NFDA Board of Directors
GARY HULL, WILLIAMS, MN, CHAIRMAN
BRAD LANGE, PERHAM,MN, TREASURER
TAMMY MICHELS, MAPLE GROVE, MN.
JARED SYPNIESKI, CLEARWATER, MN
JOHN PEETERS, MENAHGA, MN
ROB GOODIN, OSCEOLA, WIS.
HARLEY RAGAN, CHASSELL, MICH.
RON HAMM, FRAZEE, MN
TROY HELGET, KENSIGTON, MN.
BRAD LANGE, PERHAM,MN, TREASURER
TAMMY MICHELS, MAPLE GROVE, MN.
JARED SYPNIESKI, CLEARWATER, MN
JOHN PEETERS, MENAHGA, MN
ROB GOODIN, OSCEOLA, WIS.
HARLEY RAGAN, CHASSELL, MICH.
RON HAMM, FRAZEE, MN
TROY HELGET, KENSIGTON, MN.
The National Fish Decoy Association, also known as N.F.D.A., was founded by Rod Osvold of Perham ,MN., back when he operated an antique store for a few years in the town of Frazee, with Minnesota’s Master Carver, John Jensen. They also included a local web master by the name of Dale Mckay to help jump start the organization.
The NFDA was founded to help living decoy carvers to market their carvings through the new Internet, preserve some of the old heritag , and maybe inspire young people to carve decoys and winter ice fish. The NFDA was to work hand in hand with The Gathering, an antique sporting collectable and fish decoy show that was promoted by Rod in Perham.
Today The Gathering has grown to quite a show, in fact it is the World’s largest fish decoy show held in the USA. It features over 110 vendors that set up to sell, and the John Jensen National Fish Decoy Contests, The NFDA National Fish Decoy Contests, The Casey Edwards National Gunning Bird Contests, a the World Cup of Fish Decoys, The World Cup of Duck Decoys, plus we play host to the Texas World Championships of Fish Decoys, and the P.A. Keystone World Championships.
This is worth coming to see!
The Gathering is held every April in Perham, www.perham.com, is the towns web site for lodging.
This is the show to learn about fish decoys and more importantly, to meet the carvers in person. Not all carvers set up at the show, some only attend to enter the competition. The contest fills an entire gym area at the Perham Area Community Center. Most years we see about 400 entries.
Here are some of the carvers and spear makers that have attended in the past.
Andrew Gardner, Alan Bentler, Al Reeg, Allen Harrison, Andy Ripley, Austin Phillips, Brad Lange, Brian Davis, Brian Shallbetter, Bruce Garn, Casey Edwards, Cheryl Scharnott, Chris Beighley, Cliff Hichock, Collin Clough, Curt Soine, Dave Taylor, Dave Rasmussen, Dave Reimer, David C Beighley, Dean Steffen, Dennis Bertram, Dennt Eckert, Denny Finden, Don Wurst, Duane Steinkopf, Evan Kolstad, Gary Hull, Glenn Mergos, Harley Ragan, J w Casting Co., Jacob Sazama, Jared Sypineski, Jay McEvers, Jayme Cook, Jim Schwartz, Jim Dorrance, Jim Jungroth, Jim Perkins, Joe Zupanich, John Peeters, John Pususta, John Laska, John Muzik, John Snow, John Gregerson, Judy Grove, Kerry Wolgast, Kimberly Richards, Kirk Schnitker, Larry Lange, Levi Raddatz, Lyle Juaire, Lyle Bethel, Mark Greenig, Mark Bethel, Maurice Stiff, Mike Holmes, Paul Sparks, Paul McNeal, Ray Tuholsky, Rick Wirth, Rick Whittier, Rob Goodin, Roger Goeschel, Ron Jacobson, Ron Hamm, Rod Osvold, Rusty Jessee, Ryan Stigman, Ryan Gast, Ryan Ebert, Sharon Thomas, Shawn Boegman, Taylor Rossow, Terie Wise, Thayne Johnson, Tim Nathe, Tim Spreck, Tom Lorenz, Troy Helget, Eric Wallace, Wayne Leaderbrand, Tomi Lenertz, Al Nelson, Lyle Edwards, Jeff Doty, Todd Schulze, Loren Hjelle, Mike Kitt, Barb Lundeen, Howard Pfeil, Jerry Kelm, Marv Johnston, Mike Lamere, Harry Phillips, Brian Miller, Larry Ackerman, Nate Grahl, J. Brooks Big John, Dave Vaughn, Bernie Hazelton, Brandon Williams, and Todd Pekelder.
If you want to start carving fish decoys or are interested in spear fishing for pike, when you come to Perham, every one of these guys and gals will be more than willing to talk with you and share their secrets.
What’s unique about all the contests that are set up for the carvers is the variety of fish and bird species covered, plus many classes or divisions are purchase awards, so the carvers have a chance to pay out there trip. For the 20th Anniversary show held in 2016 they were able to raise over $30,000.00 in cash payouts for the carvers from high end collectors.
Another opportunity for the carvers is the logo contests that are part of the show. In winning certain classes the carver gets their decoy featured on one of the show or NFDA logos, such as the NFDA yearly button, the NFDA limited edition wine, The Gathering Show logo, P.A. Keystone yearly logo, and the World Cup logos.
The NFDA believes that recognition is a big part of our industry. The contests are so large that by the time the judges finish and the gals in the back room compile all the results and fill out over 200 awards, it is evening and the show closes. So everyone heads over to The Cactus, our local supper club and banquet center, for the annual NFDA Awards Banquet. We always have a good meal, hand out about 50 door prizes, and then start the awards part of the show. For each carving class we recognize the top 5 carvers and bring them up front to receive their award, so when we have 60 classes that’s a lot of awards and recognition. We also feature Best of Show carver awards at the end of the evening. We try to capture all this recognition in pictures for our web site. Up to 2016 we have all that information at www.nfda.tv , starting in 2016 we store this info at www.artofthedecoy.com
The Gathering show is a big fund raiser for the NFDA. We usually have 6 tables of silent auction items for each day, plus gun raffles and many times special decoy or fish decoy clock raffles. Usually we feature these of our face book page, check NFDA or National Fish decoy Association.
The NFDA is also involved in promoting the annual Fish House Festival held each July at New York Mills, MN.. This is where we have artists and decoy carvers painting Ron Hamm custom spear houses in the street, which are later raffled off or sold at live auction that evening. They usually have time to paint some decoys during the day, which are also sold at auction. Inside the NYM Cultural Center we usually exhibit several carvers for 30 days. Most years we also have kids decoy painting on the street. For $5.00 the kids get a Larry Lange decoy to paint and keep when they are done making a paint mess of the table.
In early December we get involved up at Park Rapids, MN. , with their MN Decoy Carver of the Year Contest and show, hosted by the local MN Dark House Chapter.
In March we team up with the MN Fishing Museum at Little Falls,MN., and host a buying show at the Falls Ballroom. This is a lively one day show with sporting collectables, duck decoys, and fish decoys. The annual contest is the BOB Johnson Memorial Invitational. This show also hosts the MN Fishing Museum decoy Carver of the Year. This is a great contest as the winners of this purchase award class have their decoys on permanent display at the Fishing Museum.
Several years ago the NFDA dropped the membership program and dues, so it is a free membership program. By liking us on face book we now consider you a member. The only problem with free is ,nothing is free. It costs us money to operate and maintain the web sites, face book, shows and contests each year. So as you explore our web site you will find a donation page, and all donations are greatly appreciated.
If you have time please check out our two archive picture sites
www.nfda.tv for pre 2016
www.artofthedecoy.com for post 2016
The NFDA was founded to help living decoy carvers to market their carvings through the new Internet, preserve some of the old heritag , and maybe inspire young people to carve decoys and winter ice fish. The NFDA was to work hand in hand with The Gathering, an antique sporting collectable and fish decoy show that was promoted by Rod in Perham.
Today The Gathering has grown to quite a show, in fact it is the World’s largest fish decoy show held in the USA. It features over 110 vendors that set up to sell, and the John Jensen National Fish Decoy Contests, The NFDA National Fish Decoy Contests, The Casey Edwards National Gunning Bird Contests, a the World Cup of Fish Decoys, The World Cup of Duck Decoys, plus we play host to the Texas World Championships of Fish Decoys, and the P.A. Keystone World Championships.
This is worth coming to see!
The Gathering is held every April in Perham, www.perham.com, is the towns web site for lodging.
This is the show to learn about fish decoys and more importantly, to meet the carvers in person. Not all carvers set up at the show, some only attend to enter the competition. The contest fills an entire gym area at the Perham Area Community Center. Most years we see about 400 entries.
Here are some of the carvers and spear makers that have attended in the past.
Andrew Gardner, Alan Bentler, Al Reeg, Allen Harrison, Andy Ripley, Austin Phillips, Brad Lange, Brian Davis, Brian Shallbetter, Bruce Garn, Casey Edwards, Cheryl Scharnott, Chris Beighley, Cliff Hichock, Collin Clough, Curt Soine, Dave Taylor, Dave Rasmussen, Dave Reimer, David C Beighley, Dean Steffen, Dennis Bertram, Dennt Eckert, Denny Finden, Don Wurst, Duane Steinkopf, Evan Kolstad, Gary Hull, Glenn Mergos, Harley Ragan, J w Casting Co., Jacob Sazama, Jared Sypineski, Jay McEvers, Jayme Cook, Jim Schwartz, Jim Dorrance, Jim Jungroth, Jim Perkins, Joe Zupanich, John Peeters, John Pususta, John Laska, John Muzik, John Snow, John Gregerson, Judy Grove, Kerry Wolgast, Kimberly Richards, Kirk Schnitker, Larry Lange, Levi Raddatz, Lyle Juaire, Lyle Bethel, Mark Greenig, Mark Bethel, Maurice Stiff, Mike Holmes, Paul Sparks, Paul McNeal, Ray Tuholsky, Rick Wirth, Rick Whittier, Rob Goodin, Roger Goeschel, Ron Jacobson, Ron Hamm, Rod Osvold, Rusty Jessee, Ryan Stigman, Ryan Gast, Ryan Ebert, Sharon Thomas, Shawn Boegman, Taylor Rossow, Terie Wise, Thayne Johnson, Tim Nathe, Tim Spreck, Tom Lorenz, Troy Helget, Eric Wallace, Wayne Leaderbrand, Tomi Lenertz, Al Nelson, Lyle Edwards, Jeff Doty, Todd Schulze, Loren Hjelle, Mike Kitt, Barb Lundeen, Howard Pfeil, Jerry Kelm, Marv Johnston, Mike Lamere, Harry Phillips, Brian Miller, Larry Ackerman, Nate Grahl, J. Brooks Big John, Dave Vaughn, Bernie Hazelton, Brandon Williams, and Todd Pekelder.
If you want to start carving fish decoys or are interested in spear fishing for pike, when you come to Perham, every one of these guys and gals will be more than willing to talk with you and share their secrets.
What’s unique about all the contests that are set up for the carvers is the variety of fish and bird species covered, plus many classes or divisions are purchase awards, so the carvers have a chance to pay out there trip. For the 20th Anniversary show held in 2016 they were able to raise over $30,000.00 in cash payouts for the carvers from high end collectors.
Another opportunity for the carvers is the logo contests that are part of the show. In winning certain classes the carver gets their decoy featured on one of the show or NFDA logos, such as the NFDA yearly button, the NFDA limited edition wine, The Gathering Show logo, P.A. Keystone yearly logo, and the World Cup logos.
The NFDA believes that recognition is a big part of our industry. The contests are so large that by the time the judges finish and the gals in the back room compile all the results and fill out over 200 awards, it is evening and the show closes. So everyone heads over to The Cactus, our local supper club and banquet center, for the annual NFDA Awards Banquet. We always have a good meal, hand out about 50 door prizes, and then start the awards part of the show. For each carving class we recognize the top 5 carvers and bring them up front to receive their award, so when we have 60 classes that’s a lot of awards and recognition. We also feature Best of Show carver awards at the end of the evening. We try to capture all this recognition in pictures for our web site. Up to 2016 we have all that information at www.nfda.tv , starting in 2016 we store this info at www.artofthedecoy.com
The Gathering show is a big fund raiser for the NFDA. We usually have 6 tables of silent auction items for each day, plus gun raffles and many times special decoy or fish decoy clock raffles. Usually we feature these of our face book page, check NFDA or National Fish decoy Association.
The NFDA is also involved in promoting the annual Fish House Festival held each July at New York Mills, MN.. This is where we have artists and decoy carvers painting Ron Hamm custom spear houses in the street, which are later raffled off or sold at live auction that evening. They usually have time to paint some decoys during the day, which are also sold at auction. Inside the NYM Cultural Center we usually exhibit several carvers for 30 days. Most years we also have kids decoy painting on the street. For $5.00 the kids get a Larry Lange decoy to paint and keep when they are done making a paint mess of the table.
In early December we get involved up at Park Rapids, MN. , with their MN Decoy Carver of the Year Contest and show, hosted by the local MN Dark House Chapter.
In March we team up with the MN Fishing Museum at Little Falls,MN., and host a buying show at the Falls Ballroom. This is a lively one day show with sporting collectables, duck decoys, and fish decoys. The annual contest is the BOB Johnson Memorial Invitational. This show also hosts the MN Fishing Museum decoy Carver of the Year. This is a great contest as the winners of this purchase award class have their decoys on permanent display at the Fishing Museum.
Several years ago the NFDA dropped the membership program and dues, so it is a free membership program. By liking us on face book we now consider you a member. The only problem with free is ,nothing is free. It costs us money to operate and maintain the web sites, face book, shows and contests each year. So as you explore our web site you will find a donation page, and all donations are greatly appreciated.
If you have time please check out our two archive picture sites
www.nfda.tv for pre 2016
www.artofthedecoy.com for post 2016
