Decoy & Gunning Show Sept. 23 & 24

The 2006 Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show will take place at three Tuckerton sites: Tip Seaman County Park, Pinelands Regional High School and Tuckerton Seaport on Sept. 23 and 24. Three new competitions have been added to the Sept. 23 and 24 Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show: The Tuckerton Creek Railbird Skiff Race, a Traditional Working Boat Contest, and the Official Show Print Contest.

"I am pleased that we are able to keep this event family friendly by maintaining our policy of free admission, parking, shuttles and event programs," Freeholder John Bartlett Jr. said.

The 2007 Official Show Print will be determined by an open contest among artists instead of selection by a show committee.

The 2007 bird of the year, the Red-breasted Merganser, must be depicted in a scene showing a South Jersey landscape with a local landmark. The winning painting in this year's contest will be featured on next year's program cover. The artist will be entitled to sell prints designated as the Official 2007 Show Print at the show and at any other location.

Both the state goose and duck calling champions will be crowned at this event. The winner of the duck calling competition will represent the state at the World Companionship in Stuttgart, Ariz. on Thanksgiving weekend and is the only call contest limited to residents of New Jersey. All others are open to residents of any state. There also will be Barnegat Bay Hunter and Team calling championships.

A dozen youth contests will include archery, art, duck and goose calling, skeet shooting from a Sneakbox, decoy carving and waterfowl identification.

The most popular events at the show are the retrievers. Saturday features novice and puppy classes and Sunday the advanced competitions held along and in Lake Pohatcong at the park.

Other competitions include archery, skeet shooting and a head-whittling contest that allows contestants two hours to produce a Green-winged Teal in the Barnegat Bay style.

Decoy devotees will find competitions for birds, shorebirds and fish, individually and in rigs of a dozen decoys carved in the same class, in traditional, contemporary and decorative styles. The "Best in New Jersey Contemporary Working Decoy" will judge a hen and drake Green-winged Teal, the 2006 Bird of the Year, in breeding plumage.

Boating enthusiasts will find Sneakbox and gunning model boat competitions. Boat building will feature various divisions, including antique restoration, and will be judged Saturday.

Art and photography also will be judged. Works reflecting the environment of Barnegat Bay and Ocean County must be entered by 10 a.m. Saturday. There are professional and amateur divisions with various medium divisions.

Several organizations, such as: Tuckerton Seaport, Pinelands Regional School District, Long Beach Island Woodcarvers, State of New Jersey Ducks Unlimited, Pinelands Cultural Society, New Jersey Waterfowlers, New Jersey Decoy Collectors Association and the Toms River Seaport Society, will also participate in the program.

Show coordinator German Georgieff, who strictly enforces the theme, said, "The 400 vendors and exhibitors must reflect the spirit and theme of the show, which includes decoys, dogs, model boats, wildlife art, photography and carvings, gunning supplies, antique fish and hunting paraphernalia, duck and goose calls, outdoor clothing, carving supplely and decoy/boat lumber. This show is very special. We work hard to keep it that way."

The event, located four miles from Garden State Parkway Exit 58, concludes with an award ceremony on Sunday afternoon. Held rain or shine, except for hurricanes, it spans three Tuckerton sites: Tip Seaman County Park, Pinelands Regional High School and Tuckerton Seaport. Applications and additional information is available by calling (609) 971-3085 or by e-mailing Mary Strang at Mstrang@co.ocean.nj.us.