Early colonists took note and began carving wood duck decoys from white pine and white cedar which were both durable and buoyant. By the mid 19th-century, around the time of the Civil War ...

“Decoy carving kind of hit me like a disease ... Instead of making sawdust, Donelan says, he’s been drawing patterns for wooden cars, which he also enjoys carving. His wife figures he ...

I like buying and making duck decoys. “My wife is very tolerant ... because it's cheaper and more available. You use a pattern and draw the duck on the wood and do a rough cut with a band ...

Without wooden duck decoys for the birds to flock to, though, this wouldn’t have been possible. The decoys drew birds to the water, making it easier for the hunters to bag their catch.

Hand-crafted wooden duck decoys, with their intricate carvings and painted designs, attract more than just unsuspecting ducks that mistake them for the real thing and end up getting bagged by hunters.