Canvasback ducks float quietly on the water

The hunter waits

Flocks of ducks appear in the sky, cup their wings and drop down to the waiting canvasbacks

The hunter's ploy has worked

For it was not real canvasbacks that lured the ducks but well crafted decoys

The Havre de Grace Decoy Museum is home to one of the finest collections of working decoys from the Chesapeake Bay area. The museum opened its doors in 1986 and through exhibits, education, and conservation the legacy of waterfowling and decoy making in the Chesapeake Bay has been preserved.

The tradition of decoy making on the Chesapeake Bay is over 100 years old and continues today. Working decoys were made for one purpose, to lure waterfowl to hunters. Decoys were not considered art but rather a hunting tool. Decoy making skills were passed down from master to apprentice with each carver creating his own unique style.

This heritage lives on in the "Decoy Capital of the World," Havre de Grace, Maryland at the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum.

Discover and enjoy this uniquely American folk art at the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum

Marker can be reached from Commerce Street.

Courtesy hmdb.org

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