One more introduction

Thank you Eddie. I have a few carving friends in the great UK.......there is some incredible decoy art being produced! I am fascinated with your species of wildfowl and many are among my favorites to carve: curlew, lapwing, shelduck, Euro eider, goosander, red grouse, blackcock, capercaille......just to name a few. The last three species I listed I have mounted pairs in my collection, just wonderful species!

Thank you again,

Keith
 
Last edited:
welcome aboard Keith, I don't know whats going on at the DCF but there lose is our gain. One of these days I'd like to talk to you about painting in oils, Love your work.

Phil

BTW His new book is worth every dime.
 
Thank you Phil, anytime you want to talk about oils, it would be my pleasure....that is one of my favorite subjects!! There are many of us (former DCF patrons) that didn't know that decoy carving was an open topic on this forum, otherwise we would have been here sooner. We just thought that we only had the DCF and had to endure the "tone" that has settled in there. I know many of the people that are new and upcoming patrons here, and you will see personal integrity with honest and selfless information and instruction, a perfect example being Joihn Lawrence's great tutorial.

I am glad you are enjoying my book....Thank you!

Keith
 
wow, thanks for being here Keith
I have both of your books and have been a big fan of your work for some time
your very helpful insight into a very difficult and frustrating hobby of mine has been a very big help to me
now if I can only get my decoys to look like some of the pics in your books, I will have it made lol
 
I've only been here a year, but welcome Mr. Mueller. You signed my copy of "Waterfowl Concepts" back in 98' at a show around Hartford I think. Can't wait to get your new book. Big fan. I grew up on the other side of the "Sound", shooting "Coot". (Scoter).
Hope you like it here. I guess Im lucky that I don't know what the dcf "other" site is.
All the best- Bill Stahl
 
Keith,
Welcome on board. Our great gain, your joining this online circle of friends.
I do remember somewhere seeing a post of giant eider decoys that I believe you made and were shooting over. That was unreal. Makes one wonder what decoys that size would do for divers out here in the west. Plans are to gain your latest book also.
Again, Welcome
 
Welcome to the site Keith. The opening sentence in your introduction had me humming the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil" after I read it and now it will stick in my mind all day. I haven't read all the posts following your introduction so if you have already done so, my apologies but I am curious as to the book you have written that others have alluded to. Could you please post the title? Thanks and welcome again.
 
Thank you Tom, I appreciate your support, and your interest in my books. I am glad that you are finding some inspiration from them. Decoy carving is certainly a labor of love....as long as we carve from our heart, we will be successful with what we produce. Just enjoy making them and the result will be eye-opening! I would love to see some images of your decoys!

Thanks again,

Keith
 
Hi William, Thank you for your welcome. Did you have me sign your copy at a decoy show or at a taxidermy show? Coot shooting in the Sound was always a great way to spend the early part of the duck season. I have many such stories in my book.....kinda' reminiscing about the old days! I would love to hear some of your stories!

Thanks again,

Keith
 
Thank you Kevin, I am happy to join your group of friends here! I did make a whole rig of giant eider decoys back in the early 90's.....and Lou Tisch hunted over them with us on Cape Cod......unfortunately during the "perfect storm". It rained like I had never seen before, but it was fun getting soaked to the bone, and then watching the birds from our warm and dry trucks! I always liked very large decoys, and a rig of large diver decoys would be fun....but you would need a really big boat to carry them! I also told the story about the the huge eider rig in my book.

Thanks again for the welcome.

Keith
 
Hi Denny, Thank you for your welcome. I was never much aof a Stones fan, but it just dawned on my the song that you were referring to. Sorry that song crept in your head!! But anyway, I did list my new book title in my intro. The title is "The Art in Making Decoys" Book 1. If you are curious about it, I am sure you can ask anyone here about it who has a copy.

Thanks again.
 
Last edited:
WELCOME and then something happens, (like a bird flies by the window or the dog wants a pet), and I forget what I was going to do, (this may explain why I have a box of finished Coot heads and haven't started a body for them yet)......your post on carving Shorebirds and BlackCock and "things other than waterfowl" was finally the catalyst I needed to not forget to say WELCOME, (and if that wasn't a seque into SHOW ME PICTURES OF SHOREBIRDS AND BLACK COCK and other things then I don't know what is)....

Anyway Welcome to all of the guys that have arrived recently....thrilled to have you and look forward to not only getting to see some fantastic decoys in the future but also in the help that I know you are all willing to offer.....

Eric is currently setting up a way to archive posts so that they are seperate from the general archives and we'll make an annoucement on that shortly....

I looked at the post where you had said that you tried to post a picture and couldn't find a link for any pictures so I couldn't edit it.......are you using an outside storage location to link youur pictures to or are you uploading from a personal storage location? Let me know which one you are using and I'll shoot you a note on how to make sure that the pictures appear...

Best,

Steve
 
Keith,

Just another guy here welcoming you to this forum. As you will find out, this forum is open to just about any and all topics, from guys needing help with hardwood flooring (me a few months back) to guys wanting to build boats. Just ask any question, and there will be an answer, heck, I found out things about missles and other stuff that I would never have expected on this site. This is very informal, come as you are kinda place. Any contributions you have would be welcome.

I remember (and have printed out) your RBM tutorial that you did elsewhere and that kinda thing is not offen done on this site (because no one really takes the time) but is really appreciated. If you dig a bit, you will find the founder of this site Eric Patterson did a similar tutorial on building a Sam Devlin Scaup and as it turns out, that was the start of this many years ago. So, in essence, all is good, it is about comradery and sharing knowledge. No one (for the most part) will critique you for saying a decoy is art vs just a decoy. It is all good.

Post up Jimmy's number on here if you want for guys to contact him for the book that has been mentioned. I tried to get it from elsewhere, but apparently the thread and link are gone. It is a great book, I thank you for all your effort in writing it.

If you want, as a personal question, post up a tutorial on nares...I hate those damn things and can never seem to get them right. Any tips? John Lawerence? Furia? Anyone??? LOL

Thanks, we'll be here if you need anything in return.

Later,

Eric
 
Ladies and gentlemen,

I hope to inform you that you will probably never get the chance to speak or meet a man such as Mr. Mueller. He is in my humble opinion the best at what ever he does, but that is not what it takes to be a great decoy carver or person. His passion goes behond what most only pocess for only a few days out of the year. He is as avid of an educator as he is a carver. Reflecting back on it, i probably should have put a word before educator to describe what he loves to teach people about. However, i do not think that is possible. He can give valuable feedback, insight, and instruction to people with incredibly diverse bird related interests. He also is known to instill endless inspiration to all whom come into contact with him. Many descriptions may seem to fit him as a "demigod." It may even be overwhelming to some. However, make note that Mr. Mueller is one of the most humble, creative, inspirational, and generous people you may get the chance to meet.

Take care everyone,

Spencer Tinkham
 
Last edited:

Hi Keith,
Welcome aboard my friend. You'll like it here, great bunch of folks.
Ya know, that hunt with you, Paul Dobroski, Gene Chandler, Dave Clark (and a couple others I don't recall-who was the writer that was there the first day), was one of the most memorable and fun hunts I've ever been involved in. Truly a hunt of a lifetime. I know we had tough weather but everyone we hunted with was great........even Kujo (Gus).
I do recall bringing a painted Eider with me. It was the first Eider I'd painted and it started as a factory 3rd...I pulled it out of Gene's trash. I recall your comment........"tell ya what Lou, leave that here and I'll repaint it for you". Way too funny. If figured it was time to concentrate on learning to paint. When was that, somewhere around '92 or so?
I still stir fry ducks like you showed us with the Eider over at your house. I also still use the Bay Seasoning.

Thought I' post up some of the pics from that hunt also. Sure wish I'd been able to purchase one of those giants when you sold them. Those are way too cool.

I'll never forget Gus/Kujo (Chessie). We were told that Kujo was a one man dog and Keith was the "one man". "...if Gus brings a bird back and sets it down, leave it alone...it belongs to Gus. If Gus brings a bird to me and I set it down, leave it alone, it still belongs to Gus." Gene was out on the boat the second day and Keith handed him a cookie and told Gene to feed it to Gus. Gene wanted to know if Gus knew where to cookie ended and the hand started. Anyhow, Gus came up to Gene, smelled him and went..........GRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"
Again........a hunt of a life time Keith......thanks much.
Lou


View attachment EiderHnt01.jpg

Keith with a couple of his Giants on the Nantucket Hunt.

View attachment EiderHnt02.jpg

Paul Dobroski & Gene Chandler (E.Allen Chandler) holding a couple of the giants.

View attachment EiderHnt03.jpg

Close up of a couple of the Giants

View attachment EiderHnt04.jpg

Some of the birds shot during the second day. Gene & I hauled the layout & sculler down but the 35 knot+ winds kept us from utilizing it. The Eider on the boat is one from the pattern Keith carved for us and Keith painted.

View attachment EiderHnt05.jpg

Keith (with Gus/Kujo) setting dekes in Nantucket Sound, MA
 
Keith,

Welcome aboard!!

I think there will be quite a few here who will want to pick your brain about oils. I know I will!!

Now that you have your book done, I still want to hit you up for that pair of eiders... Also, I would like to get a signed copy of your book as well as part of the deal!

Very best,
Steve McCullough
 
Pleasure to have you join this site. When I saw the name, I immediatly thought pro decoy carver, couldn't be the same one? It's nice to visit this site, the quality of the forum and its members have been exceptional since Eric started. It's great to see it's still growing in popularity.

Welcome.

-Jack
 
The title is "The Art in Making Decoys" Book 1. If you are curious about it, I am sure you can ask anyone here about it who has a copy.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Keith,

I've heard great things about your book, but where can I get it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top