Wooden Counterfeits

[Wild Skies]

It was a very cold day in November when a friend and I were set up in a shore blind on the Colic Slough off Wisconsin's Wolf River. The winds were blowing hard, the grey clouds were moving fast and skim ice was forming along the shoreline when a small flock of seven Green Wing Teal came screaming over the trees from behind and swooped down low over our blocks out in front of us. They kept right on a-goin' never to be seen again. But, it was that sound . . . oh, that sound . . . of the wind swishing and rustling through their wings and feathers that only a duck hunter can appreciate. Those sights and sounds are forever etched in my mind.

It was THAT DAY, it was THAT SIGHT and it was THOSE SOUNDS that inspired me to ask Robert Mitchell of Ashville, NC to carve these GWT flyers. Each and every time I look at them I relive the moments . . . I hope it never ends.

[George Lang]

A few years back $875 would have been a "low ball" price on any decent Mason block. Rick you would be surprised and how many merganser dekes were used for whatever reason. When I was making and selling decoys the most I sold were Blacks & Mallards followed by Brant and then Mergansers. While collecting for a longggg time I have noticed that Mergansers(shelldrakes on LI) always brought good money, especially among women buyers/collectors. Rick your 2 black ducks are great examples and the heads are definitely Shang Wheeler Connecticut style. Very nice finds.

[OH Osthaus]

thanks George

i do have one brant - a wildfowler in pretty good paint



and this is one of my favorite geese



folks on the duckboats,net seemed to lean towards it being by Jimmy Bowden

[Phil Yearout]

These are a little different...

first, a good ol' barnyard pigeon decoy; gunning those ol' flying rats gotta be some fun...



next, a starling decoy; ditto...



both carved by William W. Headrick and shot over, he says, by himself, Pop Headrick, and one Michael McIntosh.

Then, a yellowlegs flattie, also by Bill...



and lastly, a tinnie, c. 1874-81...

[Wild Skies]

Two life-size carvings standing guard over my Parker Bros. D-Grade toplever Hammergun. The Redtailed Hawk and Peregrine Falcon are poised to scratch and claw the eyeballs out of any nefarious intruder with ill intentions.

[charlie cleveland]

sure is some nice decoys you fellows have...i ve got my dads old mallard decoys he hunted the hurricon marsh with thes decoys in the early 1950 s...no makers name on them made out of some kinda light wood they do have glass eyes....charlie

[JJ Roberts]

Here are a few pics of my decoy collection to be continued.
JJ Roberts

[Gary Laudermilch]

I'm not a duck hunter any more and am certainly not a decoy collector. However, my wife came home with a decoy she thought handsome as a bit of decor. It is signed:

Redhead
W. Wandelt
Baldwin
L.I. NY

Can you guys tell me anything about it?

[George Lang]

Some pictures would help.

[Gary Laudermilch]

I should have known better. Here you go. It is 14" long x 7" wide and seems heavy to be a working decoy.