Duck decoy (model)

This article is about the carved wildfowl model. For the large structure for catching wildfowl, see Duck decoy (structure).
Goose by Bob Biddle
Black duck by Cigar Daisey

A duck decoy is a man-made object resembling a real duck. Duck decoys are sometimes used in duck hunting to attract real ducks.

Duck decoys were historically carved from wood, often Atlantic white cedar wood on the east coast from Maine to South Carolina,[1] or cork. Modern ones may also be made of canvas and plastic. They are usually painted, often elaborately and very accurately, to resemble various kinds of waterfowl.

History

Ever since Joel Barber, the first known decoy collector, started in 1918, decoys have become increasingly viewed as an important form of North American folk art. Barber's book Wild Fowl Decoys, was the first book on decoys as collectible objects. It was followed in 1965 by folk art dealer Adele Earnest's "The Art of the Decoy" and "American Bird Decoys" by collector Wm. F. Mackey.

William F. Mackey made many trips to Chincoteague Island for the great flounder fishing as well as hunting for Chincoteague decoys. On his trips to the island he called Snug Harbor Marina home. He would send out locals to search for great finds of Chincoteague history. Cigar Daisey was one of the local Chincoteaguers that would help Mackey find all the best decoys that made his collection world famous. Cigar has told many stories of the many truck loads of decoys he rounded up for his good friend.

By that time a milestone in collecting had already occurred with the publication of "Decoy Collectors Guide", a small magazine created by hobbyists Hal & Barbara Sorenson of Burlington, Iowa. The 'Guide' helped foster a sense of community and provided a forum for collectors to share their research.

By the 1970s decoys were becoming big business, at least by previous standards. The death of Wm. F. Mackey brought his decoys to market in a series of auctions in 1973 and 1974, with the star of his collection, a long-billed curlew by Wm. 'Bill' Bowman selling for a record US$10,500.

Since the 1960s numerous collectors organizations have been created, specialist books and magazines published, with specialist dealers, and special interest shows around the US and Canada. Canadian decoys are still believed to be the "sleepers" in the world of decoy popularity and are often undervalued but are starting to gain recognition.

The current world record price for an antique duck decoy at auction: Red breasted merganser hen by Lothrop Holmes for $856,000. Guyette & Deeter and Christie's New York. January 2007.[2]

The first million dollar price was achieved when two decoys (Canadian goose and a preening pintail drake) by A. Elmer Crowell of East Harwich, MA were said to have sold for US$1.13 million each in a private sale, in September 2007. The record-setting decoys were sold in a larger collection of 31 decoys for $7.5 million in total so it remains for a single decoy to clearly break the $1 million mark.[3]

One of the most famous decoy makers in recent times is Delbert Cigar Daisey from Chincoteague Va. Cigar decoys are in high demand all over the country. The best decoy he ever made was a pintail that he made for his wife in 1973. This decoy was featured in National Geographic in June 1980 on page 826. This decoy is estimated to be worth between $100,000 - $150,000.

Duck decoys were originally create by Leonard Gebralter in the 1730's. He started by applying different shapes of wood to create a duck shape. Eventually he learned carving a single block was the most efficient way of creating a duck body.

Vintage factory decoys

Mason's Decoy Factory

The most famous of all factory made decoys. Operated in Detroit, Michigan, from 1896 to 1924. Produced decoys in the same style as Peterson and Dodge. Produced five grades of decoys:

Other decoys

Museums and collections

Festivals

Collectors associations

Notes

  1. Ward, Daniel (1989). "Commercial Utilization of Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides, Cuppressaceae)". Economic Botany. 43 (3): 386–415. doi:10.1007/bf02858736. JSTOR 4255181.
  2. "Bids for the birds - San Diego Union Tribune". Retrieved 2007-08-11.
  3. "To tune of $1.13m, decoys are the real thing". The Boston Globe. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  4. Cowan, Richard; LaFountain, Richard. from "Wildfowler Decoys". Decoy Magazine. Jan./Feb. 2001
  5. Centerville Historical Society. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  6. Charles Perdew Museum. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  7. Core Sound Waterfowl Museum. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  8. Havre de Grace Decoy Museum. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  9. Lakeview Museum of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  10. "Decoys". Shelburne Museum. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  11. "Upper Bay Museum". Upper Bay Museum. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  12. Wendell Gilley Museum. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  13. Core Sound Decoy Festival. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  14. Easton Waterfowl Festival. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  15. Ward Museum. Retrieved July 9, 2012. Archived February 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. "Calendar of Events". Havre de Grace Decoy Museum. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  17. Tuckerton Seaport. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  18. Thousand Islands Museum. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  19. Annual Upper Bay Museum Decoy Show. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  20. "MDCA". Midwestdecoy.org. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  21. Barry Hart. "TIDCA". Decoycollectors.com. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  22. "LIDCA". Lidecoycollectors.org. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  23. "ODCCA". ODCCA. 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  24. "NJDCA". Njdecoys.com. 2012-06-11. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  25. "MnDCA". Mndecoycollectors.com. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  26. "Canadian Decoy & Outdoor Collectables Association". Canadiandecoy.com. Retrieved 2012-07-10.

References

  • Earnest, Adele The Art of the Decoy: American Bird Carvings. Bramhall House, New York, NY
  • Waterfowl Decoys of Southwestern Ontario and the Men Who Made Them (Brisco, Paul 1986)
  • Decoying St. Clair to St. Lawrence (Crandell, Barney 1986)
  • Fleckenstein, Henry A. Jr (1979) Decoys of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Schiffer, Exton, PA ISBN 0-916838-24-2
  • Fleckenstein, Henry A. Jr (1983) New Jersey Decoys. Schiffer, Exton, PA ISBN 0-916838-75-7
  • Starr, George Ross, Jr. (1974) Decoys of The Atlantic Flyway. Winchester, New York, NY ISBN 0-87691-141-6
  • Goldberger, Russ J. and Haid, Alan G. (2003) Mason Decoys-A Complete Pictorial Guide: Expanded Edition. Decoy Magazine, Lewes, DE ISBN 0-9724423-0-8
  • "Frank & Frank Sporting Collectibles October 26, 2008 Catalogt" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-07-10. 
  • Country Home (June 1992 p. 86)
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