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Dwight Dickerson was born and raised in Pembroke Ontario. He grew up in an era when a jack knife in a boy's pocket was seen as a tool for whittling rather than a weapon as it is interpreted today. Following a career as a millwright with Atomic Energy of Canada at Chalk River he again turned his attentions to creating in wood. His work has centered on the carving of decoys. While the word "decoy" usually brings to mind the image of birds, Dwight also carves another decoy with a very long history. Archeological finds have shown the use of fish decoys to bring fish within spear range for as far back as 7000 years and spanning the globe from Siberia to Labrador and as far south as present day Illinois. A hole would be cut in the ice covering the river or lake and a dark enclosure placed over it so that the hunter could see down into the water. The decoy would then be lowered into the water and worked up and down causing it to swim, enticing the fish within spear range. The creation of such decoys has evolved into a folk art practiced by both native and non-native carvers.

This is a Sandpiper decoy. It is a copy from a book of the older style of decoy carved by Dwight Dickerson of Pembroke Ontario in 1999

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Sandpiper Carved by Dwight Dickerson
1999
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

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This carving is of a long billed Dowitcher decoy done in the antique style by Dwight Dickerson of Pembroke Ontario in 1999

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A long billed Dowitcher decoy done in the antique style by Dwight Dickerson
1999
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

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This is a long billed Curlew decoy carved by Dwight Dickerson of Pembroke Ontario in 1999

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A long billed Curlew decoy carved by Dwight Dickerson
1999
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

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This is a 2/3 sized decoy of the Canada Goose carved by Dwight Dickerson of Pembroke Ontario in 1997

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A 2/3 sized decoy of the Canada Goose carved by Dwight Dickerson
1997
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

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This is a Ruddy Duck Decoy carved by Dwight Dickerson of Pembroke Ontario about 1989

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A Ruddy Duck Decoy carved by Dwight Dickerson
1989
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

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This is a half sized carving of the Common Loon carved by Dwight Dickerson of Pembroke Ontario about 1998. It was the first loon he carved with all the feathering.

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A half sized carving of the Common Loon by Dwight Dickerson
1998
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

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A Pike decoy with metal fins.

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Pike fish decoy carved by Dwight Dickerson
1990
Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Dwight Dickerson