American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture – 2013 Annual Meeting Auction
Auction Ends: Jan 14, 2013 06:30 PM CST

Collectibles

Canvasback Drake Decoy

Item Number
162
Estimated Value
60 USD
Sold
86 USD to sgtmace7
Number of Bids
13  -  Bid History

Item Description

Hand-carved wooden Canvasback Drake Decoy created and signed by Harford County, Maryland artist, Bryon Bodt.  Comes complete with wooden stand for display and brochure from Bodt Decoys.  Here is your chance to own your very own piece of the Chesapeake Bay!  

Bryon grew up in Harford County, Maryland and currently lives in Churchville. He is a 1981 graduate of Bel Air High School and graduated in 1985 from Washington College with a degree in biology. Bryon is presently making decoys as a full time occupation.

Bryon's enthusiasm was sparked by his father's interest in antique decoys and hunting in the Havre de Grace area. Bryon's style is patterned after the classic working decoys produced by carvers such as R. Madison Mitchell, Paul Gibson, Charlie Bryan, and Bob McGaw. Traditional working birds (gunning decoys) are characterized by their flat paint, absence of raised feathers, and presence of ballast weights and anchor rings.

Bryon began carving a few duck heads in 1977. In the early 1980's he spent three years in apprenticeship under Jim Pierce, a renowned Havre de Grace decoy maker. Now Bryon produces in his own style, birds native to the Atlantic flyway. He carves the hen and drake of about 20 species of ducks. The Canada goose, snow goose, blue goose, heron and swan are the larger decoys that he makes. 

 

Bryon is a life member of the Izaak Walton League of America, the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum and the Upper Bay Museum. In addition to making decoys, Bryon enjoys hunting, crabbing and working on his family's Christmas tree farm.

 

 

 

 

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