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function passparaSC(){return \'&baseurl=\'+ escape((function(){var d = return d })()) + NEAR MINT -ONLY DRAKE RUDDY DUCK KNOWN 1925 DOC BAUMGARDNER Wood Decoy MICHIGAN a.imagelink {color:#efe2ae;} a:hover.imagelink {color:#efe2ae;} a:visited.imagelink {color:#000000;} a.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #efe2ae; } a:visited.imagelink img.saleimage { border: 2px solid #000000; } November/December 2007 Issue of \"DECOY MAGAZINE\" Features a Must Read Article on Frank \"Doc\" SPECIES, \"One of 3 Ruddy Ducks Known\", SUPERB 100% ORIGINAL PAINT & \"Possibly never-Hunted Condition!!  c1930 FRANK E. \"DOC\" DUCK;  \"Solid Cedar\" WOOD \"GUNNING\" DUCK DECOY;  Houghton Lake, Michigan (Michigan\'s Largest Inland Lake)

FRANK \"DOC\" BAUMGARDNER\'S \"Pocket\" Ring-Necked Ducks are FEATURED in:  WATERFOWL DECOYS of MICHIGAN and THE LAKE ST. CLAIR REGION  by Walsh & Jackson;  Page 156.

 

• THIS VERY RARE \"FANNED-TAIL\" DRAKE RUDDY DUCK\" is as \"UNCOMMON A SPECIES\" of a \"DOC\" BAUMGARDNER DECOY You\'ll Ever See!!
• AS RARE A \"DOC\" BAUMGARDNER DECOY YOU ARE LIKELY TO SEE; ESPECIALLY the REALISTIC, UNIQUE, INLETTED WOOD TAIL!!!!
• A PROMINENT MICHIGAN COLLECTOR HAS A HEN THAT HE HAS HAD FOR SEVERAL YEARS & NEVER HAS SEEN A DRAKE MATE!! 

PERFECT DOC FORM & MINT STRUCTURAL CONDITION!!

• Excellent Example of a Decoy Exhibiting Excellent Detail Worthy of His Personal Rig Decoys as Well as His Commercial Grade Birds!!
• Excellent Original Oil Paint with White Face, White Wing Feather Detail and White Shading to Rump Under the Superb Inletted Drake \"Ruddy\" Tail!! 
• Typical Square Keel with Beveled Ends Like His Famous Little Bluebills!!
• Taxidermist Grade Yellow Glass Eyes!!

Awesome \"TUCKED-HEAD\", \"INLETTED-TAILED\", -and-  \"LOW PROFILE\" Decoys That Helped Make Houghton Lake a Famous Waterfowling destination in the early Rare Doc Baumgardner Drake Ruddy Duck wood decoy has great form and it measures 12\" long x 7\" wide x 5\" tall and weighs a very white-cap capable and very solid and very hefty 1-lb. 5-ozs.

(The Hen Rig-mate is 13\" long x 7\" wide x 5\" tall and Also Weighs 1-lb. 5-ozs.) 

• THE HEN RIG MATE to this DRAKE is ALSO on if YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WONDERFUL, MATED PAIR; They Were UNDOUBTEDLY CARVED Together and Have Been Together Ever Since!!!!  (Truly a Great pair to Own)

THIS IS ONE OF A GROUP OF HOUGHTON LAKE ITEMS FROM THE COTTAGE AND IT WILL INCLUDE OTHER BAUMGARDNER DECOYS AND A FEW DUCK & FISH DECOYS AS WELL AS SOME TIP-UP TOWN MEMORABILIA  INCLUDING AN AWESOME 2000 \"TIP UP TOWN USA\" SPECIAL EDITION 1957 CHEVY BELAIR CONVERTIBLE BANK THAT WAS ONE OF 250 AND INCLUDES THE DINNER TICKET AND MATCHING BADGE!!  -SEE PHOTOS AT END OF THIS LISTING

SHIPPING INCLUDES INSURANCE

This 80+ year old Solid Cedar, Michigan Duck Decoy is a Nicely-Formed, Very Unique, Drake Ruddy Duck wooden decoy that was hand carved and painted by Frank E. \"Doc\" Baumgardner (1869-1946) of Houghton Lake, Michigan.  Houghton Lake is a city in north central Michigan located on the shores of Michigan\'s largest inland body of water, Houghton Lake.  It is the largest inland lake in the state of Michigan, and one of the largest natural inland lakes in the United States (many man-made impoundments are much larger).  The lake is approximately 7-1/2 miles north to south, and about 4-1/2 miles at it widest point and Houghton Lake has 30 miles of total shoreline and its waters cover 20,044 acres.  This sportsman\'s jewel has an average depth of 8 feet and is around 22 feet at its deepest point depending on water levels.  The lake receives the waters of spring-fed Higgins Lake through the Cut River and, in turn, is the headwaters for the Muskegon River which flows out of the North Bay in the northwest corner of the lake.  Houghton Lake is \"World Famous\" for the annual winter carnival, Tip Up Town USA, which is held during two consecutive weekends in January.  The name for the festival originated from the flag-like devices - \"tip ups\", used for ice fishing.  The lake offers almost every species of game and panfish found in Michigan with the exception of the trout/salmon families, sturgeon, muskellunge and white bass. Common catches include northern pike, bluegill, walleye, crappie, yellow perch and both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass.   Although it now is primarily a sandy-bottomed body of water with modest plant life growth, in its prime in the 1800\'s and early 1900\'s, it was peppered with and surrounded by marshy flats, fertile potholes and a never-ending, natural-growing , supply of wild rice.  Also during the lake\'s hey day, waterfowl numbering in the tens of thousands would use the lake as a resting and refueling station on their spring and summer migration journeys.  In addition to the large number of puddle ducks that would gravitate to the shoreline marshes and other vegetation rich habitat, diver ducks would raft up in the thousands on the open water and feed on the plentiful food sources.

Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner was a man of thin proportions and wore very unassuming wire-rimmed glasses.  Like many vintage carvers, it is not uncommon to find Doc\'s last name mis-spelled Baumgartner (with a T instead of a D).  This is evident in Walsh and Jackson\'s 1983 book \"Waterfowl Decoys of Michigan and The Lake St. Clair Region\".   Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner lived much of his life with a recognizable limp that was the result of a mishap while cutting a tree down with an axe.  His stature was certainly not that of the consummate outdoorsman, but he was not only an avid hunter and fisherman, but just loved and respected wildlife in general.  Although he will long be remembered for his activities related to waterfowling, he was also known as a proficient deer hunter and as a man that enjoyed the challenge of pursuing upland game with a good dog. 

     

Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner was born to George and Victoria Baumgardner on April 3, 1869.  Frank\'s father, George Baumgardner, was born in 1839 in Belgium and immigrated to the Toledo area of Ohio around 1859.  It is here that he met his wife Victoria, who was born in 1842 in Toledo to German immigrants.  Frank was the middle of seven Baumgardner children and one of 3 boys.  Frank\'s father George was a Lumber Dealer by trade.  

The 1880 U.S. Census lists the following residents and their basic demographical information at their TOLEDO, OHIO residence:

George Baumgardner   (BORN in Belgium:  1839)  HUSBAND  OCCUPATION: LUMBER DEALER AGE 41 Victoria Baumgardner   (BORN in Ohio:  1842)  WIFE   OCCUPATION: KEEPING HOUSE AGE 38 Barbara Baumgardner    (BORN in Ohio:  1861 )  DAUGHTER AGE 19 Josephine Baumgardner    (BORN in Ohio:  1865)  DAUGHTER AGE 15 Cornelia Baumgardner     (BORN in Ohio:  1867)   DAUGHTER AGE 14 FRANK BAUMGARDNER   (BORN in OHIO:  APRIL 3, 1869)  SON   \"In School\" AGE 12 Mary Baumgardner    (BORN in Ohio:  1873)   DAUGHTER AGE  7 Emil Baumgardner    (BORN in Ohio:  1875)   SON AGE  5 Louis Baumgardner    (BORN in Ohio:  1878)   SON AGE  2

It is while living in Toledo that Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner would meet his first wife Nellie and during a short-lived marriage and on May 14, 1893, Nellie gave birth to a baby named May.  This was Frank\'s only child and it is unclear if the baby was named after the month she was born or what the details of her childhood were.  It was also in Toledo that Frank met his second and only other wife, Daisie.  Frank and his wife Daisie M. Baumgardner were married in 1902, and sometime in the next 2-3 years they moved from Toledo, Ohio to St. John\'s, Michigan, a small city in the central-southern region of Michigan and 20 miles due north of Michigan\'s Capital, Lansing.  They lived in St. John\'s from roughly 1905 to 1915 and his occupation while living in the rural confines of the area was as a laborer.  It was around 1915 that Frank and Daisie would move into the city limits of Lansing and they rented a home at 511 W. Kilborn, 2 miles from the Grand River.  It can only be assumed that they relocated to the large city of Lansing for employment, as he appears to have been a machinist at a General Motors factory in the city for much of the time they lived there.

The most important and defining time in the life of Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner and his wife Daisie would be in 1919 when they moved 2 hours and 130 miles due north to Houghton Lake, Michigan.  It was their last relocation and would be where Frank would adopt the nickname of \"Doc\", and where he would establish his legacy as a guide, outfitter, decoy carver and successful resort operator.  Frank traded in his manufacturing job and now he and Daisie lived in and were right smack dab in the middle of the pristine northern reaches of Michigan.  Frank was a talented carpenter and built \"The Anchor In Resort\", their new home as well as their new livelihood.  The name \"Anchor In\" was a play off of the catch phrase so often used by hunters and fishermen.  His carpentry skills were so adept that Frank built their entire homestead, which consisted of their house, a boathouse and 3 rental cabins of various sizes.  The location of the \"Anchor In Resort\" and their separate residence was in a prime location, as it was located on a bluff on the south-central shore of the lake and afforded a great view of almost all of Houghton Lake.  The resort itself was situated on top of the bluff and a short walk down the steep embankment put you right on the shoreline and at the boathouse.  The business was also way ahead of its time and it was the very first resort that offered an overnight stay as well as being one of the first resorts period.  In the 1930\'s, the 3 cabins were rented out at the rate of $15 to $25 per week which was based on each of the cabins size and location.  The amenities in the cabins were certainly not like the \"city\", and not only did they not have running water or a bathroom, the smallest of the 3 didn\'t even have a bedroom.  But maybe more important than those creature comforts, each of the cabins not only came with its own rowboat for hunting and fishing, but they also included the expert advice of the proprietor and most knowledgeable man on the lake, Frank of Houghton Lake with the Location of Baumgardner\'s \"Anchor Inn\" (red star) including structure and depth detail of the entire lake.

Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner was known to keep busy and you could quite often find him doing work around the boathouse or cleaning and rigging the boats on the dock.  Frank also was the designer and builder of a great many of the docks around the lake and was the \"go to\" man to put them back in the water after the winter thaw, and take them out before the nasty winter freeze.  When he took the docks out in the fall he would make any needed repairs and then stack them along the lake\'s shoreline.   Since he spent so much time either tending to his duties around his own boathouse and dock, or tending to the little piers of others, the sheer commonality of seeing him performing these duties led the locals to give him the moniker \"Doc\", and nobody ever looked back.   \"Doc\", as he would now be referred, fit so nicely that it stuck with him for the remainder of his life.  So much so, that if anyone brought up Frank Baumgardner the typical response would be, \"You mean Doc?\". 

Doc carved duck decoys in his boathouse and was known to have made decoys from around 1920 to around 1937.  Doc also combined the rare talents of outstanding craftsmanship and artistic flair and it is apparent in each and every decoy that left his workbench.  The two criteria that he used to create his decoys was that they had to lure ducks within gunning range and they had to last forever.  This decoy up for sale is a superb example of both of those traits and it is in such awesome condition that only the beautiful patina gives a true hint to the decoy\'s age.  Also like this decoy up for sale, Doc carved all of his decoys from Michigan cedar and all of his decoys were carved solid, flat-bottomed and heavy.  Considering that Houghton Lake is Michigan\'s largest inland body of water, it only makes common sense that any decoy that could be hunted over in often treacherous waters had to be exactly that; heavy, flat-bottomed and solid to stay upright in any conditions and take a beating in the process.  His craftsmanship is also apparent when you look at the head on one of his decoys.  The heads meet the bodies with such precision that he never used neck filler of putty and they were so attached so efficiently that you will never see one that is loose.  Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner guaranteed all of his decoys from breakage which is also quite a testament to his prowess as a maker of a quality decoy.  He also helped minimize potential damage by making many of his decoys with tucked heads and thick bills and small or non-existent tails.  His decoys also varied in size from petite bluebills to likely special orders like large canvasbacks and redheads that in rare cases were made as bobtails, exactly like the beautiful and rare Drake Redhead bobtail decoy that I also have up for sale.

But these Ruddy duck decoys may be two of the three rarest decoys he ever made, Ruddy Ducks.  They have the exact same form and style of his other \"pocket\" decoys, but with very neat inletted wooden tails that were hand cut and then glued into the hand-cut, inletted groove.  Much like fish decoy carvers used pins to hold the fins in, the tails on these very unique duck decoys are also held in by nail-pin that goes into the body, through the tail and then back into the body.  Doc was also known to have made a small number of awesome fish decoys, so maybe he learned this little technique from the fish decoy carvers on the lake.

(Above):  This Awesome and Very Rare Drake Redhead That is Also Up For sale on and it has the \"Bobtail\" Form of the Great Canvasbacks and Redheads Carved and Hunted Over on the Detroit River and the Immediate waters of Lake Erie.  This is certainly no Coincidence as he Spent the First 2/3\'s of His Life in Toledo on the Shores of Lake Erie.  What Decoy Making and Duck Hunting He Was Exposed to While in Toledo is Not Known, But he Clearly was involved!

(Above):  Awesome Pair of Canvasbacks Identical in Size, Shape and Form to the Redhead Drake That is Also Up For sale on !!  They were all Clearly Made on or About the Exact Same Time and Era!!

Houghton Lake is much like any other hunting area where large, open bodies of water are involved, the decoy must be fit to serve the task.  When severe winds whip up white-caps on Houghton Lake, the shallow sandy bottoms only further add to the size and momentum of these large waves.  In order to perform in what can often be some severe water conditions, all of Doc\'s decoys were fitted with thick and sturdy keels that were all generously weighted.  This decoy up for sale not only has this typical Baumgardner \"low-profile, flat-bottomed body, but the small rounded heads on these little guys is par for the course for his style and form.  His keels were also all trimmed in the front at an angle to cut into a wave perfectly, although the keels on these Ruddies were also trimmed in the back, which may have been a unique little thing on these ruddies as the tails would have certainly added a little twist as to how they swam.  A final element of the body form is that he recognized the utter importance of his decoys having a flat bottom in order to deal with unruly water conditions.  The sheer shape of these Ruddy Duck decoys, as well as all his \'pocket\" carvings, made them extremely difficult to capsize and if and when that occurred they would have flipped upright quickly and without fail.

(Above):  Note the Awesome Patina, the \"Mason\" Inspired Carving Form and Style and the Mint Structural Condition of the Neck and Head of this Very Neat Baumgardner Redhead that is also on !!

(Above):  Note the Exact Same \"Mason\" Inspired Carving Form and Style and the Mint Structural Condition of the Neck and Head of this Very Neat Baumgardner Ring-Necked Duck that is Also on !!!!

(Above):  Awesome Redhead on the Left Has the Exact Same Head Form as this Ring-Necked Duck that I Also Have Up For sale!!!!

• Hence, The Ring-necked Duck decoy I also have up for sale is Identical to the Redhead Shown on the Left Above Except for the Species....the Rare Ring-Necked Duck!!

When Doc built the \"Anchor In\" in the early 1920\'s, duck hunting was in its absolute prime.  Wild rice grew aplenty in the middle grounds and these prime areas were just a stone\'s throw from his boathouse and his dock.  And if it was during the migration and the birds were there, you could bet a dollar to a donut that Doc would be there too.  Houghton Lake is large enough that the outstanding duck hunting was a well known fact, and it was easy to see when duck season had begun as there was no shortage of visiting gunners to harvest them.  By the time mid-September had arrived, the guides and local hunters had already staked their claim and built their blinds on the best locations scattered around the entire lake.  Much like a great deal of northern Michigan still is today, tourism is the main industry and during duck season the Houghton Lake area hotels and resorts were all hanging out their \"No Vacancy\" signs.

 

A Gathering of Hunters at a Local Launch After a Successful days Hunt on Houghton Lake.

The Houghton Lake duck hunting experience was one of the most unique group hunting events that was held for hunters anywhere!!  Each day and well before the sun even thought of peeking over the horizon, the visiting gunners would assemble at the docks to be taken to their assigned blind.  But instead of the local resort owners and guides making countless trips back and forth to get the individual hunters to their spots, they formed a huge train or parade of connected boats that cater-pillared across the lake and dropped off each hunter, their boat and supplies at each blind.  Like a train, the lead gas-powered motor-boat  would act like the locomotive and tow the boats to their blind and unhitch them one by one until empty.  Once each boat and hunter or hunters was at its assigned location, it would row right inside of the 3-sided blind that was perfectly camouflaged with native reeds, cattails and other native and natural vegetation. 

The Long Caravan of Hunters & Boats Being Taken to their Individual Blinds for the Days Gunning!!

Doc Baumgardner may not have been the first man to guide duck hunters on Houghton Lake, but he certainly was a genius at putting together a resort with a full-service, waterfowlers hunting package.  When a duck hunter or hunters rented a cottage, the blind, a rig of 2 dozen decoys and a free tow-boat shuttle to and from the blind were included in the price.  Again, the above photo shows the hunters on their merry way to their reserved blind.  Doc\'s hand-built blinds were fabricated camouflaged hide-outs that were strategically located throughout the lake and anchored there for the entire waterfowl season.  also as you can see by one of the previous photos, hunters from near and far enjoyed the lakes outstanding duck hunting as migrating ducks poured into the lake for rest and refueling.  When the season ended, just like the docks dotting the lake, Doc would tow the blinds to shore, make any needed repairs and put them into storage.  Opening day usually saw full bag limits that were mainly comprised of the local mallards and teal and then a slight slowdown as the birds scattered to safer haunts in surrounding lakes and marshes with less or no hunting pressure.  But soon enough the arrival of fresh migrating birds revived the gunning and often large flights of redheads would dominate the daily take.  The middle of October brought the much anticipated arrival of what the locals called the \"money ducks\", as huge flights of bluebills started using the lake.  This is in turn no coincidence why you find a large number of vintage bluebill decoys in the area, and Doc\'s resume certainly contained a preponderance of scaup.  In addition to the wild rice, another key to Houghton lake\'s success as a destination for divers was the open water habitat that made this huge body of water stand out to passing waterfowl like a magnet.  Houghton Lake certainly saw its challenges over the years, and one notable changed that forever changed its attractiveness as a duck hunting mecca was the adoption of gunning from dawn to dusk in the 1940\'s.  This constant gunning pressure left no time for ducks to rest throughout the day and not only quickly pushed them on but inadvertently spelled the end of Houghton lake\'s duck hunting hey-day.

But as far as legacies are concerned, Houghton Lake certainly has a long one when you consider ice fishing.  The lake\'s shallow waters are and always have been known for their propensity to produce thick and heavy winter ice and there was even a year that recorded formed ice so thick that in many areas it froze all of the way down to the lake\'s bottom.  This was particularly deadly to the wild rice, and as the spring thaw was accompanied by high winds, the large masses of wild rice were destroyed.  This die-off did was not only a a bad omen for the future of the lake\'s wild rice, it was also the beginning of a long downward spiral for the waterfowl gunning on Houghton Lake in general.  This is not unique to northern Michigan though, as this phenomenon and recreational expansion on lakes in general, has led to few areas that still support a healthy and native growth of the vegetation.   Also like most fairly shallow northern lakes, this is the very reason why structures such as docks and blinds need to be removed every fall as the ice can certainly destroy objects such as these.   The positive aspect of having a reliable heavy ice freeze was that Houghton Lake became a destination for ice fisherman and more importantly spearers and tip-up users.  Doc Baumgardner was one of the many men that took advantage of the lake\'s consistent ice formation and he was known to pursue northern pike and other native species of fish throughout the winter months.  Doc was known to have not only been one of the early spearers on the lake but he was also believed to have carved fish decoys for spearing although to say they are scarce would be a gross understatement as their style and identification are debatable.

Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner (right) and his good friend Roy Gage, in a 1930\'s photo in front of The Anchor In with 3 speared Northern Pike.  (2 OF THE 3 COTTAGES ARE IN THE BACKGROUND)

In 1938, at the age of 69, Doc Baumgardner sold \"The Anchor In\" resort but continued to live in the village of Houghton Lake.  His natural adeptness with tools and woodworking continued to aid him in his later years, as he remained active by making novelty items and did periodic repair jobs when that type of work presented itself.  Doc was also known to be not only an affable man but also very civic minded.  He was a well known resident of Houghton Lake and concerned himself with the civic affairs of the area and attended community meetings.  Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner will long be remembered as an important part of Houghton Lake\'s history as it relates to the first half of the 20th century and once he made it his home in 1919 he never left.  He passed away 69 years ago on December 27, 1946 as a result of heart complications and is buried next to his wife Daisie in a Clinton County, Michigan cemetery.

(Above):  Note the \"Ultra\" Low-Profile, Very Flat-Bottomed Form on this Great Little \"Pocket\" Hen Bluebill!!!  That, and the Small Tucked-Head Form, is Identical to these Very Unique and Very Rare Ruddy Ducks Up For sale!!

(Above):  Note the Great Low-Profile, Very Hard-to-Tip\" Form of these Super-Wide and Super-Flat Ruddy Ducks Up For sale!!!!

Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner will probably best be remembered for his innovative and superb duck decoys like this incredible and very rare bird up for sale.  He carved almost entirely divers as this was the backbone of his livelihood and the predominant variety of duck to use the big, open lake.  His output was primarily bluebills, ring-necked ducks, redheads and canvasbacks although a rare mallard or two and at least one Canada goose has surfaced over the years.  The mallards and goose however must have been very early decoys for him as they were as primitive in nature as anything that can be found in his resume.  Doc\'s decoys have been categorized into different groups by collectors and the first group is what are considered his primitive decoys or earliest work.   These are decoys that are most often associated with his paying customers and are the ones that were included with his hunting package and were free to use along with a rowboat with the rental of a cottage.  These decoys all had either no eyes, painted eyes or tack eyes and were relatively crude with minor attention to detail.  They were probably even left in the boats overnight or even for the season.  Another distinct style of Doc\'s decoys and certainly the most recognizable to his form were his glass eyed decoys with paint patterns that varied from basic to ones that had a greater attention to feather detail.  The basic decoys in this group were considered his commercial grade and were the decoys that Doc sold to the local Houghton Lake bait and hardware stores for retail.  He was known to take store orders for the following year after the current year\'s duck season had ended so he could not only carve over the winter when things were slower but also plan his production over the course of the next year accordingly. 

A step up from the commercial grade were the decoys that he made with the intention of either using them for his personal rig or for special customers. These decoys had more paint detail and were afforded taxidermist grade glass eyes.   Very rare and produced in a very limited run were the decoys that Doc made that were clearly fashioned after Mason Premier and/or Challenge grade decoys.  Many of these decoys were made with very cool snaky heads, sloped breast and typical Mason breast scalloping.  These were his cream of the crop and were certainly made for personal use or a very highly regarded friend or special customer.  Some of these decoys were even given scratch paint detail and all were given color appropriate taxidermist eyes like the \"Ring-Necked Duck\" and \"Bobtailed Redhead\" that I also have up for sale.  Those Decoys exhibit all of the finest of the traits of his personal rig decoys and certainly on a par with his best \"Mason\" inspired work and rare \"Mason Very Rare Pair of Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner Ruddy Ducks Up For sale Are Very Rare!!  (They are 2 of 3 Known, the Third is a Hen Ruddy Owned By a another Prominent Michigan The Beautiful Hen Bluebill Above (all 3 pictures) is Almost Identical in Style and Form to this Very Rare Pair of Ruddy Ducks Up for sale. except obviously the Tails!!!!

This Pair of Very Unique Ruddy Ducks up for sale most closely resemble the small, commercial grade of decoys that he made, and they are also formed exactly like those \"Pocket\" birds from size and style standpoints.  But that is where commonality comes to an end, as the great little birds were made with some very neat, inletted wooden tails.  They were clearly hand cut with some type of coping saw and the inletted grooves were clearly cut with some type of long-blade or circular-bladed saw.  Much like nature, these decoys were carved in their very unassuming fall migration color schemes, and the tails are gender perfect with the drake having a fanned-open upright tail with the hen\'s being horizontal and just above or on top of the water like the real birds in the wild.  While both birds have a solid, very thick, grey-dark brown base coat with very neatly detailed-on white paint for the wing primary feathers and a couple secondary feathers for good measure.  They both also obviously have nicely painted on white face patches with the hen having her nice little black-brown cheek stripe across it.  The hen also has white, feather-dabbled white paint on the sides, breast and under the tail, while the drake has black highlight paint from the forehead and straight back along the crown and then down the nape of the neck to the body.  The rarity of this species for \"Doc\" leads me to believe that they were a special order for a customer, and it would appear that he made only the 2 pair that are known to exist.  In addition to this pair, another Michigan collector has only a hen, which means there is either a drake out there unless it was destroyed or discarded at some point in time.  there is a branded \"TS\" on the bottom, which evidently is the initials of the rig owner, and if the same person, most likely the buyer also.

The highlight

 

Among Doc\'s Very Finest \"Pocket-Sized\" Work with Incised Wing Detail!!

(Above):  Note the Doc Baumgardner decoys on the Shelf Just to the Right of the Late Mr. Willis Pennington!

• The Above Picture and the Blown-Up Inset Below are from the March/April 1999 issue of \"DECOY MAGAZINE\".

NOTE:   The Two Redheads on the Right are CLOSE TO IDENTICAL to the Drake redhead bobtail that I also Have up for sale!!!!!

Baumgardner Drake Ruddy Duck decoy up for sale exemplifies some of his very finest and rarest work and if it wasn\'t for the minor edge rubbing this decoy would be considered near mint on most accounts.  The patina on both of these ruddies is very nice and very dry, which is also helped by the beautiful rasp work that graces the surface of both the hen and drake.  It is an excellent example of one of his true to form \"pocket\" decoys that exhibits one of his thick and sturdy keels, low-profile bodies and nicely tucked head.  This decoy up for sale not only has this typical Baumgardner keel, but this typical trademarked keel is trimmed in the front at an angle to cut into waves perfectly.  This decoy also was carved perfectly symmetrical and has his perfectly flat bottom with wonderfully contoured and shaped diver body with a very nice and very unique, inletted wooden tail.  It has a perfectly carved in and neck shelf that accepts the very rounded and tucked head perfectly. 

 (Above):  Although the 100% Original Paint is Worn, this Awesome and Very Scarce Drake Ring-necked Duck would be a Great Addition to any Collection of Michigan decoys by Famous Carvers!!  It is also on !!

 (Above):  The Drake Bluebill on the Right is Almost Identical in Style and Form to the Drake Ring-Necked Duck decoy that I also have up for sale!!!!

The bill on this Drake Ruddy Duck up for sale is also a thick and durable work of art and has as much detail as any decoys that he ever made as it very well may have been for his personal use with its deeply incised head/bill separation, very nicely cut in nostrils and a cute little \"Ruddy Duck\" flare toward the end.  Much like any other detailing on his decoys that Doc prided himself in, this decoy has excellent, taxidermist grade red glass eyes that were carved in and mounted with perfection.  Not only did he glue in the eyes on most of his decoys, but he went the extra length and drilled an extremely small hole near the eye cavity that he used to pull the inner wire of the eye back through to make sure that it never, ever came out on its own.  Doc\'s decoys were made with such wonderful craftsmanship and utilitarian nature that he guaranteed his decoys from breakage and this decoy up for sale is a testament to the best work he was capable of.  This decoy is truly a great collector\'s item and you just don\'t see them available but in a blue moon.  These birds were not only built to deal with a white cap head on, but the sheer shape of the decoy made them extremely difficult to capsize and if and when that occurred they flipped upright quickly and without fail.  

 (Above):  The Awesome Patina to the 100% Original paint on the Redhead that is also on is No Where More Evident than the Awesome Craquelure and Caramelizing Surface on the Beautiful Decoy\'s Head!!

 (Above):  The Awesome Patina to the 100% Original Paint on the Redhead that is also on is Also Very Much on Display with the Awesome Craquelure and Caramelizing Surface on the Black Breast and Entire Surface of the Body as Well!!

 (Above):  Again, The Awesome Patina to the Redhead Bob-Tail that is also on and the Superb Craquelure and Caramelizing Surface on the Black Breast, Red Head and Basically, the Entire Surface of this Marvelous and Very Rare Duck Decoy!!

Doc\'s decoys were also so well made that they could take a tremendous beating and not only stay in superb condition but were considered relatively unbreakable.  Although not the fanciest paint jobs ever put on a decoy, they were exemplary at decoying wary birds and the paint was applied in a utilitarian, bet very artistic manner if you will.  Not only did he mix his own oil-based paints, but he used all quality ingredients and applied the paint perfectly uniformly and thick enough to last for as long as the decoy itself.  This decoy up for sale exhibits almost every trait that would identify a decoy as being one of his finest and rarest birds and was carved and painted with outstanding symmetry.  It has wonderfully \"feathered\" and blended paint to the entire decoy and the varying shades of brown, white and black are all feathered and blended perfectly.  The glass eyes were flawlessly carved in, mounted and located.  His trademarked keel is both tight and intact and the bottom on this decoy is perfectly intact and very good in appearance.

 (Above):  The pair of Bluebills are Almost Identical in Style and Form to this Very rare Pair of Ruddy Ducks Up for sale!!!!

 (Above):  The \"Pocket\" Drake Redhead on the Left is Also Almost Identical in Style and Form to this Very Rare Pair of Ruddy Ducks Up for Very Rare Pair of Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner Ruddy Ducks Up For sale Are Very Rare!!  (They are 2 of 3 Known, the Third is a Hen Ruddy Owned By a another Prominent Michigan Very Rare Frank \"Doc\" Baumgardner Redhead is also on  if you are Interested in Another Rare Doc Decoy!!

This is just an astounding Doc Baumgardner decoy and a great example of what a vintage example of what one of his Houghton Lake \'Pocket\" decoys.  This classic Doc Baumgardner Drake Ruddy Duck wood decoy has great form and it measures 12\" long x 7\" wide x 5\" tall and weighs a very white-cap capable and very solid 1-lb. 5-oz.  The equally awesome and rare hen rig-mate is virtually the same size and weight.  Other than being 13\" long, the hen has the identical 7\" width and 5\" height, and they both weight 1-lb. 5-ozs.  Those dimensions and weight make for a perfect Houghton Lake or Great Lakes Michigan open water, flat-bottomed gunning decoys.  This would be a great addition of a classic and vintage decoy from the central Michigan region that was made by one of the true \"pioneering carvers\" that hunted its fertile gunning grounds.   If you have any questions or would like any additional  photos please feel free to email me. Thank you for looking.

The First photo is of this Awesome and Rare Doc Baumgardner Solid Cedar Gunning Decoy Up For sale.  The Next 12 Photos are of this Drake and the Hen Rig-mate that is also up for sale on .  The next 11 Photos are again of this Beautiful Drake Ruddy Duck By Itself.  The last 2 photos are of other Very Cool Baumgardner decoys!!

 

BELOW IS PICTURES OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY \"HOUGHTON LAKE TIP UP TOWN USA\" BANK THAT WILL BE ON IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS IN CASE YOU ARE