Delbert Daisey

Delbert Lee "Cigar" Daisey (March 6, 1928 – April 19, 2017),"", Delmarva now obituary notice for Delbert Lee "Cigar" Daisey, 21 April 2017 known as "Cigar" Daisey, was an American waterfowl wood carver and decoy maker."", U.S. Census, 1940, Chincoteague Magisterial District, Accomack, Virginia He was born in Chincoteague, Virginia. He lived at the Refuge Waterfowl Museum.Collins, Dennis.  "Former Outlaw Hunters Carving Out New Lives", The Washington Post, April 13, 1982, p. C3.  His decoy carvings are recognized for both their artistic value and functionality as working pieces for waterfowl hunting.  

His works include black ducks, mallards, redheads, ruddys and red-breasted mergansers and often crafted in drake (male) and hen (female) pairs.  

He had carved about 1900 ducks in total and he generally used cork or wood as his medium.  He carved his first duck out of balsa wood in 1940 at his father's wood shop.  

The Smithsonian has his works in their collection.  He earned his nickname in 1945 while leaving cigar butts to taunt game wardens while poaching ducks on Assateague Island.Harden, Blaine.  "Killer of 30,000 Ducks", The Washington Post, August 11, 1979, p. D2.  Later in life, Daisey was an avid conservationist.

Daisey died on April 19, 2017 in Chincoteague, Virginia, aged 89.

References

Category:1928 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:American artists
Category:American environmentalists
Category:People from Virginia