The Real Decoy

Meanderer said:
Duck hunter keeps it real with wood decoys

“I’m just as passionate about duck hunting at 63 as I was at 18,” said Vic Sutek of Columbiana County’s West Township. Only one thing has changed since then: He refuses to use plastic."

"He became enamoured of waterfowl in first or second grade, drawing pictures to hang on the wall. His father, Ed, was an outdoorsman who “hunted everything but ducks, but he introduced me to it,” Sutek said." (READ MORE)

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Vic Sutek uses a rasp to shape the cedar body of a long-tailed hen decoy. The long-tailed duck, which seasoned hunters knew as the oldsquaw, breeds in the arctic tundra and sometimes winters in the Great Lakes. It can dive to 200 feet in search of crustaceans, invertebrates and even small fish. (Barbara Mudrak photo)
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My late son was an animal lover, a strict vegetarian, and a duck fanatic. Like this man, he drew so many pictures of ducks in his youth. I carry an umbrella with a duck head handle in his memory.
 

Meanderer said:
Duck decoys
ca. 400 BC–AD 100
Lovelock Cave, Humboldt County, Nevada
Tule rush, feathers, cordage, paint
31 x 12 cm

134512_1000.jpg


"Envision a hunter crouched low amidst the tule marsh of centuries ago. The survival of his band depends on his skills as a hunter. In the early morning sky, flocks of ducks and geese fly by. His arrows cannot fly high enough into the sky to reach the flocks passing by, so he sets his best creative weapon on the water, the tule duck decoy. This is an ancient hunting tool used by his people from time immemorial. The floating tule duck brings the flock within reach, and his people survive another day".

"The art of making this clever hunting tool is a tradition that has been passed down from hunter to hunter throughout the centuries. Duck skins from earlier kills were stretched over the decoys, making them very lifelike. In even earlier times, the waterfowl’s feathers were woven onto the decoy and tied on with hemp strings. The heads and necks of some were painted to match the colors of the duck species. In doing this, the hunter made the duck decoy appear very real, and the waterfowl would then fly into the zone within reach of his bow and arrow".

"The tule duck decoy is still being made and used today by Native hunters, especially at the Stillwater Marsh in western Nevada."
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Meanderer said:
Duck decoys
ca. 400 BC–AD 100
Lovelock Cave, Humboldt County, Nevada
Tule rush, feathers, cordage, paint
31 x 12 cm

134512_1000.jpg


"Envision a hunter crouched low amidst the tule marsh of centuries ago. The survival of his band depends on his skills as a hunter. In the early morning sky, flocks of ducks and geese fly by. His arrows cannot fly high enough into the sky to reach the flocks passing by, so he sets his best creative weapon on the water, the tule duck decoy. This is an ancient hunting tool used by his people from time immemorial. The floating tule duck brings the flock within reach, and his people survive another day".

"The art of making this clever hunting tool is a tradition that has been passed down from hunter to hunter throughout the centuries. Duck skins from earlier kills were stretched over the decoys, making them very lifelike. In even earlier times, the waterfowl’s feathers were woven onto the decoy and tied on with hemp strings. The heads and necks of some were painted to match the colors of the duck species. In doing this, the hunter made the duck decoy appear very real, and the waterfowl would then fly into the zone within reach of his bow and arrow".

"The tule duck decoy is still being made and used today by Native hunters, especially at the Stillwater Marsh in western Nevada."
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Nice easily recognized Bull Canvasback! I happen to collect Upper Chesapeake Bay decoys...Mostly the work of Madison Mitchell, but I like Joey Jobes work too, and a couple other carver's from that region. His dad, Harry Jobes worked in Mitchell's shop 30+ years. Joey's 2 older brother's worked in the shop too...Joey mostly played in the sawdust, but as he told me one day, even though he was the youngest and only did some minor work in the shop on decoys, through osmosis he absorbed the skills.

Harry (deceased) , Charlie and Bob Jobes are all accomplished carver's but for some reason, slight as it may be, I prefer and collect Joey's work.

Old "water time" Mitchell birds are what I latch onto. Not many worked Joey Jobes decoys to be found, but he told me that he has customers in Canada who buy his decoys to float in spreads. Them Canucks gotta be hardcore duck hunters!

"Stillwater" in Nevada is a nice Federal Refuge. I, in my duck and goose chasing days hunted it, along with The Greenhead Club just down the road from Fallon, NV. Late in the season is when I prefer going to both locations as the late colder weather keeps lots of folks off those marshes.

Have been hunting both venues without anyone else to be seen or heard for the few days I was out.
 
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Meanderer said:
@Chueymorales Welcome to Senior Forums, and thanks for your post!🦆
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Meanderer said:
@Chueymorales Welcome to Senior Forums, and thanks for your post!🦆
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Thanks for the welcome. You hit on a subject that is dear to me, so I was compelled to post up. I had a wife years back who always said, thanks to my chasing all over the country for waterfowl, October to January:

"You have duck shi* for brains."

Never was clear to me if that was said in jest, or she believed it?

I quit hunting everything as I lost the desire, but 1 of my son's took up the banner.
 

Form Follows Function: Art of the Decoy

The Drifter
decoy-2download-1024x395.png


I’m just an old has-been decoy
No ribbons I have won.
My sides and head are full of shot
From many a blazing gun.
My home has been by the river,
Just drifting with the tide.
No roof have I had for shelter,
No one place where I could abide.
I’ve rocked to winter’s wild fury,
I’ve scorched in the heat of the sun,
I’ve drifted and drifted and drifted,
For tides never cease to run.
I was picked up by some fool collector
Who put me up here on a shelf.
But my place is out on the river,
Where I can drift all by myself.
I want to go back to the shoreline
Where flying clouds hang thick and low,
And get the touch of the rain drops
And the velvety soft touch of the snow.


—Lem Ward (1896-1984)
Master Decoy Carver/Painter, Crisfield, Maryland​
 
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Meanderer said:

Form Follows Function: Art of the Decoy

The Drifter
decoy-2download-1024x395.png


I’m just an old has-been decoy
No ribbons I have won.
My sides and head are full of shot
From many a blazing gun.
My home has been by the river,
Just drifting with the tide.
No roof have I had for shelter,
No one place where I could abide.
I’ve rocked to winter’s wild fury,
I’ve scorched in the heat of the sun,
I’ve drifted and drifted and drifted,
For tides never cease to run.
I was picked up by some fool collector
Who put me up here on a shelf.
But my place is out on the river,
Where I can drift all by myself.
I want to go back to the shoreline
Where flying clouds hang thick and low,
And get the touch of the rain drops
And the velvety soft touch of the snow.


—Lem Ward (1896-1984)
Master Decoy Carver/Painter, Crisfield, Maryland​
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One of The Ward Brother's! Never knew he wrote poetry.
 
Meanderer said:

Form Follows Function: Art of the Decoy

The Drifter
decoy-2download-1024x395.png


I’m just an old has-been decoy
No ribbons I have won.
My sides and head are full of shot
From many a blazing gun.
My home has been by the river,
Just drifting with the tide.
No roof have I had for shelter,
No one place where I could abide.
I’ve rocked to winter’s wild fury,
I’ve scorched in the heat of the sun,
I’ve drifted and drifted and drifted,
For tides never cease to run.
I was picked up by some fool collector
Who put me up here on a shelf.
But my place is out on the river,
Where I can drift all by myself.
I want to go back to the shoreline
Where flying clouds hang thick and low,
And get the touch of the rain drops
And the velvety soft touch of the snow.


—Lem Ward (1896-1984)
Master Decoy Carver/Painter, Crisfield, Maryland​
Click to expand...
Nice 'seeing you', Meanderer! This anthropomorphized duck decoy poem is lovely!
 
Meanderer said:
Duck decoys
ca. 400 BC–AD 100
Lovelock Cave, Humboldt County, Nevada
Tule rush, feathers, cordage, paint
31 x 12 cm

134512_1000.jpg


"Envision a hunter crouched low amidst the tule marsh of centuries ago. The survival of his band depends on his skills as a hunter. In the early morning sky, flocks of ducks and geese fly by. His arrows cannot fly high enough into the sky to reach the flocks passing by, so he sets his best creative weapon on the water, the tule duck decoy. This is an ancient hunting tool used by his people from time immemorial. The floating tule duck brings the flock within reach, and his people survive another day".

"The art of making this clever hunting tool is a tradition that has been passed down from hunter to hunter throughout the centuries. Duck skins from earlier kills were stretched over the decoys, making them very lifelike. In even earlier times, the waterfowl’s feathers were woven onto the decoy and tied on with hemp strings. The heads and necks of some were painted to match the colors of the duck species. In doing this, the hunter made the duck decoy appear very real, and the waterfowl would then fly into the zone within reach of his bow and arrow".

"The tule duck decoy is still being made and used today by Native hunters, especially at the Stillwater Marsh in western Nevada."
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I'm learning so much on this site.
 
Meanderer said:
@ElCastor Thank you for your post. It must have been hard to part with all your decoys! How many have you kept & How did you get started? Are you able to post a few pictures? Were you a duck hunter, as well as a decoy hunter?
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Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. My pics are pre-digital and hard to post. Got started browsing in a San Francisco antique shop and came on a Mason Premier canvasback. Mason was a Detroit factory manufacturer of Decoys -- the best factory decoys in the country. Got me interested. I liked to comb the California boondocks for unique collectibles at a reasonable price. One of the greatest California carvers was Fresh Air Dick, a retired seaman who got the name because he liked to sleep on deck -- in the fresh air. He is believed to have carved more than 20,000 -- few of which survive in mint condition. If you see a bottle of Decoy wine, the duck on the label is one of his drake pintails. The greatest California carver IMHO was Horace Crandall, a former art student who, as the Depression began, got a job in a Westwood lumber mill. Crandall carved decoys and miniature bird carvings to make a few bucks on the side. I kept a few decoys that had sentimental value, and I'm looking at one of his hen mallards. I got out of decoy collecting and sold the best of the collection to another collector. It was taking over the house and consuming my life. Never regretted it. Part of the fun of collecting is in the process as much or more than the possession. And no, I never hunted a duck, and never wanted to. (-8
 
Honk If You Love Geese (link)
Bob McNally 12.15.13

"I’ve hunted geese for nearly a half century on three continents, in more places than I can remember. But never have I seen a spot so infested with Canada geese as Pierre, South Dakota, located near massive Lake Oahe on the sprawling Missouri River."

"Pierre is slap dab in the middle of the Mount Rushmore State, and smack in the heart of North America’s central flyway for waterfowl."

"With a human population of only about 15,000, Pierre is the second least populated state capital in America, but it’s one of the most populous for waterfowl. Fall through spring, geese outnumber people in the Pierre area by at least 8 to 1. And at times geese and ducks outnumber people 30 to 1."
READ MORE

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Tyson Keller works distant geese from an Avery field blind near Pierre, South Dakota.
 
Honkers. I used to hunt Honkers in several of their sub-species hot and heavy, all over the map. Along with Snow Geese and Speckle Belly Geese. As well with ducks in general. Although, when I read Michener's "Chesapeake" I had an epiphany of sorts, more or less, whereas I realized that short of a need for food, I didn't have a desire otherwise to kill Honkers.

In time I came to the same conclusion on all the critters I once hunted for so called, "sport".

So now I just look at wildlife without the old pressing desire to blow them into whatever after-life they may possess.

The U.S. has 4 distinct waterfowl flyways which come into play for waterfowl migration in the Fall. Where I sit is within The Pacific Flyway. The Colorado River is a migration corridor on The Pacific Flyway, with early migrants, mostly Teal, beginning to show up flying the river heading to Mexico and South America in late August. Along with Teal there are a few other surface feeding ducks, like Northern Pintails, sometimes seen flying south as early as late August.

Come duck season I kept an eye on weather in The Great Salt Lake region of Utah, The Bear River area specifically. Bear River (and The Salt Lake) are major waterfowl staging areas as birds from further north begin to head south for the winter. Early November I would check the local weather for that area daily, and once there were at least 3 days of "hard freeze" I would get my butt down on The Colorado River for a truly spectacular Migration Show. If there was a full moon the show mostly went on day and night, where at night you could hear the rustle of wings and some duck talk overhead, but not see much until sun up. In day light, especially if there is a storm behind them, thousands upon thousands of ducks of pretty much every species will be seen in a headlong run south, in "levels".

Diver species, such as Redheads, Scaup (Bluebills, Lesser and Greater Scaup), Ring Necks, Golden Eyes, etc. have a tendency to fly low over the water with a storm on their tails, whereas Canvasbacks stayed up higher. Puddle ducks, AKA: surface feeders, such as Mallards, Gadwall, Pintail, and Teal would be on another level, sometimes in mixed flocks, but usually migrating with their own species.

Under just the right weather conditions, like with a hard freeze at Bear River, and a storm sweeping down from Alaska, a true weather related Migration can go on for a few days, 24-7. When there is no moon light come sunset the migrants fill backwaters and the main river itself with birds seeking refuge. I have actually had them landing within a few feet of where I sat watching the show. One time I was sitting in a tight little backwater with my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chester, taking in the show when a flock of tired Mallards, a hundred or so strong, dropped into our "hole". It was getting too dark to see anything, and I was about to get up and go to our camp. Chester was a very experienced, well trained, by me, gun dog and knew to sit still. I had one hand on his back to reassure him, and he was trembling with anticipation as the birds settled in.

We had Mallards all around us, some near close enough to reach out and touch, and they were "dabbling and chuckling" happily when all of a sudden at least one became suspicious of the 2 of us sitting there stock still. That suspicious bird muttered something and then had his/her flockmates full attention, as they all clammed up and I could feel their eyes on us.

As if on cue, they all sprang verticle into the air, as only a puddle duck can do, and were gone.

Honkers have a tendency to leave Bear River with a hard freeze but will short stop where open water and food can be found. Come December along The Colorado River corridor is when Honkers are seen migrating. Many migrant Honkers have shifted further east and veer off to The New Mexico/Arizona border area now.

There is much more to ducks and geese than meets the eye; I have only scratched the surface here but a little, regarding what I know of them. They really are an interesting and worthwhile study. Leg banding, neck banding and body mounted transmitter studies have really shed some light on the mysteries of migration.
 
Chueymorales said:
Under just the right weather conditions, like with a hard freeze at Bear River, and a storm sweeping down from Alaska, a true weather related Migration can go on for a few days, 24-7. When there is no moon light come sunset the migrants fill backwaters and the main river itself with birds seeking refuge. I have actually had them landing within a few feet of where I sat watching the show. One time I was sitting in a tight little backwater with my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chester, taking in the show when a flock of tired Mallards, a hundred or so strong, dropped into our "hole". It was getting too dark to see anything, and I was about to get up and go to our camp. Chester was a very experienced, well trained, by me, gun dog and knew to sit still. I had one hand on his back to reassure him, and he was trembling with anticipation as the birds settled in.

We had Mallards all around us, some near close enough to reach out and touch, and they were "dabbling and chuckling" happily when all of a sudden at least one became suspicious of the 2 of us sitting there stock still. That suspicious bird muttered something and then had his/her flockmates full attention, as they all clammed up and I could feel their eyes on us.

As if on cue, they all sprang verticle into the air, as only a puddle duck can do, and were gone.
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@Chueymorales What a magnificent post! You sound like someone who has written a book or two on the subject! Chester sounds like a real comrade...do you have a picture of him? Thanks so much for breathing new life into this thread! 🦆
 
Chueymorales said:
One time I was sitting in a tight little backwater with my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chester, taking in the show when a flock of tired Mallards, a hundred or so strong, dropped into our "hole". It was getting too dark to see anything, and I was about to get up and go to our camp. Chester was a very experienced, well trained, by me, gun dog and knew to sit still. I had one hand on his back to reassure him, and he was trembling with anticipation as the birds settled in.
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Many years ago, looking for some leads in my decoy hunt, I paid a visit to a woman who trained retrievers. Very nice person, at least to me. While I was there she went about training a dog she was working with. She had a large cage full of pigeons, and to my dismay I got to see what they were for. She grabbed one, broke a wing, gave it a throw, and the dog she was working with retrieved it. I probably should have turned her in to the SPCA or Humane Society, but she had been nice to me, so it didn't seem right. Still bothers me when I think about it. Oh well, when I eat a piece of chicken, a steak, or a lamb chop, that piece of meat probably had a history I wouldn't care to see.

BTW, the parrot whose picture you see in this post, will be 46 years old next month. Both wings are intact, but she's too old to fly. (-8
 
Meanderer said:
@Chueymorales What a magnificent post! You sound like someone who has written a book or two on the subject! Chester sounds like a real comrade...do you have a picture of him? Thanks so much for breathing new life into this thread! 🦆
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I bred and trained Chesapeake Bay Retrievers years ago. My wife was actually THE very best obedience trainer I have ever encountered. She is gone now as is my desire to breed, train and hunt Chessie's. The C-Bay Retriever was bred specifically for the hardships awaiting gun dogs along The Chesapeake Bay. Real deal Market Hunters created them for those hardships. They were a combination of genetics from The Newfoundland, for their heavy double coats, strength, stamina and water abilities. Curly Coat Retrievers or Water Spaniols added more water abilities, along with double coats, and hound dogs added great nose to the mix. Got a couple Chester, "long distance, blind retrieve" stories that still astound me 25+ years later. I have little doubt that a hunter I met on a hunt who shared a goose pit with me at Cibola Wildlife Refuge is STILL sharing the story with anyone who will listen, he was that amazed by what he had witnessed Chester pull off.

I built a big pond in my pasture just for training purposes, and would train with frozen wings saved from harvested birds previously, and now and then a frozen whole Northern Shoveler. Northern Shoveler's (AKA: Spoonies thanks to their spatulate bill) aren't much on the table and usually were taken by hunters I hunted with "by accident", so rather then waste the bird, I always carried a few legs and toes cut from panty hose to slip birds in, head first, for mounts or
frozen trainers. Head first into that "nylon mesh tube" keeps the wings and feathers in nice condition.

Chessie's are NOT for everyone as they are mighty obstinate and hard-headed. Once they recognize you as The Alpha, they are easy to work with, but if they do not accept you as "head of the pack", they can be difficult to put it mildly. Chester, the hunting partner I spoke of earlier, was 110 pounds of solid muscle, and pure ornery. Early on when he wasn't fully mature I taught him "The Alpha Wolf Maneuver" when he would piss me off, as needed. I would simply grab him with both hands on his throat, flip him over on his back, and hold him down like that until I could feel him relax. I seriously believe that even when he weighed 50 pounds or so, if a stranger tried that throat grab, they would pull back a couple bloody stumps. I had occasion only a few times when he was full grown to "Alpha Wolf" him into submission.

I will look and see if I have some photos to share. Nothing in the system that I know of, but I do have some in scrapbooks. Do not have a scanner anymore, but I have friends who do. My daughter probably has photos, so I will check with her. Chester had to be put down in January 2001 due to old age. Still comes to mind often, and I miss him. I had one Chessie after that, but like with some things in this life, when you have experienced the very best, be it in a human relationship, or animal pal, it can come to pass that the very best can never be replaced. I stopped hunting anyway, and having a true Retrieving Machine like a fine Chesapeake Bay dog requires using them as designed just to be fair to their genetic predispositions.

Now I will shut up.
 
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That is pretty accurate, but from my experience with Chessie's I could argue a couple points made, in a minor kind of way. 80 lbs. is "the standard", but I have seen lots of Chessie's, males, tipping the scales well over 90 and 100 lbs..

They are extremely possessive and watchfull over their home property and human family. I have had lots of dogs over the years, Labs, Goldens, Springers, Shorthairs, Setters, a couple Rott's along with Mutts and for MY $$$ the very best watchdogs have been Chessie's.

Quick anecdote:

Got a COLD call one evening from someone trying to sell home security. I let the person run through their selling points and just listened politely.

Finally they ran out of steam, so I said, "Thank you, BUT, I already have the very best security system on God's Green Earth, and the monthly costs are acceptable in the long term."

So they said, they said, and a bit snotty too:

"Oh...REALLY??? And what kind of security system might that be, if I may ask?"

"Four Chesapeake Bay Retrievers."

They must have been familiar with the breed, as there was no argument and the conversation abruptly ended.

That property was well out of town, with very few neighbors and we had about 5 acres up close to the house well fenced. That was the "dog-patrol area". I carried a pretty good liability policy on the place and since Chessie's were not, and probably still are not on the "dangerous dog list" I don't recall much of an add-on for the dogs, if any.

Once again, great dogs, especially for outdoors people, and waterfowl hunters. Chessie's will retrieve anything a hunter might knock down, pheasants, quail, dove, etc., but they really love and shine brightest at water-work, and the colder the better.
 
Forgot to mention that when we were breeding and selling Chessie's that we were extra picky about just who they went to. We were not breeding for the money. Chessie's are not too common in CA where we had our facility. Some people who wanted one of our pups knew us and were friends, yet that did not guarantee a dog going to them. Real WaterFowler's were first choice. Still they had to pass muster on their canine knowledge, handling abilities, and their property. Other dogs in their household may have been problematic since most ALL Chessie's rule the roost. 2nd Fiddle is NOT on their agenda, male of female.

Having several Chessie's living together can be a spOOky proposition, as yes, they will decide who is Top Dog among them, but those who are held low in the hiearchy will carry a grudge.

I had a bunch of large roofed and fenced in kennels since just ONE battle between males made for ongoing bad blood, and when problems were in the air, separation was very necessary for a while. From a fight forward into forever, they had to be watched vigilantly when loosed together.

Females would duke it out with the boys now and again, but those battles were not the brutal battles the boys could put together. Grudges were not common from M/F fights.

Certain things could set them off, so I kept my eye out for those flashpoint potentials. My kids learned very clearly what the flashpoints were, and avoided them. All they needed to witness was one male/male fight, and they became believers in watching their P's and Q's with food, treats and toys. All of which could set off a real problem .

Trust me, if I was still hunting I would be sharing my life with a "Curly Dawg".
 
Designated Decoy
iu

"One night, a police officer was stalking out a particularly rowdy bar for possible violations of the driving under the influence laws. At closing time, he saw a fellow stumble out of the bar, trip on the curb, and try his keys on five different cars before he found his."

"Then, sat in the front seat fumbling around with his keys for several minutes. Everyone left the bar and drove off. Finally, he started his engine and began to pull away."

"The police officer was waiting for him. He stopped the driver, read him his rights and administered the Breathalyzer test. The results showed a reading of 0.0. The puzzled officer demanded to know how that could be. The driver replied, "Tonight, I'm the Designated Decoy."
 

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