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Since 1993 the annual Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition has held the World level category Three-bird Shootin’ Rig.  When my father-in-law, Jimmie Vizier, passed away in 2011 it was named the Jimmie Vizier Memorial Award.  The entries in this class are judged under natural conditions in the bay behind the convention center in Ocean City, Maryland.  So the quality of the floatation of these decoys is critical in the judging.  Most of these decoys are hollowed with deep, heavy keels.  Robustness in the carving is important and detail in the carving and paint is also allowed provided the character of the swimming bird is captured well and accurately.

In the year 2024 I designed and created a rig of Common Mergansers, one drake and two hens.  The composition of the birds as a group was carefully planned in their designs.  Like most species this one is very distinct and recognizable.  Many features on these carved mergansers are finished at a decorative level including the bill details, sculpting of feathers, and refinement of the painted surface.  In April of 2024 this rig was judged Second in World in a very competitive field of entries, a number of them created by past World Champions.

These are available to an interested buyer either as a group, singly, or possibly a pair.   For additional information contact Pat Godin at pat@godinart.com.  Additional images are also available upon request.