NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: https://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1541806
32 Nebraskaland • November 2025 eye for that stuff that I don't have." He has also made birds for utilitarian purposes, using his fi nished carvings while hunting near Cedar Bluff s, and his house is fi lled with any manner of carvings, from intricately detailed duck decoys and owl recreations to life-sized songbirds yet to be painted. "I simply love the work," he said. Look Like a Duck Jade Chapman from Papillion was looking to expand her skills in art, including 3D art. She was always interested in wood carving but was unsure how to get involved. She then saw an ad for a wildfowl carver course in a Game and Parks e-mail newsletter and signed up. "I didn't know if there were going to be any other girls there," she said. "Then, when I showed up, there were four." For her fi rst carving, Jade's primary goal was that her duck "looked like a duck." It went well, and since that day in February, Jade continues to attend club meetings, learning the art form and receiving instruction from other members, who have encouraged her to enter competitions. "They build my confi dence," she said. "They'll defi nitely push you and fi nd a way to get [your work] to look the best." "The fun part is the challenge." Learn the Bird "You have to study the birds," said William Browne from Lincoln. "You can't just make stuff up." When Bill started competing, he jumped right into the professional track because he had been carving for six years for money. In many ways, this transition became a shock to him. "I got thrown in with the best carvers," he said. "And judges are crazy picky at the big shows." Photographs, other carvers and even ornithologists are used to judge. But there remains an additional element that many viewers don't realize. "You can be really intricate, but that doesn't mean it's good. The bird has to have a fl ow to it. You have to know where the feathers come from on the wing so you know how the feathers lay. This is the hardest thing to do for carvers." Another hard part is being critiqued at big shows. "The fi rst three years of the show, you think someone has won because it's their last name and they've won before. But then you realize and start seeing that a certain person's birds have more presence and feel than the one next to them." In one such moment, he had a realization. "I'm not putting in the time," he thought. "I'm not learning the bird." One of Cliff Hollestelle's early carvings, this drake bluebill duck, is an example of the type of carving — not meticulously detailed — he's uncomfortable attempting. "People have an eye for these types of carvings that I simply don't have." New carver Jade Chapman doesn't have world championship aspirations. "I just want my duck to look like a duck."