VINTAGE DUCK DECOYS

by Bob Snipes, guest writer

Your recent post about duck hunting stimulated my memory which took me back to my teen years when J. B. Blaylock and I spent many a weekend rising early and visiting the lakes close to Clovis.   There were a few times we would get up and make a quick trip to a lake before school.   We loved to hunt duck....actually we loved to hunt period...duck.....dove and quail.  

J. B. had a 12 gauge side by side double barrel with 28” long barrels and I had a 12 gauge Remington pump with a 32” barrel with a full choke.    Now, J. B was a crack shot but those ole duck would get out of his range and my 32” full choke was an ideal duck gun....long range with a more concentrated pattern.  It was especially gratifying to knock a duck down that was high tailing it at what seemed to be a mile high.  We had more fun than a barrel of monkeys. 

 As boys we would shoot anything that flew.   We got our share of crows, field larks, hawks and sparrows.   They better not fly by us because we would shoot them.   Just typical dumb kids out having fun but we weren’t out getting drunk or stealing steering wheel knobs (I think they called them necking knobs). 

Being interested in hunting and fishing, when I was about 13-14 years old,  I decided to purchase some duck decoys.   After looking at mother’s Montgomery Wards catalogue, I made a visit to the store on Main street.   They told me that they could order 12 decoys and I believe that the price was $7.95.   I mowed a few more lawns,  saved my money and ordered the duck decoys.  

I used the decoys probably a half dozen times but after high school they got thrown in a box and stored in various corners of my parents garage.    Years later, when I lost interest in duck hunting and I spent all of my time making a living,  I gave the decoys to my brother-in-law,  Don Price.   Don was a Game warden in Tucumcari and he later moved to Belen.   He and his sons hunted up and down the Rio Grande and they used the decoys.   He told me the stories how a few of the decoys floated down the river and one or two of them got shot and destroyed. 

After Don quit the N M Game and fish department, he did not hunt much but he salvaged 2 or 3 of the decoys.   Years later, I was visiting Don in Albuquerque and happen to notice the old decoys in his garage.  I ask him if I could have the best one back and he graciously obliged. 

The decoy in the photo sets on my shelf with other memorabilia of years gone buy.   The decoys were very interesting.   They are made of a water proof canvas and are stuffed with some type of water proof floatation material.   This decoy is a  hand painted mallard hen and has glass eyes.   On the bottom side there is a canvas loop to hook a cord and weight to keep it from floating away.   Ebay has a few of these listed for sale for around $19.95.

Bob and JB

FOR MIL'S

Bobby Joe Snipes, CHS '53
guest writer

9/7/15