Waterfowl Hunting Heritage Booth will feature master duck decoy makers Pat Gregory and Rick Pierce

Creating your own duck decoys that fool real birds adds a thrilling and deeply satisfying aspect to waterfowl hunting.

Now, if you are thinking, “I can’t make a decoy,” well, maybe you can with a little help. If you attend the annual Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo set for July 25 to 27 at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds, look for the Waterfowl Hunting Heritage Booth. Master decoy carvers Pat Gregory and Rick Pierce will conduct interactive demonstrations, share tips and techniques, and answer questions all weekend long.

“Pat and Rick are excellent carvers who love to demonstrate their craft and help people learn about making decoys,” said Chris Williams, Delta’s senior director of industry partners. “It’s fascinating to watch them turn a block of wood into a duck decoy. If you have ever thought about trying to carve a decoy, be sure to stop by the booth and tap into their knowledge and experience.”

Gregory, of Bloomington, Illinois, has been making decoys since 1984, and produces more than 100 birds annually. He has carved almost every species of duck and goose found in North America, and fashions his birds from white pine, white cedar, and cork. He has twice been selected as a Master Carver by the Ward Foundation Museum of Collectible Decoys and was the featured carver at the 2018 North American Vintage Decoy and Sporting Collectibles Show.

“I'll have white cedar bodies and white pine heads there with me, and I'll be carving some Delta Marsh canvasbacks and a few other species,” Gregory said. “I'll also be painting decoys, too, so people can see the technique that goes into actual gunning decoys. We'll have chairs so people can get in close and watch and ask questions as we go—both about the techniques and about the history. What I do isn’t really that difficult or technical, so I hope at least a couple of folks will leave thinking 'I could do this myself' and will go give it a try.”

Pierce, a northern Illinois native who lives in Alexander, Arkansas, started carving decoys in the 1990s. His carving style tends toward classic gunning decoys with clean body lines and varied head positions to convey movement and animation. His decoys are typically made from hollowed white cedar, with cedar or basswood heads and painted in oils.

“The fun part for me is watching people as a decoy starts taking shape—the chunk of wood becomes a duck and a pile of chips and dust,” Pierce said. “The wood chips fly, the smell of cedar hits the air, and everyone can see themselves making a decoy and throwing it into the water.”

The Waterfowl Hunting Heritage Booth is just one attraction attendees will discover on the massive exhibit hall floor of The Duck Hunters EXPO presented by Federal Premium Ammunition. The EXPO features 215 vendor booths and two stages: The Duck Dog Stage presented by Eukanuba and Lucky Duck, and the Field-to-Table Stage presented by First Lite. Special Expo events the Delta Grand National Double-Reed Duck Calling Championship, Delta Waterfowl Callmakers Championship, and the Duck Hunters Grand Banquet.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit deltawaterfowlexpo.com.

Delta Waterfowl is The Duck Hunters Organization, a leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowl hunting in North America. Visit deltawaterfowl.org.

For more information, contact Chris Williams at (919) 538-7874 or cwilliams@deltawaterfowl.org.