The carved duck, a true American folk art, was devised as an aid to hunting by Native American Indians. They fashioned primitive bird look-a-likes to bring waterfowl within reach of their pristine weapons, the bow and arrow. It worked and the decoy was born. By the mid 1800’s, duck hunting was a way of life and decoys were used as tools. This hunting memorabilia represents a way of life that is gone but well worth remembering. It is these classic waterfowl carvings that are sought after by present day collectors. However, vintage birds are scarce and prices often unbelievably high. That’s why more decoy fanciers are turning to good reproductions.

 

S.R. White Carving & Son make duck decoys that are stylized reproductions of old working decoys. Each piece is individually carved from kiln dried white pine, handpainted with acrylic paints, then given our unique “10 step antique process”. This provides a beautiful distressed patina. In keeping with the traditional methods of decoy making, our carvings feature:

 

1) The “WHITE” brand which identifies the maker of the decoy.

 

2) Black glass eyes, which represent hatpins that were used on old decoys.

 

3) A lead weight is nailed to the underside of the duck’s body. This was done to make the decoy float properly.

 

4) The string wrapped around our decoys represents an anchor line. When unwound, an anchor was attached to the decoys’ string, holding it in place. At the end of the season, the string was carefully wrapped around the decoy for winter storage.

 

Each piece comes with a certificate of authenticity. The size of each piece may vary slightly. Please note- These decoys are decorative carvings and are not to be used outdoors or in the water.