We employed the term “Waterfowl” in a broad sense, to include not only duck, goose and coot decoys, but also decoys of various shorebirds, which were commonly hunted commercially and recreationally along ocean coastlines and salt flats in the 1800’s and first part of the 20th century, as well as so called “confidence decoys” in the form of birds such as herons, swans, gulls and loons.  Also included are some decorative waterfowl carvings.

“Fish decoys“ are carvings of various smaller species of fish and some other small creatures used to attract larger fish, mostly northern pike, by ice spearing fishermen on northern lakes. The ice spearing fisherman tied the decoy to a short line connected to a jigging stick and sat moving the decoy around below a hole cut in the ice, while watching carefully, until the quarry came close enough.  Then he (or she) thrust a multiple tined spear down to impale it and pulled it back up through the hole.  The decoys were sometimes quite realistically carved and painted, closely mimicking the subject involved, but often were stylized or whimsical and/or painted flamboyant colors.  They all worked.