Wisconsin Decoy Heritage

Your one-stop-shop for Wisconsin carvers!  

There is no better source of information for Wisconsin carvers of working decoys.  Scroll through the posts below, or google the name of the artist you wish to find.

.

Lemke decoys

Clarence R. “Speed” Lemke

Decoy Corner
An Omro, Wisconsin, Decoy Carver Clarence Lemke was born, raised and lived most of his life in the Milwaukee area. His passion was hunting and fishing and all that came…
George Windross Jr Black Duck

George Windross, Jr

Decoy Corner
An Oconto County, Wisconsin, Decoy Carver A 1930 photo of carver George Windross, Jr. Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Hunting and Fishing Collectibles magazine I have not written much about decoy…
Steve Houman decoys

Steven C. “Jupe” Houman

Decoy Corner
A Decoy Carver and Collector from Hudson, WI The western part of Wisconsin bordering the Mississippi River has been, and still is, a waterfowling mecca. Market hunters were very active…
Frank Sprader Decoys

Frank Leonard Sprader

Decoy Corner
A “Milwaukee School” Carver Several Wisconsin carvers from the Milwaukee area coined their decoy carving style as the “Milwaukee School”. Both Owen Gromme and Warren Dettman, who worked for the Milwaukee…
Bufflehead

Richard “Dick” Bajorek

Decoy Corner
A Green Bay Decoy Carver and Carving Instructor The vast majority of decoy carvers began their journey in carving through necessity, needing decoys to lure ducks and geese to their…
Reimenshneider decoy

Rich Reimenschneider

Decoy Corner
An Oconomowoc, WI Decoy Carver, Collector, Trapper and Fisherman Photos courtesy Bruce Urben. Author’s note: Oconomowoc is a city in southeast Wisconsin located in Waukesha County that was settled in…
Widgeon

Roy Discher and Chuck Koepsel

Decoy Corner
Carving Team from Milwaukee, WI Photos courtesy Wisconsin Sporting Collectibles. Discher/Koepsel mallard In 1920, waterfowl hunting partners Roy Discher and Chuck Koepsel, both from Milwaukee, WI, went waterfowl hunting with…
Large Blackduck

Burton “Burt” Lange

Decoy Corner
Horicon Marsh Decoy Carver All photos courtesy Wisconsin Sporting Collectibles. Horicon, WI was founded as a lumber mill town and a railroad hub on the Rock River in the late 1800’s.…
Milt Geyer bluebills

Milton Geyer

Decoy Corner
Lifetime Green Bay Decoy Carver All photos courtesy Wisconsin Sporting Collectibles. It seems that people all over the world know of Green Bay, Wisconsin, mainly because of the Green Bay…
David R VanLanen

David R. VanLanen

Decoy Corner
Green Bay Decoy Carver All  photos courtesy David VanLanen Many carvers begin their carving careers fretting about applying paint to their expertly carved decoys. David VanLanen was not one of…
Ted Thyrion Coot

Ted John Thyrion

Decoy Corner
Green Bay Decoy Carver and Bay Gunner Ted Thyrion was born in June of 1911 in Green Bay, Wisconsin and lived there his entire life. Ted had eight younger siblings,…
Best in Show

WWA’s 2023 Decoy Competition

Decoy Corner
“to Judge World’s Best “Working Decoys”” The Decoy Corner articles in the WWA newsletter are widely accessed through the internet by carvers, collectors, waterfowl hunters, bird watchers and others. What…