Decorative Duck Decoys

[fabsroman]

Over the past couple of years, I have received miniature ducks decoys from DU when I renewed my membership. The artist that did them is Jett Brunet and I am trying to see if I can buy any more of them. I have tried searching the internet left and right and haven't come up with much regarding him. He is an author of a decoy carving book, but other than that I haven't found any of his decoys for sale. Anybody ever hear of this guy? Anybody know where I can find his decoys for sale.

I am also trying to get some full size decorative decoys to decorate the office. The miniatures are for one of the glass cabinets, but the full sized deocys are going to go on top of the hutches. Anybody know of any good websites for decorative decoys other than Cabelas, Bass Pro, or DU?

[tjwatty]

fabs,
I have a friend, his name is Fred Harvey, he was the 1967 world duck calling champion. He is probably one of the top decorative decoy makers around, I think so anyway. He will carve to order whatever spiecies you would like. My personal favorite was a canvasback he carved last year and of course a mallard drake. He has hanging in his basement stairway a peregrine falcon taking a green wing teal in mid air.
His regular decoys sell for $400 I'll give you his phone number in private if your interested. He makes duck and goose calls also.

[bob kudile]

fab, the best place i know of to get started in decoy collecting,is the tuckerton,nj decoy and gunning show in september. other wise there are a ton of decoy shops in havre de grace,md. i personaly buy on ebay from a carver in nj who is handycaped a no longer attend the various shows. i just bought a turned head sleeper black duck. in the nj traditional hollow cedar. md.ducks are solid round bottom style and require a little stand to display. too much to talk about on this subject but this a start for you. bob kudile

[fabsroman]

Thanks TJ and Bob.

I have noticed that we have a decoy museum here in Havre de Grace, Maryland and they have decoy shows up there all the time. They also have a waterfowl show in Easton, Maryland on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. However, I am not looking to spend $400 for these decoys. I have about 11 linear feet of cabinets in my office that I want to put these decoys on top of. Would a Maryland style decoy be okay on top of one of the cabinets/hutches. I could post a pick of my office if that would help.

I have seen a couple of guys with websites, but I am amazed that a lot more decoy carvers do not have a website. Truly amazed. Then again, I guess a lot of people are amazed that I do not have a website for my law practice. Oh well, such is life.

[bob kudile]

fab, look up bryon bodt churchville,md. 410-734-7702 for nice upper bay style gunning decoys. i have a pair of red heads and canvasbacks by him. i paid approx. 80.00 a pair with the little display stands required,in 1994. he has a full range of ducks. remember always buy in pairs hen and drake, except blacks and brant or geese, you will always regret it if you dont. first time buyers are drawn to drakes only. also consider the position of the pair in your display. pair facing each other, in tandem heads left or right. geese are to large in full scale but brant make a good center piece with duck pairs left and right in facing or tandem. i pay 200.00 each for nj style ducks from collectable carvers. md.style ducks are simpler and painted with less detail and therefore less expensive. bob kudile

[TreeDoc]

Decorative Decoys? Get out the check book, Fabs!

Hey, I've got some stinky Wigeon decoys from GHG with the removable keel that should lay flat up on your cabinet tops. Used one season in the rice. I'll even pressure wash 'em for ya and include the concrete weights that are still attached.

$35 bucks a pair oughta do it!

BTW, somebody phonetically spell out this "Havre de Grace" place. How is that pronounced?

[fabsroman]

Have de Grace or if you are Italian, Hava de Grace.

I am looking to spend about $200 a piece for these decoys since I will be able to write some, if not all, of them off for my business. I will have to look into the rules regarding the write off of art for an office, because I think there are some special quirks to it. However, as most of you know I love waterfowl, especially hunting them.

I have several waterfowl prints from Terry Redlin, two glass ducks from Murano, Italy (i.e., Venice) with the feather detail created with smoke blown into the glass, I have three miniature decoys, and I have a wood duck decoy that my fiance bought me Christmas of 2003.

Regarding the new decoys I want to get, I want to get some with nice feather detail. A lot of the Maryland stuff I have seen just doesn't have the feather detail that I am looking for. Then there is the $200 a piece limitation. My fiance would kill me if I spent $400 a piece on decoys. Then again, I would probably kill myself.

TD,

I have plenty of Carry-Lite mallards, geese, and wood ducks to put on the shell and I also have some Greenhead mallard decoys with the removable keel so they will lay flat. However, I don't think my clients will be impressed by that stuff. Then again, a lot of my clients aren't hunters or waterfowlers either.

[tjwatty]

A couple years ago I had the good fortune to be able to just HOLD the last known Wood Bros. hand carved decoy. A pruning pintail that was bought at auction for $32,500, I suppose that would be a little pricey, huh.
I see on e-bay every now and then some Pasgagola and Dodge wooden decoys, I have 2 pasgagola's they should sell from $40 to $80 each, Dodges, anywhere from $50 to $200. Personally I like the old working dekes, I think they have their own appealing qualities.

[rubicon]

Just got moved in to my new house and met my next door neighbor who is real cool and gave me a tour of his workshop where he carves decoys full time since his retirement. The dekes lining the walls were fantastic but he said his real good ones were in his house. He had blue ribbons hanging everywhere but the trophy he was most proud of was first place in a world champion carving contest.

[fabsroman]

Rubicon,

Does this guy sell the decoys? If so, does he have a website? If no website, will he let you take some pics so that I can see what they are like? It isn't too far for me to drive over there if they are nice and affordable.

[rubicon]

Fabs, Ill find out what I can for you or if you get a chance take an evening ride and I will introduce you. I know he sells some. He also said he does five shows a year and belongs to a carving club over here. I only got to talk to him once but When Im not working Im unpacking boxes ( squeeze in a water session with rusty and LeeAnn every evening)

[fabsroman]

You are a better man than me. I haven't been working with Nitro at all lately, but that might have been beause of the townhouse and the wedding. Hopefully, I will get time in August to work with him. Right now I am trying to get caught up with work after the honeymoon.

[tjwatty]

fabs,
Congrats on you nuptua, nuptia, aw,heck, your wedding. I hope your next 35yrs will be a good as my first 35 have been.