The Making of Hunting Decoys

I've been carving decoys and acquiring books on the subject since the 1950s. Currently my library contains about 50 titles covering the collecting side, the hunting side, and decoy construction. Many of the books on construction, particularly those authored in the past 20 years, lean heavily toward making decorative "waterfowl art" rather than working decoys. I seldom refer to them. However, there are two notable exceptions. One is Grayson Chesser's "Making Decoys the Century Old Way", which is long out of print and which commands a price of over $150 on the used book market. The other is "Making of Hunting Decoys", which I consider to be one of the "must haves" for anyone who has an interest in traditional decoys. In this book, Mr. Veasey has included pictorial step by step construction of over a dozen decoys by well known makers... only one of whose work transcends the line into the decorative field. Study of the photographs will provide the reader with a wealth of information and helpful tips on construction, much like a visit to the carver's shop. Painting tips are given by each featured carver in a separate section in the rear of the book. This is the weakest portion of Veasey's work, but the construction pictorial more than makes up for it. If you are interested in making your first decoy, improving your work, or just learning about a vanishing craft, this book is a bargain. Fortunately it's currently fairly easy to find in the used book market.

This is a wonderful book that belongs on every hunting decoy carvers shelf. Bill Veasey takes a look at the construction and painting of 13 different species of hunting decoys. What makes this book so unique is that you can see many different decoy makers styles, patterns and painting techniques. These decoys range from the most simple to very complex. Perfect for the guy that just wants to make a few blocks to hunt over, but equally as informative for the serious competitive decoy carver. Bill Veasey has been around the decoy world for many years and always incorporates his unique insight and style in all of his works. Of them all though, this is probably his best.