Cover photo courtesy of Ryan Graves
Chances are if you think back to the ‘good old days’ of hunting, black and white images of hunters in the marsh wearing waxed tin cloth coats with side by side shotguns come to mind. Piles of birds stacked on the Model T, with wooden decoys in canvas sacks at the side as well. Thankfully we have a few sherpas of that knowledge, reading the details of the graying and unfortunately fading corners of memory. Ryan Graves, collector and waterfowler historian, was gracious enough to share experiences as well as advice for waterfowlers.
Where did your waterfowling interest begin?
I was born and raised in Marion, Illinois which was once known as the Canada Goose Hunting capital. I got serious about duck/goose hunting in high school but it was always something that I was aware of living in Southern Illinois. Goose hunting was king in the area but ducks were, and always have been my main interest. I have always loved history so becoming interested in waterfowl history came naturally.
How did the location of where your story started impact your collection of hunting history/knowledge and artifacts?
I collect a little bit of everything but artifacts from the State of Illinois have always been the core of my collection. Outside of the Chesapeake Bay region, the State of Illinois probably has some of the deepest roots in waterfowling history and culture. The earliest documented modern-style duck calls all came from Illinois. Fred Allen from Monmouth, Illinois claims to have made the first duck call for the commercial market in 1863. Charles Grubbs from Senachwine Lake, Illinois claimed he was the earliest in 1868. The famed Glodo family of call makers were from Fountain Bluff in Southern Illinois along the Mississippi River which is very close to where we duck hunted. Many historic decoy carvers were from the Illinois and Mississippi River Valleys in Illinois as well.
Are there any experiences that led you to pursue one particular part or things you wouldn’t have initially thought of in waterfowling history?
Starting out in the late 90s, I only collected stuff from Illinois. It was where I was raised and all I really knew about. As I got older and ventured out more, I came to realize that the sport of waterfowling wasn’t just confined to Illinois so I started researching and reading more about other historic parts of the country that has a historic waterfowling culture. I’ve been fortunate to hunt all over the U.S. and Canada so I like to obtain items from areas that I travel.
In addition to duck calls, what is your favorite waterfowling memorabilia?
I don’t own as many as I would like to, yet, but old wooden decoys. My favorite decoys are the ones made by Charles Walker, Charles Perdew, Robert Elliston, and Bert Graves (no relation) from along the Illinois River Valley. Another favorite decoy carver is Nathan Cobb from Cobb Island, Virginia. Cobb decoys date back to the late 1800s and were made from wood recovered from shipwrecks. I also have a thing for decoys made in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina. They typically aren’t as pretty as decoys from other areas but I like them because they have a lot of character and were meant to kill ducks over and nothing more.
In your experience, have there been any shortfalls or hurdles that technology has made better, or worse, for a collector?
I would never be able to have the collection that I do if social media and smartphones were a thing in the late ’90s through 2010. It has been good for the hobby but bad for me personally. Back then, I was finding stuff on eBay and other online auction sites on a regular basis. I would write on my hand that I needed to be in front of a computer at a certain time to bid on something before it went off. I bought stuff for a fraction of what it was worth because internet access wasn’t very accessible. Now everyone has access to it all on their phones along with apps that will bid for you. The explosion of collector pages on Facebook has also been good and bad. It brings awareness to the hobby and has made the prices of stuff skyrocket which isn’t a bad thing but it has also made collecting a contest. Whether it is collecting calls or blowing them in a contest, there is nothing that can drive a man to act like a child more than a duck call can. Not even a woman.
How did you get to be where you are today, with a sample of your collections at the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid and in Stuttgart at the Flying Duck Taproom (RNT HQ)?
It all revolves around my love of hunting ducks. My life pretty much revolves around it. I had known John Stephens for a long time but we really became close through our mutual love of waterfowling history. About the time of the fire at RNT, John and I were very actively visiting other collectors and chasing down old calls. John is a VERY creative thinker and started to share with me some ideas he had with the re-build that could incorporate the history of waterfowl hunting and promote collecting.
The Ducks Unlimited thing came about through a good friend and fellow duck club member that works for DU. He told me that they were interested. It is hard to part with my stuff for a year but feel it is necessary to promote collecting.
Do you have any advice for a newbie collector or things to look out for when cruising eBay or a garage sale?
Take chances. You might hit a home run, or you might lose- but if you do your homework and work hard enough at it, you will win more than you lose. I also always go by the saying “loose lips, sink ships”. That applies to both hunting and collecting. If you find something, don’t tell everyone about it and post it on social media to get opinions. Research it yourself and take a chance.
What is your personal “Eleanor” or unicorn in collecting that you have not yet found?
I will always collect old calls but I would like to start focusing on adding more old decoys to my collection. It’s not the matter of finding them, rather having the money to buy them.
If there is a call maker or decoy carver in history that you could be a ‘fly on the wall’ in their shop or duck blind, who would that be?
There would be three- Charles Perdew, Charles Grubbs, and Victor Glodo. All three were legendary carvers from Illinois. Glodo died in 1912, Grubbs died in 1933 and Perdew in 1963. There is some mystery to some of the earliest Illinois calls that they could both solve for me.
As you mention, ‘“Believe half of what the old-timers tell you about the ‘Good old days’”, is there a time or location as a historian and hunter you wish you could see?
The late 1800s on both the Susquehanna Flats in Maryland and the upper Illinois River Valley. I was just born too late in life to be a market hunter but would love to have been alive back then to be one!
What are three nuggets of history/advice you’d like to pass along to the next generation of hunters?
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Believe about half of what the old-timers tell you about the “Good old days”.
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Stop posting pictures of every duck you kill on social media if you want your grandkids to hunt the same spot you do. Be humble and act like it’s not your first time.
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You never know when you are firing your last shot so get your head down and make it count. Tomorrow isn’t promised.
Many thanks to Ryan for taking the time to answer my questions, but if you have questions too about waterfowl history and artifacts you can reach out to him as well. He shares regular information, history, and incredible images on Instagram at @rkegraves.
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