Blue-winged Teal is our 2011 Raffle Bird

Ready to win?

For this year’s raffle bird, we offer a wood and cork decoy, carved and painted by Leo LaBonte of Essex Junction, Vermont. The bird is about 10.5” from beak to tail, and looks lovely in its temporary home by our guest register. Many visitors have already commented that it would look even nicer in a permanent home (theirs!). Tickets are $1 each, or buy 6 for $5. You can buy tickets by phone, if you like!

Leo LaBonte started carving a little over 12 years ago. He is mostly a self-taught carver with one class under his belt that helped him to overcome a few hurdles and smooth out the process. He mostly focuses on decoy carvings but has also carved ducklings, small songbirds, and a few figurines. He has won numerous awards for his decoys including the Art Knapp Hunting Decoy Contest and the Thousand Islands Museum Decoy and Wildlife Art Show. In more recent years he has also taught his two sons to carve, resulting in 2 more award-winning carvers in the family. In 2009 both sons won awards at the International Wildfowl Carvers Association Young Guns competition!

Although generously donating the Blue-winged Teal to the Museum, Leo usually sells his decoys. He is in the process of putting together a website (under construction as of this writing). If anyone is interested in contacting Leo please call or email the Museum (802) 434-2167 and museum@birdsofvermont.org.

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