PREHISTORIC INDIAN DECOY
In 1924 a group of scientists excavating in Nevada's Lovelock cave found a cache
of 13 tule duck decoys dated to nearly 2000 years. Made to resemble
a canvasback drake, these decoys were painted with native pigments and had white feathers
tied to their backs with string made from native hemp. This replica decoy is made
like the originals, complete with red ochre paint and ground soot used for black.
The cane arrow is a highly specialized and ingenious type for taking ducks on the water
and this type could have been used with similar decoys. The ball of pitch
on the foreshaft creates a hydroplane and causes the arrow to skip on the water making
such arrow shots much easier to take. One has to marvel at the ingenuity of the
early Indian hunters and the gear they so cleverly made and used.
Decoy Only $350