Decoy artist Bryon Bodt carving out a career
Bryon Bodt, 49, of Churchville became interested in decoys when he was a youngster and his father was an avid hunter. Later, while in college, he worked for Jim Pierce, a well-known decoy carver and founder of the Havre de Grace Decoy Festival. Today, he makes working decoys for a living.
- Glue drippings from a duck decoy made by Bryon Bodt. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Decoy maker Bryon Bodt put his brand on one of his duck decoys. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Rough bodies of different duck decoys made by Bryon Bodt. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Heron decoys made by artist Bryon Bodt. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Duck decoy maker Bryon Bodt paints one of his creations at his studio. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Duck decoys in various stages of painting by their maker Bryon Bodt. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Duck decoy maker Bryon Bodt works on painting some of his decoys. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- A variety of paint brushes used by duck decoy maker Bryon Bodt. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- A variety of paint brushes used by duck decoy maker Bryon Bodt. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Duck Decoy maker Bryon Bodt, 49, of Churchville, is considered one of the younger decoy makers in the area. He stands in his home studio with one of his early Black Duck decoys. Behind him are stacks of recycled wood blocks waiting to be turned into decoys. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Bryon Bodt attaches the head to the body of a duck decoy. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Bryon Bodt works on a decoy duck body. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Bryon Bodt is rough-shaping the body of a decoy. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Numbered decoy heads ready to be attached to the bodies by their maker Bryon Bodt. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Duck Decoy maker Bryon Bodt uses a sanding pole to shape the head for a decoy. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- A well worn leather glove used by decoy maker Bryon Bodt on a custom built belt sander that fine shape the heads of a decoy. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Bryon Bodt shapes the head of a black duck decoy. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
- Bryon Bodt carves the rough shape of the head of a duck decoy at his home studio. (Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun)
“I call them ‘gunning’ decoys, because traditionally they were designed to be used by hunters,” he says. “But only about 1 percent of working decoys are ever used. Most go into collections.”
The flat-painted working decoys are simple in design and have no wing detail carved into them. That makes them more affordable than decorative decoys and extremely popular, says Bodt.
Canvasback geese and mallard ducks are big sellers, he says, because they’re plentiful in this area. “People recognize them, especially the ducks, because they’re so widely seen in parks and even in people’s back yards.”