For thousands of years, Natives Americans across North America used
cattails, other grasses, and rushes for items of everyday use. One of
the most ingenious uses of cattail, bulrush and the tule plant was
making floating decoys to lure waterfowl to roosting areas to be
bow-hunted, netted, or snared. Geese and other migratory birds,
passenger pigeon, cormorant, swan, and as well as turkey, grouse,
partridge were important game birds to Native Americans.
Duck hunters first learned to make duck decoys from local Native Americans. As the appeal of duck hunting picked up hunters would often come down to the coastal duck hunt clubs of Virginia Beach to shoot. With the growth of duck hunting, the need for decoys increased.
Sports hunters who saw ducking hunting as a hobby didn’t care for the standard rough decoys used by the market hunters—so
they had their own more artistic ones made, and had them shipped for their hunting trips.
These first wood-carved decoys ultimately evolved into an art form celebrating the America’s duck hunting history.
Bill Hunt's, decoys ducks continue the path in the evolution of decoys as art. His carved ducks combine both the smooth, finished painted and unpainted woods found in today's decoys, with his own nod to the unfinished wood ducks of another era. By linking these two styles together, Bill has created his own unique version of decoy duck carving.
To see Bill's decoy ducks and more of his carvings, click on the gallery tabs below:
