High Head Pintail Hen

Herman R. Trinosky (1874-1956) rig

Kankakee Marsh, IN, c. 1895

"In the early 1800s, the Grand Kankakee Marsh was recognized as the largest fresh water wetland in the Midwest, extending for approximately a million acres mostly through northwest Indiana (600,000 acres) and partially into Eastern Illinois. The fertile, ancient marshland provided a welcomed safe haven for migrating waterfowl. It was once a winding, thriving wetland providing lush habitats for a diverse menagerie of creatures from insects to fish, birds, and buffalo. Ducks that migrated through that area more recently are descendants of millions of transient waterfowl which once frequented the Grand Marsh. Some prominent notables who regularly visited Kankakee Marsh were Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison, and Civil War General, Lew Wallace (author of Ben Hur – 1880). In fact, the original name of the Valley Hunt Club was changed to the White House Hunt Club because of the frequent presidential visits by Grover Cleveland." Gene and Linda Kangas with Ron Gard Defined by its elegant, singular form this decoy displays sweeping lines. The bird's refined head features subtle cheek carving and a highly unusual flared bill that widens toward the tip. The graceful neck is extended, accurate for the species and the body exhibits a smooth humped back that tapers to a long thin tail. The bird's intact survival is remarkable given the three major areas (bill, neck, and tail) that were prone to potential damage while being hunted and transported. Only seven of these Kankakee pintails have surfaced to date, of these there are three drakes and three other hens. The body's surface features strong swirled paint with appealing craquelure. The right side has two wood screws original to the construction. The bottom retains three screw-eyes for rigging with a swing-weight. Throughout history decoy carvers often amended or altogether discarded early patterns in favor of sturdier designs. A perfect example of this evolution is Henry Keyes Chadwick (1865-1958) of Martha's Vineyard whose earliest redheads started out with stylish thin necks, long bodies, and thin sharp paddle tails. Later he modified his designs to have shorter bodies and thicker necks thus acknowledging the flaws of his first carving period. With limited output, easily broken heads and tails, few of these intact redheads exist today. These early "flawed" designs however are the ones most coveted by collectors today. A good early Chadwick decoy will command ten times that of his middle or late period birds. While no examples of middle period or late period "Kankakee" pintails are known to exist, more conventional and less fragile examples of "Kankakee" mallards and bluebills attest to the makers more practical side.

In original paint with gunning wear. An old age line through base of neck, and another on right side of body is original to the construction and typical of other birds in the rig. Two paint drips under the right speculum were professionally

Herman R. Trinosky (1874-1956) Hunting Rig
Ron Gard Collection, acquired at Christie's, January, 2007
Private Collection, Midwest

Gene and Linda Kangas, "Great Lakes Interpretations," Concord, OH, 2011, p. 182, exact decoy illustrated, front cover, similar examples illustrated. Gene and Linda Kangas with Ron Gard, "Kankakee