Needed something to do....

[Scott R]

With the cold weather and ice hanging around this week I've been held up at the house not working. After getting too involved in painting a shoveler I needed a break and pick up this bird. I carved this one back in either 2009 or 2010. It was the 1st one from a new oversized pattern that I ended up not liking. After carving I just threw it to the side and never messed with it again. It has A LOT of problems.

Decided to slap some paint on it yesterday...for a change of pace from the shoveler... and at least throw it in the rig next season. I've got about 30 minutes a paint work on this one not counting drying time. Definitely just slapped the paint on a rolled with it. It's a raw bone gunner without a doubt.

Acrylic paint, cork body, tupalo head.

[The Duck Hammer]

Fine looking decoy for one with "a lot of problems".

[Scott R]

The biggest thing that I can't take my eyes off of is the head. It's just too small for the body. Drives me nuts!!

[The Duck Hammer]

You want my address? You never have to see it again.

[rebelp74]

Fine looking decoy for one with "a lot of problems".

x2

[triplecurl]

Fine looking decoy for one with "a lot of problems".

x2

X3

[3legged_lab]

Damn perfectionists and their "not good enough" decoys.

[capt1972]

Damn perfectionists and their "not good enough" decoys.

[Scott R]

I'm trying to break myself of being too critical of my work. I made a vow last year I would get back to just carving and enjoying the experience and not worry about it being exactly right. Heck...I actually stopped carving for over a year because I was being so hard on myself. Old habits are hard to break sometimes


It'll hunt and draw birds and that's really all that matters in the big scheme of things.

[Baysider]

Scott....I was looking for some inspiration and got to looking through one my my books on Eastern Shore and decoys of the carolinas. Check out some pics of a few Dave "Umbrella" Watson's decoys. I think you both have the same perseption of a birds anger.

[Scott R]

Scott....I was looking for some inspiration and got to looking through one my my books on Eastern Shore and decoys of the carolinas. Check out some pics of a few Dave "Umbrella" Watson's decoys. I think you both have the same perseption of a birds anger.

Gonna look him up. I get asked all the time where I came up with that look and tell people I'm sure others have done it. Mark Costilow was telling about someone that carved birds with a heavy scowl also but I can't remember who it was.

Thanks for the info.

[Scott R]

I love that look!!!! Would love to have one for the collection but it looks a little out of my price range Saw where a pintail drake auctioned for over $60,000 and a pintail hen for a little over $100,000.

That heavy brow just sets a bird off to me.

[Goldfish]

I can't recall which brand, but I swear someone mass produces pissed off looking plastic decoys

[Scott R]

Gotta be some out there somewhere. Companies are using so many carvers over the last few years it's bound to make it's way into them somewhere. I know a couple of the top guys that have done some work for companies recently that have a heavy brow on their birds.

Honestly it's hard to beat the look of some of the plastics on the market lately.

[Baysider]

I love that look!!!! Would love to have one for the collection but it looks a little out of my price range Saw where a pintail drake auctioned for over $60,000 and a pintail hen for a little over $100,000.

That heavy brow just sets a bird off to me.

Yea Watsons birds are out of mine too. I have a few Hudsons from Chincoteague and a couple of Charlie Birchs birds but they have been passed down.

[Feelin' Fowl]

I can't recall which brand, but I swear someone mass produces pissed off looking plastic decoys

Dakota

[Scott R]

Yea Watsons birds are out of mine too. I have a few Hudsons from Chincoteague and a couple of Charlie Birchs birds but they have been passed down.

I love the look of decoys from that area. It's a shame we don't see that regional diversity of carving anymore.

[Baysider]

Yea Watsons birds are out of mine too. I have a few Hudsons from Chincoteague and a couple of Charlie Birchs birds but they have been passed down.

I love the look of decoys from that area. It's a shame we don't see that regional diversity of carving anymore.

Sure we do. Mine for instance, the way I cut the wing is has been typical of an Eastern Shore VA decoy for a long time. You dont find it anywhere else historically. Look at Del Herbert's or Geoff Vine's birds and look at old birds from their area. Not that Im in the same league as those guys you get my point. You've been looking at those taxidermy grade carvings too much.

I agree its not as profound as it once was. Everyone thinks you need a real bird to kill a bird or that a decoy isnt cool unless its about to talk to you with detail. However, in my area there are plenty of guys who carve in the tradidtional styles. Check out Cameron McIntyre, Mark McNair, Ira Skees, Cigar, Hurricane Pete, and PG Ross' birds. These are all guys who carve today in a traditional style and have had great influence on my work. Ive even had the great fortune to spend some time in many of their shops.

Peterson gave a guide friend of mine a rig of these birds to try out. Ugly as sin in hand but when placed on the water they come to life. They hunted with a mixed rig of cork and plastic GHG's with these off to themselves. Each hunt the birds landed with them no matter if they were blacks, mallards, gadwall, etc.....

pete_black_10_12.jpg

[Scott R]

I agree there are a handful of guys out there doing the stylized decoys but it's not like it use to be. You can't pick out a decoy from any area like you could 50-60 years ago. Vine, Modin, Daisy, Chessar, ( I had forgotten about Ira) ,and a handful of others are holding on but they are few and far between now. I love that individuality and just hate to see it all disappear. Most of them stay hidden in the background because they get hammered on forums for the way they carved..."not real enough"...totally ridiculous IMO.

There are a handful of guys that do work I can pick out because of their style and I love that. Unfortunately...as you stated...too many look like taxidermy decoys today. You can't tell who did it or where it came from. That's really more of what I was getting at. Outside of a few people everything just looks the same.

I'm just glad a few of you guys are still doing the Ches. Bay and Jersey style of birds.

[Baysider]

Easy what you call my decoy style. I aint no yankee.

Have you ever met Skees? He's been kind enough to open his shop to me and has been a great help in my carving.

[RickC]

I am drawn more towards the stylized form of carvings more than any other. Geoff Vine, the Hillmans, along with the others already mentioned plus one more Brandon Yuchasz.
I think thats one reason I was drawn to wire and canvas. Not many do them consistently and I would hate to see it die off.

[Scott R]

Easy what you call my decoy style. I aint no yankee.

Have you ever met Skees? He's been kind enough to open his shop to me and has been a great help in my carving.

Never met him but he has great reputation as just an all around nice guy.

I have had a couple of long conversations with "Cigar" Daisy at some shows. That joker is a wealth of knowledge and has some great stories about his outlaw days as a market hunter. They just don't make em' like that generation anymore.

[Baysider]

You've got that right. The guy I hunt with nearly each weekend grew up in his shop in Chincoteague. Im still searching his house for his patterns when he's not looking.