Original Listing Description

RARE, PRISTINE MINT, SUPERB, NEVER HUNTED-OVER, 22-YEAR OLD, TUCKED & TURN-HEADED, SLEEPING DRAKE MALLARD HOLLOW WOODEN DUCK DECOY with HALF-CLOSED, GLASS EYES & EYELIDS ~AWESOME 100% ORIGINAL PAINT, CARVING DETAIL & CONDITION TO A EGG-SHELL "HOLLOW" GUNNING DECOY by MASTER CARVER HERB MILLER of SHIP BOTTOM, NEW JERSEY ~STUNNING 100% ORIGINAL CONDITION with a NICE MELLOWED PATINA & BEAUTIFULLY AGED & AMAZING ORIGINAL OIL-BASE PAINT THAT ADDS TO ITS AURA ~SUPERB CARVING to the HEAD, TAIL, BODY & WINGS ~ORIGINAL RIGGING with LEAD PAD WEIGHT, SIGNED & DATED, LEATHER LINE-TIE & HOT BRANDED ~SUPERB LIFE-LIKE CARVING & PERFECTLY CARVED IN & LOCATED BROWN GLASS TAXIDERMIST DUCK EYES ~This DRAKE MALLARD ON EBAY IS YOUR CHANCE TO OWN AN AMAZING DELAWARE RIVER DECOY ~ IT IS AN ABSOLUTELY STUNNING SLEEPING MALLARD DECOY BY ONE OF THE MOST RENOWNED DECOY CARVERS & A DECOY THAT WAS CARVED AND WENT RIGHT INTO A GREAT DISCRIMINATING COLLECTION ~JUST GREAT DECOY TO OWN & GREAT INVESTMENT AS WELL! MINT RARE SIGNED & DATED 2002 HERB MILLER ~HOLLOW Wood Duck Decoy DELAWARE RIVER MINT RARE SIGNED & DATED 2002 HERB MILLER ~HOLLOW Wood Duck Decoy DELAWARE RIVER Click images to enlarge Description Decoys of: "Delaware River" & "Jersey Coast" are Basically Cousins!! (photo below): c1953 Photo of HERBERT "HERB" MILLER (~Age 18) ..... The Decoy Carver, Waterfowl Hunter, Hunting Guide & Award Winning Carver ..... and Later a "Police Officer" in the "Ship Bottom, New Jersey" Department! Herbert H. "Herb" Miller Born: ..Nov. 8, 1935 ..Roebling, New Jersey ? Died: ..Dec. 30, 2021..Ship Bottom, New Jersey. (age 86) Miller Lived & Hunted the Delaware River & then the Atlantic Coast as Well; But Always Liked to Carve in the Fashion of the Delaware River Decoys .... At the Age 21, he Moved from the Shores of the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean Coast; when Army Corp. Engineers Began Dredging the River & Changing it Forever: Herb Miller Grew up in Roebling, New Jersey, which at the Time was a Hunting & Carving Mecca! Then Herb Spent the Remainder of His Life in Ship Bottom on the Jersey Shore, But Still Carved Delaware River Style Decoys! __ This Outstanding, Mint Condition, "Buried-Head; Half-Closed Eyes", HERB MILLER of "Ship Bottom, New Jersey" Drake Mallard up for auction: (photo below): The "LATE HERB MILLER" was a Gunning Decoy Carver, Waterfowl Hunter ..... Duck Hunting Guide, World Champion Wood Decoy Carver -and- Ship Bottom, New Jersey "Police Officer"! (Photos Below): REAL PAIRS of "SLEEPING MALLARDS" in the WILD SO YOU CAN SEE HOW this DRAKE MALLARD WOOD DUCK DECOY by: "HERB MILLER" up for auction REPRESENTS the SPECIES VERY REALISTICALLY and is a PERFECT CARVED & PAINTED WOOD SPECIMEN of this WATERFOWL SPECIES!! _ - This Rare, "Pristine", Signed & Dated, "Hot-Branded", Super-Tucked Head Sleeping", 22-Year Old, 2002 "Herb Miller" Drake Mallard "Hollow" Wood Decoy up for Auction: Herb Miller's Love for Duck Hunting Forced him to Start a Carving Career at Age 14 in 1949 ........ When he Began 75 Years Ago He Carved Because Herb Needed his Own Decoy Rig to Gun Over! Herb Miller discovered he possessed a unique talent for carving and eventually began making decoys full-time ....... in 1968, at the Babylon, New York Decoy Championships he Won 3rd in the Professional Class ........ in 1970, Herb Won 9 More Ribbons at the Championship Show ......... But in 1971 He Topped them All Winning the "Best Of Show" at the Babylon Show on Long Island with a Hen Goldeneye. Herb Miller Started Making Decoys at Age 14 & were All Over-Sized Black Ducks & Mallards ....... Later, when it Was Too Cold to Duck Hunt, He & Fellow Roebling Gunning Partner "Joe Bauer" Would Carved Decoys ....... All were for Personal Use Until 1961. _ This Rare, "Pristine", "Signed & Dated", Hot-Branded, Buried-Head Sleeper, 2002 "Herb Miller" Hollow Drake Mallard up for Auction: Awesome Carved-In, Raised Wings with Primary Feather Grooves ...... Amazing Fluted or Lapped, Curve-Carved Tail Feathers ...... and Stunning "Twisted Breast & Neck", Turned & "Buried into the Back-Feathers" Head!! (photos below): This MINT & OUTSTANDING "SIGNED & DATED", "HOT-BRANDED", DELAWARE RIVER; "EGGSHELL HOLLOWED"; DRAKE "MALLARD" DECOY up for auction!! This Scarcely-Posed, Mint & Pristine, Fully-Rigged, "HERB MILLER" Drake Mallard Perfectly Exemplifies his Best Style & Form and Maybe One of the Best Specimens of his Best Work that You'll Come Across ......... It is Just Gorgeous & Yet Formidable: _ (photo below): A Group of Herb Miller's Decoy's from a Past Auction, Giving a Nice Cross-Section But Small Sample Size of Only a Few Species: _ The Late Herb Miller (1935-2021) is Featured in the Book: "One of Today's Most Outstanding Living Gunning Decoy Carvers" (photos below): A GREAT INDICATION of the PROWESS of the LATE HERB MILLER is HIS INCLUSION in the BOOK BELOW: LOY HARRELL JR. "2007" BOOK: "SIXTY LIVING and OUTSTANDING NORTH AMERICAN CARVERS" __ (photos below): PICTURES of OTHER OUTSTANDING DECOYS by THE LATE GREAT "HERB MILLER", FOR DECADES, ONE of the COUNTRY'S MOST HIGHLY REGARDED CARVERS of HOLLOW "DELAWARE RIVER" GUNNING DECOYS!! This Exquisite "Very Neatly Posed", Fully-Rigged, Eggshell Hollow Sleeping Drake Mallard Wood Decoy up for auction: (photo below): RARE, 100% ORIGINAL and an AMAZING EXAMPLE of One of his RARELY-POSED DECOYS of ANY SPECIES ...... STUNNING FORM & MAGNIFICENT, PRECISELY PAINTED with "STUNNING VERY FINE DETAIL-PAINT" ....... SPECTACULAR CARVING; ESPECIALLY the HEAD, RAISED WINGS, CARVED PRIMARY FEATHERS & FLUTED TAIL ....... and the SEAM WHERE the TWO HOLLOW BODY HALFS were ATTACHED is an ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to SEE SEAM!! _ This Incredibly Carved "Herb Miller (1935-2021) Drake Mallard with an Amazing & Stunning Paint Job and Outstanding Detailing: (Below Photos): SUPERB FEATHER BLENDING & INDIVIDUAL FEATHER PAINT to ALMOST ALL FEATHER GROUPS ....... with BEAUTIFUL FEATHER BLENDING WITHIN a FEATHER GROUP LIKE the GREEN & BLUE FEATHER HIGHLIGHTING ....... and RICH "LIFE-LIKE" VERY FINE, DETAILED PAINT EVERYWHERE ....... and REALISTIC SMALL & TIGHT SPECULUMS on a FLUFFED FEATHER RELAXED DUCK ....... ACTUALLY EVERYWHERE!!! MAYBE the MOST INCREDIBLE ASPECT of this DECOY ......... is the AMAZING, "PAINT BLENDING" to the BREAST, BACK, SIDES, HEAD, TAIL & WINGS ......... MUCH LIKE the FINEST EARLIER EXAMPLES of EARLY DELAWARE RIVER'S BEST DECOYS ....... as HERB MILLER ALSO USED THEIR BLENDING, STIPPLING, DAUBING & SWATHED SOLID PAINT to FEATHER GROUPS as WELL as INDIVIDUAL FEATHERS ........ GIVING it a PERFECTLY REALISTIC & "LIFE-LIKE" APPEAL, SURFACE & APPEARANCE .......... YOU CAN SEE EVERY PAINT BRUSH MARK on this AWESOME & RARE DECOY!! Look at Herb Miller's Perfectly Carved-In "Twisted Breast & Neck", Buried "Half-Asleep" Head, Ice Groove Separation on the Back, Raised Wing Feathers, Fluted Tail Feathers ...... Painted on Back, Side, Breast, Tail, Wing & Head Feathering with Gorgeous "Blue, Black & White" Tiny Painted Lines for the Speculums: The Precise Knife Cuts to the Raised-Wings, Individual Primary Wing Feathers and Lapped, Tail Feathers is Amazing .......... and Like the Best Made "Hollow" Decoys from Anywhere the Seam Where the Hollowed Half's were Attached is "Invisible" ....... and the Seam Where the Tucked & Sleeping Head, Incised Neck Seat & Where the Neck is Attached to the Body is Nearly Invisible!! This Very Rare & Possibly One of a Kind "Buried-Bill", "Half-Closed" Eyed, Sleeping Drake Mallard up for auction: (photos below): Just Look at the Stunning & Extremely Detailed Carving and Paint From a Top & Bottom Angles and From Different Directions!! (photo below): Note the Infinite Gorgeous Feather-Blended Browns, Grays and Black to the Entire Body .... Also, the Feather Blending & Each Individual Painted Feathers were Precisely Painted on to the Breast, Back, Sides & Tail: (photo below): Note the Carved-In, Raised Wings that Goes from the Tips to the Carved-In Side Feather Group: (photos below): This Group is of the Decoy's Bottom from the Same Angles as those Above: (photo below): Note the Beautiful, Deeply Carved-In Wings: Between the Brown & Tan Wing Primaries and the Tail Section with its Tiny Tan Feathers ........ It Forms a "V" where the Wing-Feathers & Top of the Tail Meet: (photo below): Note the Superb, Carved-In Fluted or Lapped Tail Feathers ..... and How they Flow Perfectly Out of the Black Upper-Tail Coverts: (photo below): Note the Precise & Perfectly Carved-In "Fluted" Tail Feathers: (photo below): Note the Carved-In, Raised Wings that Goes from the Tips to the Carved-In Side Feather Group with it Relief Carved Out in Between the Wings: (photo below): Note the Darker Gray Individually Painted on Feathers on the Back & Sides ........ as Well as the Very Tiny Brush Stroked Light Tan Feathering to the Dark Brown Breast: _ (Below Photos): The BOTTOM of this RARE & EXOTIC "HERB MILLER" DECOY SHOWS the PRECISELY LOCATED "LEATHER" LINE-TIE attached with 2 SOLID-BRASS WIRE NAILS ....... and his "SOLID-LEAD", BEVEL-EDGED, "PAD WEIGHT" ATTACHED with 4 SMALL BRASS BRADS!! Also, His Typical Branding Iron, "HOT BRANDED", Name "H. MILLER"!! BOTTOM of this SUPERB DECOY was HAND-SIGNED & DATED in BLACK INK:? "Herb Miller & '02" PERFECT ORIGINAL RIGGING: MINT RIGGING with LEAD PAD WEIGHT HELD on with SOLID BRASS BRADS & LEATHER "THONG" LINE-TIE also HELD on with 2 BRASS NAILS: SIGNED & DATED: HAND PAINTED, IN BLACK: HERB MILLER & '02 "HOT BRANDED ON": H MILLER + (below photos): The HEAD of this RARE & PRISTINE "TWISTED & TUCKED"; "HALF-SHUT EYED" DRAKE MALLARD from SEVERAL ANGLES and the BILL-LESS HEAD is BURIED in the BACK & WING ........ and the HEAD is PERFECTLY CARVED with SUPERB LENGTH & FORM, PRECISELY CARVED & PERFECT, BROWN GLASS TAXIDERMIST EYES ..... PAINTED "HALF- SHUT" with the 2-COLOR, EYE LIDS & LASH LINE!! This is a PERFECTLY FORMED, HERB MILLER DRAKE MALLARD that was NICELY "FILE & KNIFE-CARVED" & SMOOTHLY SANDED ........ with a "STUNNING" & TUCKED HEAD with a NECK & BREAST that TWIST SLIGHTLY to MAKE the POSE LIFE-LIKE ......... IT'S PHENOMENAL & RESEMBLES a RELAXED, FEELING-SAFE, MALLARD that is ASLEEP or HALF-ASLEEP!! ? -and- GORGEOUS EYE-LIDS & AMAZINGLY PAINTED "WHITE NECK RING" ....... and BLACK-GREEN HEAD HIGHLIGHTED with IRIDESCENT TINTS of BLUES, PURPLES & GREEN COLORS LIGHTLY BLENDED IN!! The Head is Attached by at Least One Large Screw Up-Through the Upper "Hollowed-Half" of the Body Before the 2 Body Half's were Attached ..... and Both the Neck & Body Seams are So Tight and Hard-to-See It is So Pristine it Looks Like it Just Left his Work Shop! _ (Below Photos): This MINT & RARE "MALLARD" DRAKE ..... is EGG-SHELL "HOLLOWED" & is MODESTLY-SIZED LIKE ALMOST ALL "DELAWARE RIVER SCHOOL" DECOYS!! IT LOOKS "SPECTACULAR" with ITS "LONG BODY" STYLE & WELL-ROUNDED FORM & LIGHT WEIGHT: This VERY RARE MALLARD MEASURES & WEIGHS: This "One-of-a-Kind" Herb Miller Drake Mallard Weighs & Measures a Real-Life Sized: ? 14-1/2" long..x..5-1/8" wide..x..5-1/2" tall ? -and- Weighs a Well-Hollowed: ...1-lb. 9-oz. _ THAT is FANTASTIC & MAKES for ONE of the LATE HERB MILLER'S FINEST & MOST UNIQUE WOOD DUCK DECOYS!! That Makes for an Awesome & Very Unique Gunning Decoy that is So Well Made that the Seams Between the 2 Hollowed Body Half's and the Head/Neck & Body are So Original & Tight that Both Seams are Close to Invisible!! That Makes for a Superb Decoy that Has Been in the Protection of a Climate and Light Controlled Collection or Collections Since the Day it Left Herb Miller's Work Shop as Maybe a Special Order!! _ This RARE & OUTSTANDING "HERB MILLER" DRAKE MALLARD'S HEAD is as REALISTIC & LIFE-LIKE as ANY CARVER CAN MAKE!! NOTE this MALLARD'S AWESOME, PRECISELY CARVED-IN & ACCURATELY LOCATED, "BROWN" GLASS TAXIDERMIST EYES .......... and AMAZINGLY PAINTED "HALF-SHUT"!! This MINT, RARE and MARVELOUS "HERB MILLER" "DRAKE MALLARD" WOOD DUCK DECOY up for auction: ? This DECOY is MINT, PRISTINE CONDITION ...... It DOESN'T HAVE a SINGLE CHIP, NICK, CHECK, DENT, CRACK or RUB of ANY KIND ...... It DOESN'T EVEN HAVE a SINGLE PAINT SMUDGE!!!!!!! _ Description of this STUNNING DRAKE "MALLARD" DECOY Up For Auction: MINT, RARE, SPECTACULAR; 100% ORIGINAL; HAND SIGNED & DATED; HOT BRANDED; 2022 The LATE HERBERT H. "HERB" MILLER; EGGSHELL "HOLLOW" & 22-YEAR OLD; "DRAKE MALLARD"; FULLY-RIGGED, WHITE CEDAR; WOOD "DELAWARE RIVER", "GUNNING" DECOY ? Ship Bottom, New Jersey on Long Beach Island ? HERB MILLER CARVED using EASTERN WHITE CEDAR, which NATURALLY REPELS WATER and is EASY to WORK!! ? MODESTLY "LIFE-SIZED" DECOY in TRUE FASHION of the DELAWARE RIVER, which on OCCASION, OFTEN MADE SLIGHTLY SMALLER that LIFE-SIZED DECOYS DEPENDING; OFTEN on SPECIES!! Carved Life-Sized, Raised Primaries, Fluted Tail, Carved-In Primary Feathers, Very Exquisite Carving Detail to Tucked Head, Eggshell Hollowed Close to Middle of Two Body Halves & the Seam is Practically Impossible to See!! ? Just Outstanding & Incredible Wing, Head, Body & Tail Carving with Precise Symmetry!! Perfectly Carved-In & Located, Brown "Mallard", High-End, Hand-Made, Taxidermist Eyes!! Excellent Herb Miller Decoy by this Late Master Carver with an Awesome "Turned & Buried, Sleeping" Head Posed, Raised & Carved Primary Feathers, Raised Wings and True, Fluted Tail Carving! _ PERFECT CARVING DETAIL: AWESOME HEAD, PRECISE RAISED WINGS with CARVED-IN PRIMARY FEATHERS & SUPERB FLUTED TAIL FEATHERS!! ??? INCREDIBLE PAINT: AWESOME, IMMACULATE, MINT 100% ORIGINAL PAINT with INDIVIDUAL FEATHERING to ENTIRE DECOY & FEATHER BLENDING to HEAD, NECK, SIDES, BREAST, WINGS, BACK & TAIL!!!! OUTSTANDING FORM: ABSOLUTELY PERFECT CARVING to the PERFECTLY CONTOURED BODY, HEAD & OUTSTANDING TAIL and BREAST!!! _ RARE: INCREDIBLE PATINA to the OIL-BASED ARTIST'S PAINT!! RARE: The LATE HERB MILLER'S DECOYS are SOME of the NICEST BALANCED, SYMMETRICALLY CRAFTED and OUTSTANDING CARVED and PAINTED ROUGH-WATER DECOYS MADE! A Perfect Specimen of a Rare Posed Sleeping, "Egg-Shell Hollow" Large-Sized, Dabbling or Puddle Duck Hunting Block Made by One of The Late, But Great Gunning Decoy Makers!! This DECOY is PAINTED in a LATE FALL - EARLY WINTER, COLOR SCHEME and How We SOMETIMES SEE THEM DURING the HUNTING SEASON in MICHIGAN; BUT WE ALSO OFTEN SEE THEM NOT QUITE YET in BREEDING PLUMAGE EARLIER!!!! This DECOY Has the NICEST HEAD CARVING, TAIL -and- RAISED WING & PRIMARY FEATHER CARVING -and- Some of the Finest Work You Will See from One of the Late, But Finest Carvers!! Lead "Pad" Ballast Weight Held on with 4 Small, Solid Brass Brads or Nails! OUTSTANDING PATINA to the BEAUTIFUL, 100% ORIGINAL ARTIST'S OIL PAINT!! ? This DECOY Has SOME of the LATE MR. HERB MILLER'S MOST AWESOME "CARVING" to the RAISED WINGS, DEEP INDIVIDUAL WING PRIMARIES, LATH OVERLAPPED FLUTED-TAIL and SUPER-TUCKED-IN HEAD!! If You Like Decoys from Famous Master Carvers and Are in "MINT CONDITION" ........ THIS IS A VERY VALUABLE DECOY to ADD to Your COLLECTION!! Great Breast Bulges Up & Sideways Like a Real Duck in the Wild When the Head is Twisted Backward & Tucked!! _ _ (photos below): This HERB MILLER DRAKE MALLARD WOOD DUCK DECOY up for auction!! DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS OUTSTANDING & SCARCE DECOY: This DRAKE MALLARD on Ebay has the Perfect Weight and Dimensions for DELAWARE RIVER Decoys that Could Be Gunned Over in the Often Unpredictable Currents of the River & Inclement Surface Weather & Swim Perfectly and Right Themselves Immediately!! ? ? ?This is Just An Awesome "Drake Mallard" Wood Duck Decoy That Was Carved and Has the Perfect Form, Style & Dimensions for the Delaware River Decoys of a "Wood Duck" Decoy and Live Duck as Well!! ? The Dimensions & Weight are Perfect & Typical for a Decoy by the Late Herb Miller, Large-Sized Puddle or Dabbling Duck, Eggshell Hollow-Bodied, Wooden Duck Decoy!!! This Drake Mallard on ebay Shows that it Came from Climate Controlled, Direct Light-Free Collection or Collections and Has Been Kept Protected for the Past 22-Years and It Has Been Carefully Cared For In!! It Clearly Has Been Very, Very CAREFULLY HANDLED & Certainly "WAS NEVER USED" as it is in "TRULY MINT CONDITION" as well as "100% ORIGINAL"!! ? It Looks to Have Hardly Been Handled as well as NEVER RIGGED ? IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS I AM PUTTING ON EBAY MORE LAWRENCE BETHEL FISH DECOYS, A MINT SIGNED CHARLIE JOINER CANVASBACK, A PAIR OF THE ONLY KNOWN PROTOTYPES MADE OF THE VERY FIRST PRE-PRODUCTION FIBRE DECOYS EVER MADE, A NEAR MINT 1927 HEDDON GIANT VAMPIRE FISHING LURE IN RARE SHAD, A PAIR of LATE PHASE DODGE MALLARDS, EXQUISITE AND RARE PAIR OF "SPECIAL ORDER" MALLARDS, A RARE PAIR OF RALPH MALAPAGE GREEN-WINGED TEAL, A VERY RARE c1893 100% ORIGINAL TRANSITION PERIOD MASON DRAKE BUFFLEHEAD, A MINT RALPH MALPAGE CANADA GOOSE GUNNING DECOY, A MINT c1905 HEDDON ARTISTIC MINNOW, A VERY RARE PADCO OF MISSISSIPPI GOLDENEYES, A YELLOW WITH RED EYE BLUSH MOONLIGHT SINGLE-HOOK PIKAROON, A NIB CREEK CHUB MULLET COLOR STRIPER PIKIE IN CORRECT BOX, A PAIR of INCREDIBLE CHALLENGE GRADE MASON BLUE-WINGED TEAL, A NICE PAIR OF MASON GLASS EYE BLUEBILLS, AN AWESOME ERNIE NEUMANN SUCKER FISH DECOY, A RARE DOUBLE SPECIAL CREEK CHUB BEETLE FISHING LURE, A VERY NICE ERNIE NEUMANN SUCKER, A RARE 12-1/2" CHET SAWYER MINNESOTA FISH DECOY, A NEAR MINT OSCAR PETERSON PERCH FISH DECOY, A MINT PAIR OF WRAGG & BURRELL WIGEON, AN OUTRAGEOUSLY HARD TO FIND PAIR OF CHARLIE POZZINI BLUEBILLS, A CHET SAWYER 13" CHET SAWYER FISH DECOYS, A VERY BIG & BULL-NECKED EARLY FERDINAND BACH DRAKE CANVASBACK FROM HIS PERSONAL RIG AND MORE!! ? Shipping Includes Insurance! I Don't Believe in Making a Profit on Shipping, You Pay What I Pay. If it's Less Than You Paid I Refund the Difference, If More I'll Pay For It. I COMBINE SHIPPING. I am also loading over 150 Duck Decoys, 150 Fish Decoys, 70 Scarce Fishing Lures, etc. so keep checking back. ________________ This Outstanding, 100% Original, Well-Hollowed & Long-Body Styled, "Almost Fully Asleep" 2002 "Drake Mallard" Gunning Decoy with the Late Herb Miller's Signature, Date & with his "Hot Brand"!! ITEM DESCRIPTION This 22+ Year Old, Very-Rare Sleeping-Posed, Very-Hollow and Nicely Carved and Painted Drake Mallard decoy was made by Herbert H. "Herb" Miller (born: Nov. 8, 1935 ~ died: Dec. 33, 2021) of Ship Bottom, New Jersey and Formerly of Roebling, New Jersey. Much of Herb Miller's life was lived in Roebling during the tail end of the days when huge numbers of ducks found food and safety on the Delaware River during their migrations. But at the age of 26 Herb moved to the Jersey Coast when the Army Corp. of Engineers was dredging the Delaware River for shipping, and all but destroyed most of the great gunning areas. The Roebling Florence community is located in Florence Township and is within Burlington County. Roebling Florence is located on the banks of the upper portion the Delaware River, around eight miles south of Trenton, New Jersey and directly across the Delaware from Levittown, Pennsylvania. In addition to being the original home of Herb Miller, it was also the home to the Famous English family of decoy carvers, a couple of which helped him learn carving decoys. Florence Township is located on the traditionally rich duck hunting banks of the upper portion of the Delaware River and directly across the Delaware River from Tullytown, Bristol and Levittown, Pennsylvania, which were also home to a myriad of Delaware River duck hunters and decoy carvers. In 1961, Herb Miller and his wife Carol moved from Roebling, New Jersey to Ship Bottom, New Jersey. Ship Bottom is a borough and is known as the "Gateway to Long Beach Island", as Route 72 provides the sole road access from Manahawkin in Stafford Township, ending in Ship Bottom as it crosses Manahawkin Bay via the Manahawkin Bay Bridge and ends on Long Beach Island. When the Late Herb Miller (1935-2021) began duck hunting, it was in the tail end of an era that including hundreds of thousands of waterfowl using the relatively slow moving and food laden wetlands of the Delaware River as a perfect stop during migration to feed and rest. A young Herb Miller started making decoys at the age of 14, around 1949, and made decoys into his 80's, and he sadly passed away at the age of 86. Herb Miller's earliest decoys were made over-sized and he only made black ducks and mallards. He was constantly hunting, fishing and trapping with his good friend and fellow Roebling youngster, Joe Bauer. When it got too cold outside to hunt, the two of them stayed indoors and took advantage of the time to carve new decoys. Like many rivers around the country, there came a time when the Delaware River was entirely redeveloped so that larger and larger ships could get to Trenton, one of the strongest manufacturing cities in the region at the time. In the 1950's, the Army Corp. of Engineers oversaw the dredging and use of that sand, sludge and silt to fill in some of the best hunting areas and also straighten sections of the river. This was the final straw for some waterfowl hunters, including young man Herb Miller, so in 1961 Herb Miller and his wife moved to Ship Bottom on the Jersey Shore where he felt he would be close to good duck hunting once again. Every decoy that Herb Miller made before 1961 was for personal use, partially because there was no shortage of guys carving and selling decoys on the New Jersey and Pennsylvania sides of the Delaware, both up and down the river from Roebling, New Jersey. After his move the Ship Bottom on the Jersey Shore he saw a market for his decoys, in addition to his income as a Ship Bottom police officer for a portion of that time. The Great Herbert H. "Herb" Miller entered his first decoy contest in 1963 in Babylon, New York, where he won 3rd prize in the "Professional Class". In 1970, he won 9 more ribbons at the show, and in 1971 he topped them all, as he won the "Best of Show" at the Babylon show on Long Island, with an amazing hen goldeneye. As stated, prior to 1961, Herb Miller carved decoys only for personal use, but gradually that changed and he not only began selling decoys, but by 1972 Herb was guiding duck hunting parties with a large rig of Herter's decoys. It was shortly before this that his decoys were being bought by collectors, so he figured he would no longer hunt over decoys he was making as they were far more valuable to risk damaging them while hunting over them. MORE ABOUT ROEBLING, NJ: Roebling was founded by Charles Roebling, son of John A. Roebling. John A. Roebling & Sons company built and provided the steel for the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as numerous other bridges including one over Niagara Falls. The steel mill was also responsible for the production of the elevator cables for the Empire State Building in New York City, the Chicago Board of Trade Building in Chicago and the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. John A. Roebling & Sons company made the wire for the original slinky as well. _ Herbert H. Miller's 2o21 Obituary Herbert Miller, 86, long-time of resident of Ship Bottom and former Ship Bottom Chief of Police, passed away on December 31, 2021 at Southern Ocean Medical Center. Herb was born and raised in Roebling, NJ. He served in the U.S. Navy and moved to Ship Bottom in 1961 where he attended the Ocean County Police Academy. After moving through the ranks in the Ship Bottom Police Department, Herb served as Chief of Police for 10 years, retiring in 1991. The Late Herb Miller was an accomplished marksman, dedicated hunter, fisherman and renowned master decoy carver. Herb carved his first rig of decoys, comprised of Black Ducks and Mallards, in 1949 at the age of 14. He took 3rd place overall and 2nd Place in Decorative Decoys in the Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition and Art Festival, Salsbury, Maryland. His carvings are featured in museums all over the United States. He was an inspirational artist to many. From whittling decoys to running a duck hunting guide service, Herb left a mark on a lot of people. His advice was always right although sometimes brutally honest. For 32 years of his life, he served the community with great dignity and respect. Herb was a good neighbor, good resident and great person. Predeceased by his loving wife of 60 years, Carol R. Miller (2019) and sisters, Phyllis and Gloria, Herb is survived by his sons, sons Stephen and his wife Dorothy, Eric and his wife Judy, Herb and his wife Kim, grandchildren Mike (Brittany), Jamie, Jordan, Luke, Nikki Bevacqua (Anthony), Katie Reed (Chris), Abbie (Jesse Vassallo) and great grandchildren Grady, Hunter, Shea and Alex. Also surviving is his brother, David and his wife Marge. HERBERT "HERB" MILLER: The Late Herb Miller, was born on November 8, 1935 in Roebling, New Jersey. While growing up, he would spend a great deal of time following in his father's footsteps plying his trade on or near the banks of the Delaware River. Miller's father was a dedicated hunter and fisherman, and along with Herb's uncles, worked at the renowned Roebling Steel Mill. Herb carved his first rig of decoys in 1949, at the age of 14. The bodies were made of cork that he got from Doan's Ship Salvage in Fieldsboro and he outfitted them with heads he carved from pine. This first rig was comprised of Black Ducks and Mallards. Also at the age of 14 years old, Herb Miller bought his first boat with money he earned from working at a nearby gas station. It was made by Mocker Bell and it was a Bordentown double ender, which is precisely the boat the Delaware gunners used to "ambush" ducks. He and friends Joe Bauer, Rick Gilfin and Earl Kovac hunted around Roebling Island, and when not in use he kept the boat chained to a buoy near the Roebling Steel Company complex. Around the age of 16, Miller ventured out and began to hunt other areas of the Delaware River including Money Island. It was here that he met veteran waterfowl hunter Joe King, not to be confused with New Jersey legend Joe King (1835-1913) of Manahawkin, New Jersey. Herb also met one of King's frequent gunning partners, a man that also would become quite well known on his own, Mr. Bill Quinn (1915-1965). Another hunter that often gunned with King and Quinn was none other than John Baker of Edgeley, Pennsylvania. Like the majority of the upper Delaware River gunners, Joe King and Bill Quinn would first position their decoys in their desired location then row out of sight until passing ducks landed in the decoys. They then would quietly approach the ducks, one man ready with the gun up front, while the other silently propelled and steered the boat using a sculling oar. The front man would take the initial shots and the rower would help kill cripples and retrieve the dead birds. After Quinn and King would set out their decoy spread they would go ashore and build a small fire to warm coffee, toast bread and keep the chill off of them. Along with his friends Bauer, Kovac and Gilfin, Herb Miller often joined long time veteran gunners Bill Quinn and Joe King on the shore and the two veteran's would take the younger gunners on a "sneak" or "scull" into the decoys that had waiting birds that had landed. Herb Miller fondly recalled the time that he shot his first duck on the wing, it was one of 3 mallards and Quinn shot the other 2. For his 16th birthday, Miller got an L. C. Smith double-barrel, 12-gauge shotgun. In all of the excitement, Miller took his new weapon out in a blizzard, snow storm to give it a test. Long after dark, when he had yet to return home, his older sister went out to look for him. After a short time, she fell on the ice and broke her leg. To say his sister was not amused with him when he returned home later that night would be an understatement. It was around this time, in 1951, that Miller carved his first rig of "all wood" decoys (2nd rig overall), that including many very nice mallards. His 3rd rig, in 1955, was over-sized decoys. But of all of these rigs, his 1951 second-rig of decoys was standard sized, were carved of western red cedar bodies and white pine heads, which is the same as this drake mallard up for auction. This 1951 rig was also all flat-bottomed, standard-sized, had carved primaries, detail carved bills & tails and quality glass eyes. This 1951 rig was also comprised of all low head and regular-height head positions and the hollowed body halves, as well as the heads and bodies, were held together by Weldwood Waterproof glue and painted with oil-based house paints. Miller used this rig for a year until he joined the Navy in 1952, then sold them to Charlie Wargo. Like this Herb Miller decoy up for auction, all of Miller's early decoys were carved in the fashion of the typical Delaware River decoy: beautifully rounded, hollowed 2 piece bodies with protruding chests and usually low, contented heads. Like the great majority of Delaware River carvers, Miller's decoys were for his own personal use and the size of his rigs were relatively small in comparison to hunters in other more open water regions. Although Herb never copied other carvers' decoys, just like anywhere, they inevitably followed the form of and show the influence of the famous master carvers Dan English, Joe King and Bill Quinn. Upon his return from the Navy in 1955, he and his father teamed up to carve an entirely new rig of decoys. This new rig was made in the typical Delaware school style, but they were carved over-sized because of the changing conditions of the faster flowing river. This new rig was made up of Black Ducks, Pintails and Mallards, and their larger size proved beneficial in luring wary birds. In 1959, Herb Miller married Carol Roach of adjoining Florence and had 3 sons; Steven, Eric and Herbert, Jr. In 1961, Herb Miller moved his wife and family to Ship Bottom, New Jersey, where he briefly worked as a carpenter before joining the local police department. He would end up working his way up through the ranks and after 32 years he ended up retiring as the Chief of Police in 1993. Before this, in 1965, Herb Miller started hunting Barnegat Bay, which was a stone's throw to the north of his new hometown of Ship Bottom. During this time in the mid-1960's the waterfowl seasons were long and the limit was 10 ducks a day. He bought a 30-foot Garvey boat along with 3 sneak boxes and guided hunters. His rig at the time was 300 Herter's decoys as they were lightweight and inexpensive. He did this for approximately 15 years, but around 1980, when the seasons were shortened and the bag limits were cut, he decided not to continue. He had carved decoys during this period and in 1968 he started carving competitively. He carved for competitions until 1980 and during that time his decoys won a plethora of ribbons and an equally impressive number of "Best in Show" awards. Over time, just like any master of any craft, Herb Miller's decoys went from an effective, finely constructed and wonderfully painted hollow hunting blocks, to his later decoys like this Sleeping Drake Mallard up for auction, that perfectly mirror the wild kin they were intended to imitate. The decoys of the Delaware river rated among the finest in the country when it came down to the beauty of the carving and painting. Like many areas in the country, like this Herb Miller Sleeping Drake Mallard up for auction, the decoys were typically made with either white pine or cedar for the bodies and white pine for the heads, and most had a rectangular shaped "pad" ballast weight nailed or screwed on to the bottom, just like those used in a great many areas on the Atlantic coast and this Mallard up for auction. The Delaware decoys were also painted with oil-based paints and some carvers coated their decoys with a mix of beeswax melted in gasoline as a top coat preservative. The method of hunting on the Delaware River, much like Mr. Miller in his Roebling gunning days, dictated that the decoys that were used were as realistic as possible. The typical hunter used a double-ended sculling boat to sneak up and bushwhack ducks. The hunters would set up their rig of decoys at known feeding grounds, then anchor upstream or upwind and wait for ducks to land in the decoys. When the birds landed they would scull slowly toward the decoys while ducked behind the slightly raised cowling or a raised edge or lip on the front of the boat's compartment construction. This "sculling" method of hunting is almost identical to the "screen" boat hunters in Ontario or the "sneak" boat shooters on Lake St. Clair between Michigan and Canada. The Ontario screeners would often be on shore and oar toward the decoys hiding behind a medium height, horizontally shaped screen that acted like a shield and was often thatched with vegetation to match the shore background behind them. The Lake St. Clair and western Lake Erie Michigan "sneak" boats had and have a similarly shaped shield to the Ontario "screeners", but since the sneaks are in open water with no perceivable background, the shield and boat are/were both painted the same grayish-green color to closely match the color of the water they hunted. Vital to these ambush type styles of hunting, like the Delaware scullers, the decoys must be very realistic looking and perform life-like in the water to "hold" the birds in the decoys until the hunter gets close enough to shoot. The decoys had to have a relaxed appearance like tucked heads or sleepers and they needed to swim perfectly in any water conditions with no yawing, slapping or jerking as to not spook the holding ducks. Considering the mild currents of the Delaware River in the late 1800's and early 1900's, the smaller, very hollowed decoys of the time with their realistic paint jobs were considered some of the finest in the country. Most of the decoys, like this pair of Great Sleeping Mallard up for auction, had relaxed, tucked or sleeping posed heads to convey an attitude of a contented duck with little or no sense of danger to alarm the sitting birds. Size was a major factor as the sculling boats had limited room for gear so the smaller size afforded a larger number of decoys in the set. Another factor in creating an incredibly realistic looking and high performing decoy is the amount of competition for premium hunting spots on the river. In the hey-day of Delaware River hunting, when a large number of hunters were operating rigs on the river, hunters were very territorial which led to many decoy thefts. Also, from a creative standpoint, with a great number of hunters competing for wild ducks within close proximity to other rigs, carvers attempted to outdo their neighbors by making a more realistic, better performing decoy to get an edge. With all of these factors in mind, the typical Delaware River decoy was full-breasted and hollow constructed in the 2-piece manner for lightness and good buoyancy. Most of the decoys had fine glass eyes, a relaxed appearance and extremely well carved wing and tail detail like this black duck up for auction. The head on this Sleeping Drake Mallard was carved into the body with a perfectly, twisted head and neck carving detail, so that the aim of the head and the direction of the breast work together flawlessly with an invisible seam. The nicely carved-in fluted tail is amazing as the gorgeous carving to each tail feather overlaps over the next one that is detail carved like they all are. It is also evident that the further downriver you got, the Delaware school of carvers paid less attention to carving detail, especially in the wings and tail. This was in part due to the decrease in the hunting pressure as the river widened substantially and competition thinned out dramatically. The realistic paint patterns were more consistent throughout the school of carvers, but like this Drake Mallard up for auction, the paint detail did increase the further "upstream" you went. The group of carvers that make up the Delaware School of carvers includes many of the finest master carvers on or near the eastern seaboard. The area encompassed by this awesome network of carvers stretches roughly from the Delaware River near Trenton, New Jersey to the north and south to Philadelphia and Delaware Bay. Midway in between were the three most prominent carving communities, Bordentown and Florence in New Jersey, and the Bristol area of Pennsylvania. The carver heritage, in addition to Mr. Herb Miller, includes the likes of John English (1852-1915) and his sons Jack (1874-1944) and Dan (1883-1962) from Florence, New Jersey; John Dawson (1889-1959) of Trenton, John McLaughlin (b. 1911) of Bordentown, New Jersey; Bill Quinn (1915-1969) of Yardley Pennsylvania; Jess Heisler (1891-1943) of Burlington, New Jersey, John Heisler of Bordentown, New Jersey; Paul Green of Yardville, New Jersey; J. Baker of Edgely, Pennsylvania; Tom Fitzpatrick of Delanco, New Jersey; Lawrence McLaughlin of Edgely, Pennsylvania; Reg Marter of Delanco, New Jersey; Al Reitz of Croyden, Pennsylvania; Lou Boldizar of Roebling, New Jersey and of course Miller's elder friend Joe King. Tony Bianco, Richard Anderson and James West are a few names that come to mind from various areas. Given the proximity of these carvers to each other and the overlap of their hunting grounds, many knew each other and thus the profound influence that reciprocated between them of styles and construction techniques. These were the vintage carvers of the late 1800's and well into the first half of the 20th century. Their smaller size and well-hollowed decoy's construction made them very transportable and effective but things changed significantly in the coming years. Starting in the 1920's and continuing until 1940, the river changed dramatically and thus did the vintage decoys. During this time, the Delaware River was dredged from its average depth of 12 feet to produce a 40 foot deep channel to accommodate the shipping requirements of the steel mills in Trenton, NJ. The Army Corps. of Engineers then used the dredged sand to straighten the direction of the river by filling in the surrounding flats and eddys, which reclaimed thousands of marshland and in doing so increased the rate of current of the river. The wonderful decoys that were carved from around 1870 to 1920 were small, 2-piece hollow construction and round, graceful, streamlined bodies that worked superbly in the slower, shallower water had to change. After the river was artificially reconfigured, the Delaware became faster and deeper particularly during tidal changes which presented new challenges. To adjust to these new conditions while the alterations to the river were taking place, carvers adjusted to make their decoys with flatter bottoms and less hollowed to enhance their water-riding ability. As time went on they changed even more. When the river dredging and filling was completed, and much like the transformation that Herb Miller's decoys took with his 1955 Rig, the decoys were made bigger, more blocky and completely flat-bottomed with barge-like sides. Also, the rectangular bottom weights that were always located in the bottom center of the decoy and primary function was to keep the decoy righted, were moved to the back of the decoy to keep the decoy righted and swimming correctly in the faster current and rougher top water. With the deeper water and disappearance of the flats, marshland, potholes and shallower water conducive to plant-life and protection, there no longer existed the attractive environment for migrating and nesting waterfowl and hence the duck hunting and the pursuit of waterfowl declined exponentially, thus ending the reign of the turn of the century, vintage Delaware River duck decoy. But it did lead to a generation of carvers that have carved in the last 25-30 years of carver's that still carry on the Delaware River School with the same construction, rigging and style, but with the most realistic paint and life-like heads and poses. Herb Miller carved true gunning decoys from around 1949 to 1967, with the majority coming after 1951 and few after 1968 when he began carving competitive decoys. Herb Miller carved many puddle ducks with perfect, raised and carved wing tips, and like this Sleeping Drake Mallard up for auction, they always had extraordinary paint jobs and even some with exquisite comb painting. Like most Delaware River carvers, Miller's decoys are known for their low heads (a great many resting on the chest), in a complacent, relaxed or even sleeping posture with nicely carved in tail feathers and very intricately painted and carved wing primaries and perfect blending between feather groups. Also like this Sleeping Drake Mallard up for auction, he was known for his sleek heads with deliberate and deep eye-line indentations and brow ridges with carved nostrils, bill/head delineation and mandibles that run the full length of the bill but sometimes intermittent. Herb Miller's decoys are also noted for being very light and hollow and also for their, rectangular "forged and brass nailed" lead "pad-shaped" ballast weights. Herb Miller's decoys were constructed with the traditional 2 piece, hollowed design and like this Sleeping Drake Mallard up for auction, his early and even later birds had a bottom that was much flatter than many of his contemporaries. Herb Miller's most active gunning days were at the later end and right after of one of the most prolific eras in waterfowling history with its unchecked and unregulated tactics and limits. Herb Miller lived 40 odd miles from the place he grew up in Roebling, New Jersey, to the Home he Adopted for the rest of his life, Ship bottom, New Jersey. So while Herb didn't carve and hunt in the best and most prolific gunning eras, he was able to enjoy still excellent shooting in 2 places he was able to master; the Delaware River and the Jersey Coast ....which ain't half bad!! The paint on this Sleeping Drake Mallard decoy up for auction is in mint original condition, and as you can see by the many close up photos the thick, original coat of oil-based paint has a very nice patina. This "Sleeping Mallard" decoys is also in mint 100% original condition and is as solid as the day that Herb made it. This is also perfectly symmetrically carved and painted and from a structural standpoint this decoy is also mint. The bill on this decoy is hidden under the back & wing feathers in a great sleeping pose, but on his typical decoy you'll find that their heads are absolutely extraordinarily accurately carved and have perfect head/bill separation, nostrils, mandibles and the heads and necks were so perfectly carved that he had no need for neck putty where they were attached to the "cut in" head shelf. The full breasts are also nicely carved as they bulge up and forward just as a real duck's neck does when it is tucked back under the wing. This vintage Herb Miller decoy is as solid as the day that it was made and went straight into a discriminating collection on the east coast. This Drake Mallard Sleeper decoy was carved modestly-sized in the manner of most Delaware River decoys and measures 14-1/2" long x 5-1/8" wide x a modest 5-1/2" tall and weighs a very rig-manageable 1-lb., 9-oz. These measurements are fantastic for a Delaware River or protected areas of the Jersey Coast decoy. This truly awesome Delaware River decoy would make a great addition to any collection of historic duck decoys and shorebirds. If you have any questions or would like any additional photos feel free to email me. Thanks for looking. The first photo is of this Very Nice Sleeping Herb Miller Mallard up for auction. The 3rd picture is a Vintage photo of Herb Miller c1953. The next 15 photos are also of this great Drake Mallard up for auction. The last 5 photos are of more of his gunning or even tournament decoys from earlier in his career!! Pictures sell!Auctiva offers Free Image Hosting and Editing.300+ Listing Templates Auctiva gets you noticed!The complete eBay Selling Solution. Track Page Views WithAuctiva's Counter (Condition: New (Other))

Note: This item has been sold and is no longer available. This page serves as a historical price reference for Duck Decoy collectors and appraisers.