Have you ever been driving by a lake or pond and saw a duck that just did not look quite right?
Eventually, when you got a closer look you indeed discovered that it was in fact a fake. You must have been thinking to yourself, “why would someone put a fake duck in the water?” These fake ducks are in fact known as decoys and they are widely used today by hunters to attract waterfowl.
Recently I had the opportunity to talk to Shawn Beaulieu, owner of Market Hunter Decoys, who explained to me what makes a hand-carved duck decoy so special. Creating decoys to replicate ducks is a process that was started by the Native Americans over 2,000 years ago. Beaulieu explained to me that initially, decoys were made from reeds and grasses, but eventually decoys became made of wood. Hunters found that by having decoys in the water, waterfowl species were more likely to fly closer because having other birds around shows them that the area is safe. This allowed hunters to get closer, thus making them easier to shoot. The practice of hunting with decoys became widely adopted and eventually in the 1800s wood carvers were highly sought out to create decoys for the wealthiest of hunters. The process is truly an art form as it involved hours of hand carving and painting different types of wood to create lifelike presentations of duck species. Instead of using traditional methods to carve decoys, today most modern decoys tend to be made from canvas or plastic. The plastic ones are easier to produce and therefore cheaper, but Beaulieu says that they lack certain aspects that could impact the outcome of your hunt. This is what he said inspired him to begin making them himself.
Shawn Beaulieu had wanted to build decoys for years because as an avid duck hunter, he felt that there was just something missing on the plastic ones. So, in 2017 he sat down in a spare room of his house and began carving. He continues to use the same method when carving by using a two-handle draw knife to complete the shape of them. At first, he started making decoys out of cedar wood, but eventually switched to a high-density cork. Ducks are known to have extremely good eyesight, so he knew he had to pay as much attention to detail as possible.
After he carved his first decoy, he did not know what kind of impact it was going to have. He soon made a set of around 12 decoys and began testing them in the field. Beaulieu found that he was able to significantly attract more ducks to the areas he had his hand-carved decoys in than his areas with the plastic ones. Although the success of duck hunting has many variables, he truly felt that these hand-carved decoys made a difference. A hunter always wants his decoys to look as real as possible and one of the biggest differences between a hand-carved decoy and a plastic decoy is how they sit and move in the water. Beaulieu discovered that by using cork bodies with a basswood head, the decoys became much more buoyant. Each of his decoys ends up coming out slightly different, so they end up looking much more natural. Duck hunters tend to hunt with a dozen to upwards of fifty decoys to imitate a flock of feeding ducks. By using hand-carved decoys, each one appears to move differently in the water, whereas plastic decoys all move and look the same. The painting process is the most difficult and time consuming, but attention to detail makes his decoys one of a kind. By using high detailed photographs of duck species as a template, the decoys he hand paints come out looking extremely lifelike. He says the painting usually takes a few hours to a full day depending on the species of duck. Ducks like Mallards (the ones you see as you walk in Congress Park) are straightforward, but duck species like Teal and Wood Ducks have more advanced color schemes. Beaulieu says his hand-carved decoys are made to fool the ducks that the plastic decoys do not.
So next time you pass by a lake and see a flock of ducks, be sure to look twice. You may be looking at a set of decoys. Although if they are made by Shawn Beaulieu, you may have to look three times. Market Hunter decoys are currently available at Blueline Sports in Saranac Lake and are available for pick up at their shop in Ballston Spa. Be sure to also check out their Etsy page. If you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to reach out to Market Hunter Decoys by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Contact Info: Etsy shop: MarketHunterDecoys.
