Hand-carved decoys and their makers are an important part of Delta Waterfowl’s history, with strong connections to the Ducharme and Ward families in Manitoba.
To honor and celebrate decoy-making traditions across the continent, Delta is sponsoring “Carver’s Corner” at the North American Vintage Decoy and Sporting Collectibles Show. The 58th annual gathering of the North American Decoy Collectors Association is slated for April 22-26 at the Westin Chicago Lombard hotel in Lombard, Illinois.
Carver’s Corner will feature decoy carving, feather stamping, and painting demonstrations by Pat Gregory, a noted carver from Bloomington, Illinois. In addition, the special area of the show will host a “Decoys of the Delta Marsh” exhibit, a special display of vintage decoys including birds made by the hands of Duncan Ducharme, Peter Ward, Torry Ward, Miles Pirnie, and other influential carvers. A second exhibit will showcase a prized rig of contemporary green-winged teal decoys from Delta Waterfowl’s 2024 decoy hunt, which took place on Utah’s Great Salt Lake…