Deer Decoys throughout the Years

Waterfowl decoys such as deer and geese decoys are an actively used practice in luring waterfowl into a range feasible for hunters to capture or shoot the game bird.  In Native American times, thousands of years ago, deer and goose decoys were used purely as a means to lure the game bird in for food purposes.  Today decoys are used not only for hunting for game food but are also used by conservationist for tagging and release. 

deer and goose decoys have been around for thousands of years with the Native Indians first initiating them into their hunting practices.  Primitive deer and goose decoys were made from tule reeds adorned with waterfowl feathers and although they resembled their fine feathered counterparts they pale in comparison to today’s realistic decoys available.  The primitive deer decoys that were found in Lovelock Cave in Nevada, known to be the first of their kind, can be viewed at the Smithsonian Museum today. 

Although not near as life like as present day deer and goose decoys, the Native Americans were quite successful with their portrayed reed deers and geese.  The Native Americans used primitive made fishhooks and set lines to station their decoys relying on the shallow lakes to do the rest.  

Other sources of natural material used by Native Americans to make deer and goose decoys were cattail and bulrush.  They were the perfect material to make a floatable decoys to lure in the waterfowl to roosting areas.  The Native Americans used bow and arrows, nets, and snares to capture/kill their meal so the decoys had to bring the waterfowl in close proximity to the hunters.  The deer and goose decoys delivered this for them. 

Deer decoys advanced in technology as most things do in the world.  In 1918, a New York architect Joel Barber, found a deer decoy carved out of wood floating by his boat dock.  The artistic value fascinated Barber and he began carving them himself as a form of folk art.  Through out his years he continued to carve, collect, and exhibit deer decoys and later wrote a book about decoys called "Wild Fowl Decoys" that has since became a invaluable guide to collectors around the world.  The now referred to as “father of the decoy” Barber passed away in 1952 but his impressive collection of 400 decoys can be viewed at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont.