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Like the title says, Do any of you carve your own decoys or decoys for others??? Either decorative or gunners??? I've done repaints for a few years. Then started carving last fall when I helped with a carving contest the goose was in She really enjoyed it. And since I was helping to teach and demonstrate I got involved a little bit too... Greenwing teal were the contest ducks so that's what was carved. This year the duck for that contest is the Bufflehead. And while it is barely June, and the contest isn't until early February, I have been working on patterns and cut my first test bodies today. (Hen and Drake) I've been carving my own fish decoys for several years, figured why not add ducks to the mix as well. If these ones go well and it turns out to be a decent decoy, then it will be a Scaup, and a Goose for another contest. (Although I need to finish the fish part of that contest before I mess with the ducks) So back on topic.... Who here carves??? Care to share your work???

I am interested in how everyone transports their decoys for spearing. Please if you have photos attach them. I am building another sled to pull behind my snowmobile and need ideas on storage for my decoys. When I go out I take everything with including all my decoys, 20+/-.

I got a Facebook bump today with photos from 10 years ago. They were pictures of me and my buddies, with piles of geese around us from successful early season field hunts. Boy, did the memories come rushing back! I was in college at the time at UND. How I graduated in four years with a degree still boggles my mind. We literally spent a minimum of four days a week either scouting or hunting. It was an incredibly irresponsible, exciting, fun and unforgettable time of my life (that's me, second from the left on a pretty regular hunt for our group): Field hunting was literally all we did. Didn't matter the time of year or what we were after -- if it meant getting ducks and geese, it happened in a harvested field of some kind. The lone exceptions were a diver hunt to Stump Lake (back before it connected to DL) and our annual "defecate Duck Shoot," so nicknamed because we'd hit a random pond and whack whatever came by. Well, life goes on. Friends moved away, and I soon found myself 75 miles south and in new territory. My first few years were spent getting to know the area. I actually had a few decent field hunts, too! It was exciting times again (me with my first solo limit in the new town, circa 2009): Then, son No. 1 came along. Wow....just, wow. I love him dearly. More than I could ever have imagined, but he quite literally turned my world upside down, especially when it comes to hunting. I no longer hunt every weekend from September to January, and when I do my days are primarily limited to half-day excursions. And my waterfowling has completely changed. I can't remember the last field hunt I was on. With time such a rarity, scouting runs are few and far between. My field decoys and layout blinds are no doubt covered in dust and home to God knows how many critters. I find myself, almost unequivocally, hunting water for both ducks and geese. I know this is frowned upon in my neck of the woods, especially with everyone worried about "busting the roost." However, I know that I can grab a bag of decoys and my dogs, run to a pond just before first light, and have a good chance at birds while still being home before noon. Just can't say the same about field hunting. It's gotten to the point where I'm actually playing with the notion of selling all my field stuff. It's just taking up space, and I likely won't be using any of it for years....if ever again. Plus, the competition for fields in North Dakota is incredibly fierce, whereas the myriad ponds and sloughs are virtually untouched. I feel like I'm merely taking advantage of severely underutilized resources. So what are your thoughts? Anyone experience anything similar? And should I sell all my field stuff or just keep it in the attic in case, one day, I get the chance to go again? (Mandatory shots of the wirehairs waiting on some more ducks to decoy):