The use of decoys to gather wildfowl for food is a practice unique to America. Social, economic, technological and legal conditions came together in just the right way to enable the rise of market hunting, and important facet of 19th century American life. The Industrial Revolution and migration from farms to cities caused both shortages of manpower on farms and extra demand for agricultural products in cities. Immigrants rushing to America cause a population explosion that further strained the agricultural system.
Our continent; however, was an unspoiled paradise for wildfowl. Spring and autumn migrations brought unbelievably large numbers of ducks, geese, and shorebirds near to cities where they could be sold at market.
Early settlers saw the Indians turn up piles of mud and stone, and prop up their dead birds to simulate live ones. (The use of carved wood decoys by the Indians has never been substantiated but is highly probable.) Many colonial craftsmen were involved in working wood, the most common construction material of the times. Therefore, a natural progression occurred as settlers used their skills with wood to carve wooden replicas.
Unlike Europe, where game was the property of the landowner, our legal system made game the property of the hunter. Thus, the legal obstacles to the rise of market hunting were nonexistent and many worked at this new occupation.
At the same time, advances in technology allowed improvements in the efficiency of firearms. Guns became lighter and more easily handled so that skilled gunners could shoot birds in flight. Wooden decoys were used to bring birds within range of the hunter, who relied upon his marksmanship to make harvesting efficient. The gunners' use of decoys to fill the food gap allowed the expansion of our country's economic and industrial base to continue at its breakneck pace. The decoy is; therefore, symbolic of this fascinating and lively chapter of American history.