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While no longer used today due to advances in decoy materials and technology, these wooden duck decoys are now considered highly collectible, with entire auction houses dedicated to the buying and selling of vintage duck decoys, magnificent works of folk art.
What is the best wood for carving duck decoys?
Traditionally White Pine and White Cedar were used for decoy carving. Both species are soft enough for carving, quite buoyant, and produce fairly durable decoys. Easier to carve, Basswood is often a modern choice, as carved wood decoys are now primarily ornamental. For fine detail carving, basswood is a good bet.
What are the most expensive duck decoys?
Since 1984, “We have brought in a $134 million in decoy sales.” The most expensive decoys ever sold—a preening Pintail Drake and a Canada goose by the late master carver Elmer Crowell—went for one million each in 2007.
What are vintage duck decoys made of?
Duck decoys were historically carved from wood, often Atlantic white cedar wood on the east coast of the US from Maine to South Carolina, 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.
What kind of paint do you use for decoys?
Purchase one small- to medium-sized can of satin finish black latex paint and another can of satin-finish white latex paint. (Be sure to purchase satin finish, not gloss or semi-gloss. Satin finish has just the right sheen for painting decoys.) Also, buy a small assortment of brushes 1 inch wide or less.
How many duck decoys do you need?
On smaller, confined waters, a spread of six to 36 decoys should be sufficient. On larger waters or dry fields, hunters should put out as many decoys as practical. I never heard of anybody scaring ducks or geese away because they used too many decoys. Typically, the more, the merrier.
What kind of duck decoys do I need?
Many people use a mix of mallards, black ducks, and pintails for their visibility and good pulling power. As far as the number of decoys to use, 12 to 24 puddle duck decoys is a good range for most people, with fewer than 18 being about right for a solo hunter to set up alone.
Are old duck decoys valuable?
“The reason valuable decoys are so valuable is because 90 percent of them were repainted or had their heads broken off, so the ones that are left in good condition are the best ones and go for high prices.” According to Guyette, most of the decoys he sees in appraisals are worth about $100.
When were cork duck decoys made?
According to Joel Barber, the practice of fabricating duck decoys from cork originated in the early part of the 20th century on the Great South Bay, a lagoon located between Fire Island and Long Island, NY (Barber 1934, 72-76).
What’s the most expensive duck?
The most expensive duck was sold for a price of £1,500 ($2,400) at an auction at the Park Hall Showground in Oswestry, Shropshire, UK, on 21 October 2012. Owner Graham R.
How do you paint wood duck decoys?
Paint the eyes of your unfinished duck decoy. Paint the beak colors that are similar to your duck reference. Paint the rest of your duck’s head with the appropriate colors. Add color to the breast of your duck decoy, and then paint its back and wings. Paint the tail and the sides of your duck decoy.
How do you touch up paint duck decoys?
Here’s how to go about it. Use a clean shop sock to apply petroleum jelly on all exposed surfaces of a decoy. Rub it around as if you were applying it to a shoe and then wipe it off. Once you’ve taken the grime of a few hard hunts off the decoy, you might discover that a touchup paint job can wait another season.
How do you carve ducks?
How to Carve a Roasted Duck Step 1: Let it rest. Once your duck is done cooking, place it breast facing downwards on a large cutting board, cover it in tin foil and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Step 2: Remove the legs. Step 3: Remove the breast. Step 4: Cut the breast. Step 5: Serve and enjoy.
How do you clean wooden duck decoys?
If the object is dirty, wash it carefully with a soft cloth and warm water. If necessary, use a gentle soap like Ivory. Then rinse thoroughly and dry completely with soft towels. Most of these objects were used in water or subjected to weather, and you are unlikely to harm them by washing them.
Do duck decoys attract ducks?
Duck Decoys: Adding life-like duck decoys in and around the water is an effective way to attract ducks to your pond that are passing by. And since ducks feel safety in numbers, the more decoys you can add to the water (and around it) the better chance they will attract ducks.
How do I attract more ducks?
3 Ways to Attract More Ducks to Your Pond Increase water clarity. Clear water encourages aquatic plants, aquatic snails and several aquatic insects, which are primary foods of migratory ducks. Reduce disturbance. Human activity near a pond can scare away ducks, causing them to relocate elsewhere. Add duck food plants.
What should I look for when buying duck decoys?
One important thing to consider is depth. Most dabbling ducks are hunted with decoys set in just a couple of feet of water or less, so 3-foot lines work fine. If you’ll be hunting deeper water than that, use lines that are long enough to still allow your decoy good movement.
Will geese land in duck decoys?
Most of the time, geese will try to land right between the two groups of decoys.” Wettish also believes that decoy placement is critical when hunting with a small spread. “On ponds and in small fields, you need to watch the birds once or twice before you hunt them,” he says.
