Canvasback and related photos...page 2
Sinkbox on the flats - notice decoys facing the prevailing wind. The sinkbox was weighted by iron decoys to bring the deck level with the water. This made for excellent concealment of the hunters as they lay below the surface of the water. When the Canvasbacks would arrive the hunters would spring up and start shooting for all they were worth literally as their livelihood depended on their markmanship.
This is an artist depiction of a sinkbox battery rig. Artists are permitted leeway and creative license in their interpretation of reality. That is the case in this print. Overall it is correct in the relationships of gunner, decoys, flying Canvasbacks and the layout boat in the distance. A bit overdone or exaggerated is the sinkbox being so well camouflaged and blending with the water although this could be attributed to the golden reflection of the sun. More obvious is the decoys all facing the wind and tracking into it, when there is minimal wind. Oh, Well, its a great print anyway ! This print is from the Havre de Grace decoy museums Canvasback magazine. Both important tools in the study of Upper Chesapeake decoy history.
Common 'booby' duck blind of the Chesapeake country. On a boat tour of the bay, almost every point wears it's crown of bush's. Many staked out for generations by the same family owners.
An early Maryland Conservationist.
Page 3 NEXT....see waterman, decoy carvers and more !