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Bluebill decoys #7612778
06/25/22 10:37 PM
06/25/22 10:37 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
S
slydogx Offline OP
trapper
slydogx  Offline OP
trapper
S

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
One of my good friends is a fair bit older than me and has begun "decluttering" some.
His father was one of the last commercial fishermen on Lake St Clair and so the family shot and ate a lot of ducks since they lived right on the lake in the 60's.
Anyhow, he asked if I could take his diver blocks to make him some room in his shed and I was happy to oblige. These guys have seen a lot of use and God willing, they'll see a lot more with me (he's always invited and often comes with me)
I am fortunate to be blessed with great friends...
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Last edited by slydogx; 06/25/22 10:38 PM.

Just happy to be here.
Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612779
06/25/22 10:39 PM
06/25/22 10:39 PM
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
T
Tray Offline
"Wilson Jr."
Tray  Offline
"Wilson Jr."
T

Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 683
SD
That’s really cool

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612787
06/25/22 10:56 PM
06/25/22 10:56 PM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,452
MN
W
walleye101 Offline
trapper
walleye101  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,452
MN
Looks like some old Herters blocks in the bunch.

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612789
06/25/22 11:01 PM
06/25/22 11:01 PM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
S
slydogx Offline OP
trapper
slydogx  Offline OP
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
Definitely some Herters in the mix. There are a lot of others that I cannot identify...flatties with wood bottoms and a round chunk of lead for a keel

Last edited by slydogx; 06/25/22 11:02 PM.

Just happy to be here.
Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612793
06/25/22 11:10 PM
06/25/22 11:10 PM
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 849
Washington
wildflights Offline
trapper
wildflights  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 849
Washington
Really nice old decoys. I'd feel priviledged to shoot over those.


Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire. -Gustav Mahler
Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612794
06/25/22 11:11 PM
06/25/22 11:11 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,065
Missouri
M
mississippiposse Offline
trapper
mississippiposse  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,065
Missouri
Agree several Herters. If I remember correct they called them shot proof or maybe the name was bullet proof. Also some look like G and H. A little paint and they will last you a lifetime. Nice you did well

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612797
06/25/22 11:20 PM
06/25/22 11:20 PM
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 227
Hebron Nebraska
R
RickA Offline
trapper
RickA  Offline
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R

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 227
Hebron Nebraska
You sir are a blessed man! There is nothing in the hunting trapping world so great as hunting bluegills!
Rick!

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612798
06/25/22 11:21 PM
06/25/22 11:21 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
W
Wanna Be Offline
trapper
Wanna Be  Offline
trapper
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,723
SW Georgia
Brighten up that white and you’re set. Great score!

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612882
06/26/22 07:15 AM
06/26/22 07:15 AM
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,468
Iowa
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trapdog1 Offline
trapper
trapdog1  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 10,468
Iowa
Nice! Those ol' blocks have seen some action, looks like.

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612891
06/26/22 07:29 AM
06/26/22 07:29 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
N
Northof50 Online mad
trapper
Northof50  Online Mad
trapper
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 8,113
Manitoba
The first picture is like looking at a whole lots of blonds in a bar on Saturday night.

How many are solid wooden ones ?

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: Northof50] #7612938
06/26/22 08:38 AM
06/26/22 08:38 AM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
S
slydogx Offline OP
trapper
slydogx  Offline OP
trapper
S

Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
Correction...there are no solid wood decoys in the mix. Most are foam with a few carrylite plastics in the mix. There is also a Victor Canvasback in the 2nd pic which I put up on a shelf.

Last edited by slydogx; 06/26/22 08:40 AM. Reason: Correction

Just happy to be here.
Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612941
06/26/22 08:42 AM
06/26/22 08:42 AM
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 13,964
Michigan
T
Trapper Dahlgren Offline
trapper
Trapper Dahlgren  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 13,964
Michigan
thats great

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612954
06/26/22 08:54 AM
06/26/22 08:54 AM
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
W
w side rd 151 Online content
trapper
w side rd 151  Online Content
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W

Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
I worked with a guy that had a pile of old hand carved wooden decoys .His Dad and Grandfather had made many of them themselves . And they also had a large amount that they purchased They hunted the Susquehanna River in PA during the 1950,s 60's ,70,s and a little bit of the 1980,s My friend's Dad took up collecting old decoys and I was able to go with him to public sales here in the area .He had some very nice examples' of working decoys that he was able to buy .Sadly all three of them are now gone .I was able to get a few from them before they passed . Those old time working decoys where treasures to their owners .And they are a piece of history .They are are a part on an era in the legacy of hunting in America

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612966
06/26/22 09:16 AM
06/26/22 09:16 AM
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 827
Illinois
D
DRF Offline
trapper
DRF  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: May 2016
Posts: 827
Illinois
That is awesome! I have an older friend in his early 80’s who I helped commercial fish and duck hunt with him since the mid 80’s. Also hunted with his dad. He is gone now but was caught in the armistice storm in a skull boat in the Mississippi River. I will have to see what old decoys he has, I’m sure he has some. Still has the skull boat his dad used. I remember they would use bleach bottles and we’d paint the top and bottom black. They had tons of them and had multiple ones on a anchor line with one single line extending out. Those blue bills would see those and head straight up that line. That was a sight to see.

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7612996
06/26/22 09:50 AM
06/26/22 09:50 AM
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
W
w side rd 151 Online content
trapper
w side rd 151  Online Content
trapper
W

Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
Here in PA Blue Bills ,Canvas Back and Red Heads where the considered the primary choices if they could be taken .But ducks where food on the table so they shoot what they could .They alsp have what they called a sneak boat I went hunting with my work friend one time in it It wa s made of canvas and sat low in the water . It wa slight colored and had a small board across the front They put out their decoys and sat in the boat near cover a little way off .When ducks would land in the decoys they would do what they called run the decoys .They maneuvered their boat into the decoys and paddled close enough to get shooting at the ducks .It was the preferred method of duck hunting by most of the Susquehanna River hunters

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7613008
06/26/22 10:02 AM
06/26/22 10:02 AM
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 827
Illinois
D
DRF Offline
trapper
DRF  Offline
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 827
Illinois
Same thing with the scull boat w side. They were brushed and had a small motor but also an oar out the back to maneuver it. They would lay down in it and sneak up on the ducks. They had a boat hide a ways from the spread where they could hide the boat and not be seen always up current from the spread. His son ( who is 81) now told me when he was young his dad would take him scull boat hunting but his dad always got the first shot then he was allowed to get into them lol. This was around the early 50’s when he was a kid. Imagine crossing the Mississippi River during armistice day in that scull boat. Those old timers were tough! He said he knew it was gonna get exciting when sneaking up into the ducks and some would swim right up to the boat and pick at the willows.

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7613024
06/26/22 10:20 AM
06/26/22 10:20 AM
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
W
w side rd 151 Online content
trapper
w side rd 151  Online Content
trapper
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Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
I can't say that I prefer the old fashion ways that our ancestors hunted . I mostly like being warm and dry .The new modern clothing and gear are light years ahead of buckskins and even wool clothing . But having started hunting in the 1960's I had my share of experience with asking myself what I was doing out on in some of the days I hunted .We tend to forget that in the first half of the 1900's hunting was much more about putting food on the table. So when the weather got real rough the hunters of that era just did what they had to do

Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7613035
06/26/22 10:37 AM
06/26/22 10:37 AM
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
S
slydogx Offline OP
trapper
slydogx  Offline OP
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,292
Ontario, Canada
The area I hunt was the very heart of the market hunting era about 20 miles Southwest of Detroit.
There is a ton of history here that is all but forgotten because the bunny huggers find it distasteful and the new batch of "ethical" hunters can't understand the issues in historical context.


Just happy to be here.
Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7613039
06/26/22 10:40 AM
06/26/22 10:40 AM
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,668
OK
Aaron Proffitt Online happy
trapper
Aaron Proffitt  Online Happy
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,668
OK
That's too cool ! You very fortunate.


Honor a Soldier. Be the kind of American worth fighting for.
Re: Bluebell decoys [Re: slydogx] #7613058
06/26/22 11:08 AM
06/26/22 11:08 AM
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
W
w side rd 151 Online content
trapper
w side rd 151  Online Content
trapper
W

Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,665
PA
Sly You nailed it Market hunting , trapping methods, bounty hunting , unlimited bag limits ,long or no closed seasons where all a part of how things where .We did not know any better so we did what was allowed during that era .And as you say new hunter today do not understand the context of how things where then The truth is that fur trade industry and hunting (market) where the single most influential reason behind the growth of America and the whole North American continent .The Louisiana purchase ,Lewis and Clark the fur trappers of the 1800's the French /Indian wars are where a part of this country growing for east to west .And that concept was still a driving force in the hunters of the 1940's and 1950's.The men that lived and fought in World War 2 and later the Korean war came home to good paying jobs at the time So they had money to spend on some of the things they enjoyed doing. The joy of hunting and the comradery was what keep people involved in hunting That spirit was as alive in duck hunters as it was in the millions of deer hunters that ha d a deer camp

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