Smith: Decoy carving will share limelight on waterfowl's big stage

WAUSAU - Growing up near the Mississippi River in northwestern Illinois, Mike Pierce of Wausau developed a deep and abiding fondness for duck hunting.

First, it was calling that struck his fancy. His feeding chuckles and hail calls became so highly regarded that he served as a judge at the World Duck Calling Championship in Stuttgart, Ark.

Later, Pierce learned to love another aspect of waterfowling - decoys.

With Joe Tonelli of Spring Valley, Ill., as a mentor, Pierce embarked on a path that would include decoy carving and antique decoy collecting.

"It gets in your blood," said Pierce, 66 and a retired emergency medical technician and firefighter.

And not just as an accent to the hunt. At one point, Pierce sold his decoy collection to help pay for two years of his son's college education.

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He also won multiple ribbons in carving contests.

"If you wanted to make a name for yourself and be able to sell your decoys, you had to win a few things," Pierce said.

He says his days of competing and selling his dekes are behind him, though, and now he carves mostly for personal enjoyment.

But next month Pierce is going to be in the middle of Wisconsin's biggest decoy carving contest in some time, maybe ever.

Pierce is serving as chairman of the First Annual Wisconsin Waterfowl Association Decoy Carving Contest. 

The event will be held Sept. 15 and 16 in conjunction with the Federal Duck Stamp Art Competition at UW-Stevens Point.

Don Kirby, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association executive director, said the organization was looking for a way to expand on the duck stamp contest and include other waterfowl-related events to attract competitors and spectators to Stevens Point.

"The idea of a carving contest got a lot of support," Kirby said. "And we're tickled Mike Pierce agreed to organize it because no one in the state who knows more about decoy carving."

Waterfowl decoy carving dates back hundreds of years in Europe and North America. For much of the early to mid-20th Century, hunters either carved their own blocks or purchased commercially-produced wooden or cork dekes.

The creations also became recognized as American folk art. 

Although most decoys used by contemporary hunters are made of plastic, Pierce said there's been a refreshing shift in the last couple decades.

"There's been a great resurgence of people carving wood and cork decoys and shooting over them," Pierce said. "The emphasis on gunning decoys is amazing."

Pierce is hopeful the contest will attract a wide range of carvers, from beginners to those with decades of experience.

The Wisconsin Waterfowl Association competition will have four classes, two in accordance with the International Waterfowl Carving Association and two "open."

The classes are: IWCA Decoy; IWCA Gunning Decoy; Sconnie Gunners, and Heritage Antique Replica.

In the IWCA classes, competitors can enter novice, intermediate or open levels. 

The Sconnie class will include open and junior (age 17 and under) levels.

Pierce has been involved in everything from writing the rules to recruiting the judges for the contest.

The judges must remain anonymous until after the competition. But Pierce said they will include expert decoy makers, duck hunters, waterfowl biologists and wildlife artists.

"They've got to know if a bluebill sits on the water this way or if that is an appropriate pose for a long-tailed duck," Pierce said.

Three of the classes will be judged on looks as well as performance on water. A 5,000- gallon fire department dunk tank will be used to float and judge the decoys.

The Wisconsin Waterfowl Association's goal is to create a "reasonable competition" in the first year. Between the first and second year, the organization hopes the contest will be of national quality, Pierce said.

The deadline for mailed entries is Sept. 12; decoys can be carried in on the morning of the contest (Sept. 16).

Pierce said UW-Stevens Point is helping provide a facility for the carving contest and assisting with promotion of the event.

So far, Pierce has received inquiries from interested competitors in about a dozen states, including the East Coast.

How many entries will the contest attract?

"It's a crapshoot," Pierce said. "But based on having the Federal Duck Stamp competition going on at the same time, we have a golden opportunity to start out with a bang. I'm hopeful this will become a big annual event for Wisconsin."