Name/Title
Decoy, Mallard (Drake), Harold PetersDescription
Many of the underwater features of a duck decoy are visible on this Mallard drake, carved by award winning artist Harold Peters of Toledo, Ohio. You can see the keel, or strip of stabilizing wood attached to the bottom, as well as a line attached to it, with a swivel and a lead weight just underneath the midpoint of the decoy.
Harold Peters, from Point Place (near Toledo), started duck hunting during the Great Depression. He quickly learned the value of having decoys and used a cedar telephone pole to carve his first set. Solid wood decoys were heavy to carry in the marsh, so his next carvings were hollow ones made from thin pine boards. After WWII, Harold turned to lightweight and durable cork and started carving oversized decoys. Eventually, oversized decoys carved from Styrofoam and covered in burlap became Harold’s specialty.Location
Building
Magee Marsh Visitor CenterOhio State Wildlife Area
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area
