have given us so much and were so ahead of there time. I am fortunate to hunt with my father and am a 4th generation duckhunter.. My carving mentor is in his 70's and we still hunt together. I get very frustrated by this generation of hunters and lack of compassion for the sport and its roots.

By your conserving the resources of these true patriots of the sport, I hope your site envelopes the minds of young hunters, decoy makers, and boat builders. If you are ever in my area (southern delaware) and need a place to stay or are looking for some neat people to interview, or hell shoot some birds.. feel free to let me know. anything i can do to help. best of luck for your site in the future!
 
Tim and Pat, what a wonderful endeavor. I looked at most of the videos already today and even learned a thing or two, Thanks.

Was great to see you both at the Ohio show. Only sorry I couldn't have spent more time BS'n with you.
Keep up the great work and if I can help in any way, just yell. Heck, maybe next year at Ohio, you can do some carving, teaching and filming. Thanks for all you have done in keeping the tradition of decoys alive in America.


My best,
 
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Guys - Tim and I appreciate the kind words. And, we so appreciate our cameraman and brother waterfowler, Dave Ludington. What a blessing Dave has been to us. He is so gifted. I also appreciate Tim's drive and passion to do this. He is the driver for sure...

About this site, you guys are a big part of this. With technology the way it is, we now have capabilities to capture and share history in video and make it easily available. And, like Brandon said, if we don't take the time to capture this history, it will be lost.

We shared it at the St. Charles Show this weekend. We received significant support and endorsements by Rick Sandstrom, President of the MDCA, Donna Tonelli, author, historian and collector, Jon Deeter, co-owner of Guyette, Schmidt and Deeter, Phil Jones, decoy dealer and others.

So, here is what we need from you...

1. We need your feedback and your ideas.
2. We need your content and your links. If you have something that is good, please let us know.
3. We need you to visit the site frequently and socialize it with others.
4. We need your support.​

Our goal is to have this site to be a reliable, up to date resource for our decoy carving/collecting community. To, go beyond still pictures and to see video and hear the actual voices of those in our community.

Thanks again for the support and encouragement we've received thus far. It means alot to us. We plan to bring many good segments to the site in the future and have a long wish list of people/events to film. Thank you!

Tim, Dave and Pat
The Decoy Shed
Visit us at www.thedecoyshed.org
 
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Thanks guys! Pat and I have talked about doing this for years. Fortunately, the stars lined up for us this year and we were able to get the site up and running.

I believe we're improving with each segment we video, so watch for more and better segments.

Tim
 
Pat and Tim..... I like what you guys are doing, great idea to attract new people to decoy collecting and carving. If you need a hand or ideas, get in touch with me.
There are so many ways you guys can go with what you started, it will be interesting to see what all you come up with.......

Tim
 
Tim - Painting and Illinois River Decoy History with Mike Lashbrook is already on our radar screen. Mike's already agreed. I suspect we'll be filming this one soon. Stay tuned...

Also, we'd love to do a trip down to your place to do you and your collection. Pat
 
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