Restoration and Relocation Decoys
Duck Trap Decoys
Looking for a particular decoy rather that a flock?
Since we develop our own patterns and since all of our decoys are hand carved and painted, we can furnish whatever decoy suits your purposes. We've been doing just that for over 50 years. After you peruse this site,
click here to check out our gallery.
Background: Forster's Tern decoys in our shop at Duck Trap
We carved these for the San Francisco National Wildlife Refuge
We can catch our breath now that the Spring rush is over.
(Now is a great time to get to the head of the line for next season.)
SEABIRD DECOYS
TERNS, PUFFINS, RAZORBILLS, GANNETS
The decoys that appear on this site are those we produce most often and in the greatest numbers. We can carve and paint your decoys in whatever pose and to whatever degree of realism you would like. And if you need a species that doesn't appear here, chances are that we have a suitable design, and if we don't, we'll be glad to consult with your experts and produce one that is suitable. In such cases we oftentimes produce a prototype for your inspection and approval before proceeding.
about US
In business since 1972
We have been carving decoys for decades. There are no CNC machines in our shop and no casting equipment. Our decoys are carved from pine and cedar and hand painted, because those are the decoys that attract birds the best.
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That sounds time consuming, and it is, but we have the experience and have filled orders for 300 and more. If your order is too large for us to handle within your time frame, we'll tell you so right up front.
The true advantage of hand work is that we can suit the decoys to your restoration or relocation project, rather than you having to suit your project to the available decoys. Our designs are proprietary, and we can modify any of them to suit your needs.
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Yes, we are registered with SAM.
Some of our sandwich tern decoys at work in sweden
About our Decoys
QUALITY DEMANDS ATTENTION TO DETAIL
Regardless of species, all of our working decoys share things in common. All are carved from pine or cedar, and all are finished by hand. On rare occasions we also produce cork decoys. Regardless of the material used, they are finished in the same way.
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We spent decades building custom wooden boats, so know full well that marine undercoats are without peer, and we undercoat them twice. Then, and only then do we apply the satin sheen acrylic color coats.
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How long the finishes last depends on their environment, but we can tell you that we've conducted our own tests with decoys exposed to our Maine Coastal weather and have witnessed their longevity first hand. We fastened several to the shop railing and after 2 years there was hardly any discernible wear. After 3 years they were dulling noticeably, and it wasn't until the end of the fourth year they were needing fresh color coats. Not too shabby as they say in these parts.
