Chesapeake Bay Decoys & the Craftsmen Who Shaped Waterfowling History (Ep 757)

The Chesapeake Bay is home to some of the richest decoy and waterfowling traditions in North America — and today’s guest, Chad Tragakis, is one of its most passionate historians.

Chad is a longtime decoy collector, writer, editor for Decoy Magazine, and a respected storyteller of the makers, clubs, boats, and communities that built the decoy culture along the Atlantic Flyway. Host Katie Burke sits down with Chad for a wide-ranging conversation that explores the origins of collecting, the legacy of iconic craftsmen, and the unique waterman traditions that still shape the region today.

In this episode:

• How a $20 scoter decoy started Chad’s lifelong passion
• The foundational books every new collector should read
• Chesapeake Bay as the “decoy capital of the world”
• Sink boxes, sporting yachts, and the golden era of upper-bay gunning
• Why the region produced tens of thousands of working decoys
• Haver de Grace vs. Northeast River styles — what sets them apart
• How form, tradition, and community shape regional carving
• Charlie Joiner’s legacy & what he learned from Mitchell and the Ward Brothers
• The culture of shop visits, mentorship, and generational knowledge
• Advice for beginning collectors & why building a library matters
• The importance of preserving working decoys as American folk art

This episode is a celebration of craftsmanship, history, and the people who keep America’s decoy tradition alive.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: [email protected]

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