Andy Pope is always on the hunt for a good bargain and it was his hunt for a bargain that led him to make his first-ever canvas-over-wire goose decoy. At 15 years old he thought that - surely - making his own decoys would be more cost-effective than buying ready-made plastic decoys for his hunting rig.

 

What Andy didn't know at the time was that making his own decoys would, most decidedly, NOT be the most cost-effective way to fill his hunting rig! Decoy carving, however, would become one of his lifelong passions, hobbies, and a low-risk investment with an extraordinary personal returns. 

Over the years, Andy moved away from making canvas decoys and to hand-carving and painting his decoys. Today, Andy carves nearly all his decoys by hand, starting from a block of wood and/or cork meticulously shaping and painting each one to ensure both their visual appeal and the realism of the duck's feather detail, body proportions and other anatomical features. His working-style decoys are all made to be hunted over but look right at home on the mantle, too. They're durable, sturdy but not heavy, self-righting and will ride the water realistically whether it's on open water or in a swamp.

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Now in his 40s, Andy is still a passionate bird hunter and continues to carve decoys with the duck hunter in mind. He hopes that one or two will find their way into another hunter's decoy rig where they can become a part of that hunter's blind tales and hunt tradition.

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If you'd like to learn more about Andy or his decoys, then you can connect with him HERE. ​

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BIOGRAPHY

 

Andy Pope is a native of eastern North Carolina, the only son of a minister, and a graduate of Wake Forest University (Go Deacs!)  Andy is married to his incredible wife, Kate, who fancies herself a clever writer, webmaster and a halfway decent photographer. Andy and Kate live in central North Carolina with their two very spoiled labradors and a plethora of beautiful hand-carved decoys. ​​