Rare and Important Published Blue Heron from the Currituck Shooting Club

Currituck, North Carolina, circa 1950s, carved and painted wood, loosely mounted to wood base, published on page 179 of Shorebird Decoys of North Carolina by Kroghie Andresen and Philip Harvey.

Height 53 in.

Private Collection South Georgia

Purchased from Mike Mercer on August 24, 2012. Mike stored this decoy in the rafters of his boat house.

This large crooked-neck Great Blue Heron decoy has affectionately been known as Big Mike. Mike Mercer, a guide from the Dews Island Club, found this confidence heron decoy in the Currituck Sound when he was retrieving a wounded duck that made its way to the marshes that were owned by the Currituck Shooting Club. His dog chased a wounded bird across the bay and was having trouble finding the wounded bird in the marsh grass about a half mile away. Mike took his boat to help the dog retrieve the duck. When he got out of the boat he stumped on a piece of wood that was protruding from the mud. When he reached down to pick up the piece of wood, it was waterlogged and very heavy. He did not realize it was a decoy for a while until he washed away the mud. Mike believes it was an early confidence decoy used by members of the Currituck Shooting Club, probably lost in a storm, which spent many years in the mud before he happened to find it.

Original paint with moderate gunning wear, separation at lamination seams but all stable.

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