Decoys were not made or used for hunting uplands, where birds were best found over a well trained dog. Many decoy makers experimented with carving upland birds for decorative use. These carvings are Will's contribution to this tradition.
Every bird is carved and painted by hand, using shavehorse, spokeshave, and drawknife.
Price is determined after careful consideration of not only complexity and cost of materials, but skill, talent, and time required to complete the carving. Many equate price with size, but a small bird may involve more of the latter than a large one. California Quail California Quail - 7 to 8 inches long, lightly distressed patina. During the 1800, these fascinating birds were native only to California. Nowadays their range has expanded from Washington state to Mexico and west into Nevada.