Spring Meeting: April 3, 2027, at the Thousand Island Museum, 312 James St., Clayton, beginning at 12 noon.
Clayton Decoy & Wildlife Art Show: July 16 & 17, 2027, at the Cerow Recreation Park Arena, Clayton, NY
The Thousand Islands Decoy Collectors Association (TIDCA) was organized in summer 1992, largely through the efforts of Larry Lunman and Bob Rayfield, to bring together individuals who share a common interest in the history of decoy carving and waterfowl hunting along the St. Lawrence River. In addition to the Clayton Decoy Show held each year in July, TIDCA members have met once or twice a year to attend decoy presentations, share information, and participate in displays and contests. Vintage decoy displays and contests have been a feature of most meetings, with the intent of encouraging members to bring choice examples from their personal collections to be studied and enjoyed by all.
In spring 2009, TIDCA was reorganized under the mantle of the TI museum, and individuals who wish to become or remain members of TIDCA can do so by joining the museum. The goals of the association have remained the same, and are focused on discovering and sharing information on the decoys and decoy carvers of the Thousand Islands area. In recent years, two events have been held annually, both open to the public. The first event is the spring meeting held during the month of March or the beginning of April. The second event involves the Clayton Decoy Show held the third weekend in July. Displays of decoys by TIDCA have been presented at the Clayton Show each year since 1994. In 2013, TIDCA’s involvement in the Clayton Decoy Show was expanded to include a vintage decoy contest.
Archives of information presented at previous spring meetings, and pictures and information from previous July Clayton Shows, can be accessed using the colored links on this page or from the drop-down menu located at the word ‘DECOYS’ in the darker blue banner near the top of the museum’s home page. The Previous Spring Meetings page provides an outline of the topics covered in all the spring TIDCA meetings since 2001. By clicking on the colored links associated with each of the yearly spring meetings, PDF versions of the presentations and handouts can be accessed. The Previous Clayton Shows page shows the themes of the TIDCA displays since 2001, and the categories in the TIDCA contests since 2013. Pictures of the displays and contest winners shown on the page can be enlarged by clicking on them. Pictures and information used as part of the TIDCA displays since 2010 can be accessed by clicking on the colored links associated with the respective yearly headers.
2026 TIDCA Events:
Spring Meeting: March 28, 2026, at the Thousand Island Museum, 312 James St., Clayton, beginning at 12 noon.
The 2026 spring TIDCA meeting was held on March 28, approximately three weeks later in the spring than previous years. Traditionally, the spring meetings have been held the first Saturday in March, and while we faced little competition from other decoy related events it was also a time of year where winter weather could make travel difficult. After due consideration, the decision was made to schedule the spring meetings later, either the last Saturday in March or preferably the first Saturday in April, the exact date to be varied as necessary to avoid conflicts with Easter weekend. Since Easter 2026 fell during the first weekend of April, the 2026 meeting was scheduled for March 28.
The 2026 meeting was held at the Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James St., Clayton, NY, starting at noon with decoy displays and an informal gathering. The feature slide presentation began at 2:00 PM, given by Mark Malys, Lansing, NY, and provided a detailed review of the decoys of Harvey and George Stevens, Weedsport, NY. Following Mark’s slide presentation there was a second very brief slide presentation discussing upcoming decoy shows and a review of plans for the 2026 Clayton Decoy Show. Copies of the two slide presentations and photos from the 2026 spring meeting have been added to the “Previous Spring Meetings” page.
Decoy displays are a traditional part of the TIDCA spring meetings concentrating on decoys that fit the topics covered in the slide presentation. In 2026 we were fortunate to have an excellent display of Stevens decoys primarily from Mark’s personal collection. The display provided everyone an opportunity to examine decoys by these men, and to better understand the variations in style and construction that exist. There is always something new to learn about decoys, and personally examining them and discussing them with fellow collectors is one of the best methods of improving your knowledge. The decoys brought by Mark offered a valuable learning opportunity.
Clayton Decoy Show: July 17-18, 2026, Cerow Recreation Park Arena, Clayton:
The 58th Annual Clayton Decoy Show was held July 17 & 18 as scheduled. July is a wonderful time of year on the St. Lawrence River, and the village of Clayton was busy with a number of activities. An excellent time of year to vacation in the area.
The 2026 TIDCA decoy exhibit was displayed Friday and Saturday and featured decoys by Sam Denny, Clayton, NY. The exhibit focused on some of the better remaining examples of his work; decoys in good original paint and in good physical condition. Photos of the display have been added to the “Previous Clayton Shows” page, along with a document showing the photographs and reference materials included in the display plus close-up photos of the individual decoys shown.
The TIDCA vintage decoy competition was held on Friday July 17. Judging took place at 11:00 AM with Joe Engers, Larry Lunman, and Dick Hollis serving as this year’s judges. The vintage merganser decoy category had nine entries including two pairs, a total of eleven decoys. First place was a pair of Roy Conklin American mergansers entered by George Mesires, second place was a Gus Rogers hen merganser entered by Tom Eckert, and third place was a Harry Shourds hen merganser entered by Bruce Bolger. The vintage redhead category had eight entries including one pair, a total of nine decoys. First place was a Wilkinson drake entered by Bruce Bolger, second place was a Frank Clark drake entered by Tom Eckert, and third place was a Ward brothers drake entered by Bonnie Norton. The vintage decoy from the Prescott-Ogdensburg area also had eight entries including one pair. First place was an Ed LaFlair hen broadbill entered by Mark Malys, second place was an Ed LaFlair drake canvasback entered by Bruce Bolger, and third place was a Rosh Douglas hen goldeneye also entered by Mark Malys. Photos of the decoys in each of the categories, photos of the winning decoys in each category, and photos of the contest judges are included in the archive section.
2027 TIDCA Events:
Spring Meeting: April 3, 2027, at the Thousand Island Museum, 312 James St., Clayton, beginning at 12 noon.
The 2027 spring TIDCA meeting has been scheduled for April 3. Similar to previous years, the meeting will be held at the Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James St., Clayton, NY. It will start at noon with decoy displays and an informal gathering, followed by a slide presentation. The meeting is open to the general public, free of charge, and refreshments will be served. Please feel free to spread the word and invite anyone you feel may have an interest in the decoys and history of our area. A power-point slide show will begin at 2 PM. The 2027 slide show will provide a review of the life and works of Roy A. Conklin, Jr., and will be presented by George Mesires, New York, NY. If you have information that you think would be relevant to the presentation, please call George at 312-972-4151 or call Tom Eckert at 315-408-8835.
Uncovering new information about the vintage decoys and their makers takes a lot of work, some luck, and is greatly facilitated by the right contacts. Beginning a discussion of a carver often encourages those with information to come forward. Help is needed. Anyone is welcome to add to our presentations, either as a new presenter or as a source of new information. Audience participation is encouraged, and anyone with information or photographs of any of the area decoy carvers is asked to bring them along. Pictures of recently discovered decoys are always welcome. If you have some news or information that you would like to have included as part of the meeting, please contact Tom Eckert prior to the meeting at 315-408-8835.
Decoy displays are a traditional part of the TIDCA meetings, and the public is invited to bring decoys from their own collections for everyone else to examine and enjoy. This includes decoys that they feel fit with the topics of the slide presentation, decoys they would like to have identified and appraised, decoys they would like to have discussed at a future TIDCA meeting, and any decoys they have for sale. Keep in mind that display space in the museum is somewhat limited, and that priority will be given to decoys that fit with the topics of the slide presentation.
Clayton Decoy Show: July 16-17, 2027, Gordon Cerow Recreation Park Arena, Clayton:
The 59th Annual Clayton Decoy & Wildlife Art Show has been scheduled for July 16 & 17, 2027. TIDCA involvement in the 2027 show will include a decoy exhibit to be displayed all day Friday and Saturday, and a decoy contest to be held on Friday. The theme for the display and categories for the contest have not yet been chosen. Please check back later this winter for an update on the TIDCA involvement in the 2027 Clayton Show.
