Jeff Duxbury, an avid conservationist, has a deep rooted love of the
outdoors. Raised in upstate New York, he developed a reverence for
nature through hunting, fishing and hiking in the vast Adirondack
Park. Jeff went on to develop his technical knowledge of Biology and
the Arts at Susquehanna University. While in college, he discovered
his interest in duck decoys while waterfowling on the local river. Jeff's
first decoys were carved for family and friends. After eight years of
developing his craft, Jeff opened Dux' Dekes decoy company in 1987.
Since then , Jeff's wood carvings have been sold throughout North America
and internationally.
Jeff uses his field experience and carving abilities to work with
various organizations on conservation projects. He is a member of
Ducks Unlimited, and is the current president of the nationally
recognized Waterfowl Improvement Association. Along with the
membership of the WIA he implemented the State and Federal woodduck
population monitoring program in his area of New York state. Jeff has
been asked by such prestigious organizations as the US Fish and
Wildlife Service and the National Audubon Society to develop and carve
decoys for their waterbird restoration projects. These projects
involved re-establishment of black terns in New York state, common
murres in Maine and California, and Layson albatross chicks in Hawaii.
Dux' Dekes decoy company is a small, family operated workshop in
the Adirondack Region of New York State. All of the duck decoys are carved
from Northern White Pine obtained from local managed forests. Since
proper drying procedure is crucial to ensure the integrity of the
finished carving, we purchase pine "green" from area sawmills and dry
it in our own kiln. When the wood is dry, each piece is then cut and
carved in the shop using turn of the century tools and techniques.
Each decoy is sanded and readied for painting. The finish is obtained
by using our own customized mix of stains which highlights the natural
grain of the wood. The painting is done "free hand" by brush, adding
to the uniqueness of each decoy. Several coats of sealant and paste
wax are applied to preserve the carving. The final product is an
American hand-crafted decoy of unique and classic beauty.
