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Gunning Float, Full-hull ship model, 2002
Bob Brophy (b. 1932)
Essex, Massachusetts
Wood
4 3/4 x 47 x 12 1/2 in.
Collection of the artist
Photography by Jason Dowdle
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The best decoy carvers tend to be lifelong hunters, keen observers of waterfowl in its habitat. The coldest day in February won't stop Bob Brophy from taking his gunning float, modeled here, out on the marsh by Hog Island. Another avid hunter, Jonathan Detwiler, explains, "Duck hunting originally got really big because it was a source of income for people. Hunters sold the birds they gunned down. . . Consequently, they went to the utmost means to be successful. They meticulously designed and crafted boats that were low profile and that could be grassed."
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