History of Duck Decoys
Who invented the duck decoy? It seems a strange question to ask now that hunting decoys have become so commonplace, but the answer reveals a history much older and far more interesting than you might imagine. It begins in a Nevada cave being mined in the early 20th century for bat guano.
Ducks in a cave
The cave was called Lovelock, named for the town 20 miles to its north. Lovelock cave had been a shelter for indigenous Americans for nearly 3,500 years until an earthquake covered its opening. In 1911, guano miners discovered ancient artifacts hidden within the cave, and in 1924, a pair of archaeologists visited the site to investigate.
Along with numerous hunting and domestic objects, the archaeologists found that Lovelock cave held an extraordinary cache of 11 duck decoys. The duck decoys were made from marsh bulrush or tule reed, and decorated with real duck feathers. They had been made around 200 A.D., and carefully buried in individual wrappings in a pit dug into the floor of the cave. They are still the oldest known duck decoys in the world.
For more information on the Lovelock duck decoys, visit the Smithsonian Institution.
The father of the decoy
Elsewhere in America, the future "father of the decoy" was just discovering his lifelong passion. Joel Barber, a New York architect, found a carved wooden decoy near his boathouse in 1918. Barber became fascinated by duck decoys as folk art, and after carving, collecting, and exhibiting them for years, he published a book in 1934 titled Wild Fowl Decoys. The volume would eventually become the definitive guide for decoy collectors.
Barber's collection of decoys can now be seen at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, an eclectic exhibition of arts, crafts, and Americana.
Goose Decoys
When hunting geese, realistic decoys aren't enough to guarantee success. The proper placement and number of your goose decoys is a critical factor in making your hunting trip a memorable one. Hard hunted geese in particular won't be fooled by unnatural formations or poorly placed decoys. Here are some tips for hunting effectively using goose decoys.
Goose decoy number and placement tips
Numbers and visibility are two important elements of placing goose decoys. The more decoys they spot, the more likely geese are to land. Unless you plan to use magnum decoys, you should bring along at least 50 goose decoys for your hunt.
To increase decoy visibility and give geese the illusion of safety, avoid placing goose decoys near fences or forms of natural cover. Near water or in an open field are the locations most likely to bring success.
On windy days, arrange your goose decoys in a V wedge with the point facing into the wind. An X formation is otherwise best, or a J formation for water decoys, with the hook facing the wind.
Separate goose decoys into family clusters of six to 12, 2 to 3 feet apart, with several yards between families. Your best or most realistic goose decoys should be downwind. Use enough watchers or sentry heads to put geese at ease, but not so many that they'll indicate danger. A group of 50 goose decoys should have around eight to 10 sentries.
Finally, calling is an important part of using goose decoys. Feeding and landing geese are very noisy, so use an appropriate number of callers. Approaching flocks tend to increase the volume. Use faster and more excited goose calls as geese come nearer your decoys.
If you're not having any luck, take measures to increase the visibility of your decoys, such as moving light and dark decoys to contrast more strikingly with the ground.