During the season we duck hunt every day. Not every few days or on weekends, but every day one or more of the "Pawlet Duck Club" is on the water somewhere in our little valley, tossing decoys into the river. This year, "setting the dekes" became one of the most pleasurable parts of the hunt as we all upgraded to new cork decoys that are certainly the finest production cork decoys ever built. Our little river now hosts a resplendent flotilla of magnificent decoys that would draw any duck out of the sky. And when the ducks aren't flying, they're simply wonderful to look at.

Just putting these decoys in the water is worth the price as these are heirloom quality decoys with construction and paint features beyond anything any of us had been privy to. From the designs of Cameron McIntyre, one of the premier decoy carvers and restorers in the country, each decoy is made in the same step-by-step process McIntyre uses in the carving of his wooden decoys.

What makes it a bit humorous is that Vermont is not exactly a hotbed of waterfowl hunting, at least where we live. There are only eight of us in the club (four of which are dogs) and generally fewer ducks than members. But we love it for more reasons than just the hunting. Divide the value of our hunting equipment by the annual duck harvest and these are quite possibly the most expensive ducks in North America, but that only adds to the irony and the humor of the endeavor.

The few misguided ducks that do come our way, we have come to the conclusion, are either lost or anti-social, but for us it is an autumn ritual that means much more to us than the simple harvesting of ducks. Given the annual take, it's a good thing as it is as much about the simple pleasure of good conversation, good coffee and spectacular sunrises as it is anything else. Dropping a work of the carver's art in the river on a cold morning is a big part of it. And then there are the dogs.

Our dogs have grown up together, have probably taught each other more about retrieving than any wisdom us poor humans could impart. And they revel in each other's company. Every morning while we drink coffee in Tom's kitchen, they tear around the house in delightful anticipation of the morning's hunt, a cacophony of wet noses and otter tails slamming against the cabinets. While they play, we finish our coffee, gather our guns and decoys and prepare to set out for the river.

These are super-magnum sized decoys with extraordinary realism. The cork diffuses the light and gives them a realistic look that no plastic or composite can possibly equal. The construction is rock solid and the paint work on these birds is as detailed as any paint you will see on the most expensive decorative decoys and they are using McIntyre's exact paint formulas for perfect color.

The heads are carved in high head and low head configurations and the tails are reinforced with wooden inserts for durability. The heavy wooden keels are substantial and these decoys ride the water with the substance of real birds. Out of curiosity we compared these to other corks on the market and the competition is not even close.

"Heirloom quality" is a term often used, but seldom in this day and age does the object stand up to scrutiny. In this case, there is no doubt from the moment you hold one of these birds in your hand. There are those who would buy these decoys for the mantel.

Understandably so, for they are truly works of art, but when these are handed down to our sons and daughters they will be treasured, not only as classic works of the carver's hand, but as the decoys that Dad shot over back in the heyday of the old 'Pawlet Duck Club.'