Old wooden decoys have long floated in the backdrop of Canadiana. They sit on cottage shelves and fireplace mantles, reminding us of the outdoors with their flowing lines and quiet elegance. Many have been passed through several generations of the same family.
Each is a unique, handmade piece of folk art carved by someone who knew enough about ducks or geese to bring one to life in wood. Hold an old decoy and you can’t help but wonder about the waters it rode, the birds it fooled, and the hunters who set it out on misty autumn mornings.
Few icons speak more clearly to our hunting traditions. They are a legacy — gifts from the waterfowlers who came before us. That’s why it’s fitting that the Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters (OFAH) has found a way to repurpose old decoys in support of conservation and education programs. The idea came from Brad Ferren of the OFAH | Mario Cortellucci Hunting & Fishing Heritage Centre, who envisioned finding new homes for old decoys while raising funds for conservation.
The program, launched last October, encourages people to bring in their decoys for appraisal (for a small fee) or donation. An in‑person session was recently held at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show in March. Decoys are still being accepted at the Hunting & Fishing Heritage Centre in Peterborough.
The decoys will be auctioned by Miller & Miller Auctions of New Hamburg in a fall auction series, with all proceeds going to OFAH Foundation conservation programs. Donors will receive charitable tax receipts for the appraised value.
More than 30 pieces have already been assembled, and Ferren expects 60 to 100 for the first auction series.
Sterling’s Steven Lloyd — one of Canada’s leading authorities on hand‑carved decoys — is assisting the program at no charge. With 50 years of experience, he’s already seen some exceptional pieces.
“In one of the last batches, there was an amazing black duck by Harve Davern of Brighton, a very well‑documented carver,” he said. “I expect some very valuable decoys, historically or monetarily, to come through this program.”
Most, he notes, will date from before the late 1940s and 1950s, before plastic decoys became common. Names on the bottoms of those are usually those of hunters who owned them, rather than the carver, but Lloyd can often identify the maker — or at least the region the decoy came from — by carving style, form, weights, and other clues.
“I’ve met people who’ve had them in the family for four generations,” he said. “Some are magnificent, some not so much. But every decoy is a tribute to the person who made it, whether that was your father, a relative, or an unknown carver.”
Until July 2026, decoys can be brought to the OFAH | Mario Cortellucci Hunting & Fishing Heritage Centre at 4601 Guthrie Drive, Peterborough. To arrange an appraisal or donation, contact Brad Ferren at 705‑748‑6324 ext. 102, or submit a donation form at: hfhc.ca/duckdecoys
Originally published in the Walleye 2026 issue of Ontario Out of Doors
