Decoy Carving Contest Rules Southern Wildlife Festival – 2009 All Divisions
1. The Competition is open to all carvers. I.W.C.A. level advancement rules do not apply to this division.
2. Decoys must be made of wood, cork, or stretched canvas. Machine duplicated decoys will be disqualified.
3. Texturing by any means will be allowed (i.e. rasping, chip carving, combing, scratching, stippling), except wood burning and stoning. Some stoning or carving (no burning) will be allowed on the crest of any species of merganser as long as the crest remains sturdy and functional. A wood burner may be used as a cutting tool only. All undercut or fragile areas (wingtips, tails, necks, and bill) will be critically assessed by the judges for durability. 4. All weight and/or keels must be sturdy and non-fouling in design. Decoys must have a facility for an anchor line attachment. Keels and/or ballast weights are considered part of the decoy and will be considered as part of the judging criteria. Overall weight will also be considered.
5. Decoys must be self-righting. Decoys will be placed in the tank with their bottoms up. When the decoy is released, it must self-right. Geese and swan decoys must self-right from a side position. Any decoy that does not self-right will immediately be disqualified.
6.Painting must be effective at a distance of 20 feet. Painting techniques that are fast and practical are encouraged. Painting must withstand an extended time period in the water and not deteriorate.
7. Any hunting division decoy that checks, splits, takes on water, and/or has paint deterioration at any time prior to the completion of all hunting decoy judging will be disqualified and forfeit any awards said decoy was awarded.
8. All decoys must not have any markings that readily identify the carver. All such markings must be covered with tape or otherwise obscured.
9. All Decoys must remain on display until 3:00 PM on Sunday.
10. Decoys may not be entered in more than one Division.
11. All decoys entered must have never been entered in previous Southern Wildlife Festival contests nor have been carved more than 36 months prior to the date of the show.
Division I – Contemporary Gunning Decoy Contest 1. Carved bill detail is allowed.
2. Inserts may be used to strengthen weak areas such as bill, tails and crest. Any fragile area (wingtips, tails, necks and bills) will be critically assessed by the judges for durability. Primary feathers must be strong and well supported. As a guideline primaries cannot be undercut more than the uppermost part of the upper tail coverts.
3. There will be no restrictions on painting of Contemporary Gunning Division decoys.
4. Feather groups may be simply carved (back, side pockets, rumps, & breast). Only primaries, tertials, and tail feathers may be individually carved.
Division II – Wildfowlers Contest
North American species ONLY.
Decoys must be carved to accentuate decoying capabilities, not necessarily realistic qualities. Decoys will be judged on simplicity, practicality and durability.
Decoys must be carved in traditional hunting decoy style – no detailed or fragile bills, necks, wing tips or tails. **No raised primaries, No carved details in bills, slight mandible separation will be permitted**
Decoys must be painted in traditional hunting decoy style - brushing, ragging, stippling, combing, scratching, blending or burned cork. Painting should be simple and basic. Feathers should be simply painted brush strokes with no complex blending. All species are to be painted in winter plumage.
Decoy must be carved and painted so as to be easily duplicated to create a shooting rig of thirty-six or more decoys. **Birds should be painted in a manner so that any duck hunter can maintain its appearance from season to season**
Decoys themselves must be non-fouling and must be able to withstand the day-to-day rigors of hunting – careless handling, bagging, ice, heavy seas, taking shots, etc.
Decoys will be tossed into a large body of water and must self-right from any position. The Goose and Swan class is the only exception to the self-right rule. They must self right from the side position and will be set in the water instead of tossed.
**Decoys will be judged by species. Contestants may enter only one hen and one drake of any one species. First, second and third place birds in each species will receive ribbons. Only first place birds of species will be entered in Best of Class.
**The four (4) Decoy Classes are: Marsh Duck, Diving Duck, Sea Duck, Goose and Swan & Confidence
** Only birds listed in each class will be judged.
Marsh Class: All species of black duck, gadwall, mallard, pintail, shoveler, teal, widgeon, & wood duck.
Diving Class: All species of blue bills, bufflehead, canvasback, golden eye, mergansers, redhead, ring neck & ruddy.
Sea Duck Class: All species of eider, harlequin, old squaw & scoter.
Goose, Swan & Confidence Class: All species of brant, geese & swan, coots, grebes, gulls loons & terns.
**In the shoot off 1st, 2nd & 3rd Best of Show will be judged from 1st place birds from the four (4) classes.
Decoy anchors will be supplied to mail in entries only to reduce shipping expenses.
**JUDGES WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE BEST DECOY THAT INCORPORATES ALL THE QUALITIES OF A TRUE HUNTING DECOY.
** The decision of the judges is final. Any discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the contest Chairmen. NO refunds for disqualified decoys.
Division III – Shooting Stool Contest
** Shooting Stools will be judged by class. The four (4) Decoy Classes are: Marsh Duck, Diving Duck, Sea Duck, Goose, Swan & Confidence. Only Species listed in the Wildfowlers’ rules will be judged.
North American species ONLY
**Contestants must enter three (3) decoys of any complimentary species with AT LEAST ONE OF EACH SEX.
Decoys must be equipped with short 2' lines as they will be attached to mother lines.
Decoys must be made of wood, cork or stretched canvas. Machine duplicated decoys will be disqualified.
Decoys must be carved to accentuate decoying capabilities, not necessarily realistic qualities. Decoys will be judged on simplicity, practicality and durability.
Decoys must be carved in traditional hunting decoy style-no detailing or fragile bills, necks, wing tips or tails. **No raised primaries, No carved details in bills, slight mandible separation will be permitted**
Decoys must be painted in traditional hunting decoy style - brushing, ragging, stippling, combing, scratching, blending or burned cork. Painting should be simple and basic. Feathers should be simply painted brush strokes with no complex blending. All species are to be painted in winter plumage
Decoy must be carved and painted so as to be easily duplicated to create a shooting rig of thirty-six or more decoys. **Birds should be painted in a manner so that any duck hunter can maintain its appearance from season to season**
Decoys themselves must be non-fouling and must be able to withstand the day to day rigors of hunting – careless handling, bagging, ice, heavy seas, taking shots, etc
**Decoys will be tossed into a large body of water and must self-right from any position. Decoys will be disqualified for failure to self-right. Weights and keels must be practical and non-fouling. Decoys must have a facility for an anchor line.
The Goose and Swan class is the only exception to the self-right rule. They must self right from the side position and will be set in the water instead of tossed.
**JUDGES WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE BEST DECOY THAT INCORPORATES ALL THE QUALITIES OF A TRUE HUNTING DECOY.
** The decision of the judges is final. Any discrepancies shall be brought to the attention of the contest Chairmen. NO refunds for disqualified decoys.
Division IV – ‘Just for Fun’ Contest
“Confidence” decoy rigs comprised of any number of decoys may be entered, but the carver must strive to make each decoy physically and anatomically (if appropriate) accurate (within some bounds of decency). There are really no rules, except that the carver is asked to remember that this is a family show and to observe appropriate decency. Additional consideration will be given to any decoy or rig that pushes the bounds of decency in some other-than-obtuse manner.
**This Division will be judged by the public and a “People’s Choice” award trophy will be given. JUDGES WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE BEST DECOY THAT INCORPORATES ALL THE QUALITIES WHATS IT IS SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT AS WELL AS WHICH DECOY RIG EVOKES THE MOST LAUGHTER.
Division V – Youth Gunning Singles (12-17 Age Group)
Rules are the same as for Division II.
Division VI – Youth Gunning Singles (Under 12 Age Group)
Rules are the same as for Division II.
Entry Fees:
Division I: $20 entry fee first decoy, $10 per additional entry with one drake and one hen per species.
Division II: $10 entry fee first decoy, $5 per additional with one drake and one hen per species.
Division III: $20 entry fee first rig, $10 per additional with one rig per species.
Division IV - VI: No entry fee
AWARDS:
Division I: Cash prizes of $300.00 for BOS, $200.00 2nd BOS, and $100.00 3rd BOS with rosettes. Best of species and category ribbons for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Division II: Cash prizes of $200.00 for BOS, $100.00 2nd BOS and $50.00 3rd BOS with rosettes. Best of species and category ribbons for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Division III: Cash prizes of $200.00 for BOS, $100.00 2nd BOS and $50.00 3rd BOS with rosettes. Best of species and category ribbons for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
Division IV: No cash prize will be given. A “people’s Choice’ trophy will be awarded for first place and 1st, 2nd, and 3 rd place rosettes will be awarded.
Division V: No cash prize will be given. Rosettes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3 rd place.
Division VI: No cash prize will be given. Rosettes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3 rd place.
MAIL IN ENTRIES:
Mail in entries will be accepted through UPS ONLY. They must be properly packed and insured for acceptance. Mail in entries must arrive on or before Wednesday, October 14th 2009. Due to increases in shipping costs, etc., all entries must include a prepaid UPS return label. No checks for return shipping will be accepted.
BOXES WILL NOT BE OPENED UNTIL THEY REACH THE SHOW AREA!
Please mail entries to:
Division I
Bill McAdam
121 Cheyenne Tr.
Huntsville, AL 35806
Divisions 2-6
Dr. Brian Story
Beltline Animal Clinic
2218 Beltline Rd. SW
Decatur, AL 35601
The Southern Wildlife Art Festival, and/or any of its members, affiliates, sponsors or volunteers will not be responsible for any damaged or broken decoys, including shipping, handling, or return shipping, before, during, or after the show.
Should you have any questions about mail in entries or division rules please contact:
Rick Pierce
(501) 944-5871
Jason Russell
Bill McAdam
(256) 655-3716
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