Decoy carver's craft exudes passion for ducks
Decoy carver’s craft exudes passion for ducks
By Tyler Frantz
Ten years ago, Jonestown native Bob Barlett attended the Ned Smith Festival in Millersburg, PA, where he observed decoy carver Ross Smoker building wooden duck decoys in a tent. He was amazed that simple hand tools could produce something so intricate; it was something he definitely wanted to try.
Six months later, Barlett enrolled in one of Mr. Smoker’s carving courses, where he crafted his very first decoy, an antique Greenwing Teal Drake. This first project, built of solid pine and finished with acrylic paint, made Barlett an official decoy carver. He was hooked from the start.
Over the course of the next decade, the Cedar Haven maintenance worker hand-built 121 decoys with more than a dozen currently in progress. He’s entered decoy contests in five different states, winning several, and has accumulated more than fifty decoys from other carvers for his home collection.
“Ducks are my life at times,” said 51-year old Barlett, who works on decoys at least once a week in his kitchen, garage and basement. “I love hunting them, scouting them, and I love building decoys. It’s like a kind of release for me.” Barlett says it takes approximately 12 hours total for him to create a single decoy from scratch.
“I make all wooden heads, which take me about two hours each to carve out. The bodies are made of cork with wooden tails. I prefer cork because it floats better and it’s easier to work with,” explained Barlett.
“I can usually build a body in two hours as well. This includes a wooden or Trex-material keel which is filled with lead for balance and float-tested in my sink.”
“I come from a wood-working background so the bodies are easy; they just take time,” Barlett said. “The real hard part for me is the painting and texture finishing. That usually takes me between 6-8 hours per decoy.”
If one has ever inspected the detailed feather patterns of a wild duck, he or she can easily understand the tedious nature of painting decoys to match real birds. Making the task even more difficult is the fact that Barlett is legally blind in his left eye, the result of a hockey accident, which significantly impacts his depth perception. “I’m a little bit of a perfectionist, and if a paint job doesn’t look just right- if it doesn’t match the real thing- I’ll redo it,” said Barlett. “It has to look good. I’ve already repainted decoys 5-6 times before I was satisfied; that’s just how I am.”
Perhaps it is Barlett’s meticulous attention to detail that’s helped him do so well competitively. Having entered his first decoy contest several years ago, Barlett said it is the competitive aspect of the art that keeps him wanting to improve.
“My first contest was at the Middle Creek Wildfowl Show,” said Barlett. “I entered a Canvasback and took second place for the species. But I also met Jim Romig, who won all three best of show categories that year.”
“I asked Jim for some tips, and he really took me under his wing and became my mentor. He taught me a lot about how to make my decoys more lifelike. Without Jim, I’d still be in the Stone Age.”
Barlett has done pretty well for himself lately. In 2013, he had the top Bluebills and Redheads in the Gunning Pair Class at the Worlds Competition in Ocean City, MD. In 2014, his Pintail pair won the Best Puddle Ducks category at Worlds, and he’s won the Middle Creek Show four times, including each of the last three consecutive years.
“I like to compete,” said Barlett. “Having some success makes it a little addicting, and now I’m always trying to get better. I like to try to match nature with my decoys, and it’s fun to see how I can compare with the other guys. I’d really like to win Best of Show at Worlds some day.” Though decoys have a big following among collectors, with some fetching thousands of dollars, Barlett rarely sells his decoys. He keeps some as mementos and gives others away to friends.
Each year, Barlett graciously donates a few decoys to Ducks Unlimited’s Pine Grove and Susquehannock Chapters to be auctioned off at their annual fundraising banquets. On average, they bring anywhere from $125-$250 for the local conservation groups, which is rewarding enough for Barlett.
“I just love doing this,” said Barlett. “It’s more than a hobby to me, so if I can help in some small way, then I will.” Barlett said he occasionally hunts over his decoys, but he has a special plan for an upcoming hunt that will take on a more significant meaning.
“I had to put down my Chesapeake Bay retriever, Briley, on St. Patrick’s Day this year because of cancer,” said Barlett. “It was really tough- he went everywhere with me. I want to build a pair of hollow mallards and put his ashes inside. That way I can hunt over them and he’ll still be with me.”
Barlett said his biggest carving inspirations are old-timer Grayson Chesser, contemporary Chris Martin, and his good friend Jim Romig. He owns decoys from LL Bean, Madison Mitchell, Charles Jobes, Wildfowler, Herters, Victor, and others.
Though Barlett’s own specialty is Bluebills, his favorite duck species to collect is a Pintail, of which he has a half-dozen.
“I think Pintails are the most majestic birds,” said Barlett. “They hold their heads high like they are proud of themselves- like they are the best of the best among the ducks. They just stand out as special.”
Though the humble Jonestown award-winner would never agree, it’s pretty safe to say that if a decoy maker’s talent were viewed like a duck, Barlett himself would most likely be a Pintail.
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