Drake Bufflehead
by Doug Jester (1876-1961)
Chincoteague, Virginia
Douglas was a lifelong resident of Chincoteague, Virginia. As is typical for Jester decoys, this bufflehead body is oval in section with little flat area on the bottom. The painting is simple, with only the larger surface areas of the the bufflehead’s patterns.. The pattern is laid out freehand over a base coat of flat white. He felt that in actual use the lack of finer details made no difference to incoming birds. The eyes are indicated by a small ring of paint. The nostrils and mandibles are carved. This simple but elegant design gives this decoy a real ruggedness which over the years may be of more value to a hunter than fancy paint jobs and easily broken tails and bills.