The 31st Annual Ocean County Decoy and Gunning Show was held in historic Tuckerton, NJ on September 28th and 29th, 2013 at the Seaman County Park and Tuckerton Seaport. The show is sponsored by the Ocean County Department of Parks and Recreation. This year there were more than 300 exhibitors offering something for everyone, including decoys, dogs, boats, wildlife art, carvings, sporting paraphernalia, clothing and much more. Contests, music, and food added to the two day festivities. There were certainly many things to see and do and it's great to know this event takes place each year.
The park is well maintained and it has a very inviting lake.
There were some duck decoys with winning ribbons, while others also showed unique beauty.
The art work was not only beautiful, but the cost was only $45.00 each.
These gentlemen were having a great day, I'm sure they are true sportsmen at heart.
I was quite impressed with this gentleman's story about how his dog travels the hunting experience with him. Of course the dog loves his boat as well as his master.
Hand crafted canoes and kayaks were displayed, beautiful items, beautiful price.
There were a number of dogs waiting to take part in the Dock Dog Competition. This particular fellow was a donation dog for rescue animals.
This little dog never moved, perhaps because he was made of concrete.
The walking sticks were made by Walt Jones of Green Bank, NJ. e-mail at flywaydecoys@gmail.com. The crafter does not live very far from me and I am contemplating a purchase.
The above carvings show great detail. They certainly were worth a stop to look at these one of a kind masterpieces.
Boots and more boots!
The New Jersey State Parks Rangers were proud to show their K-9s to the visitors. The hounds were very alert and gentle.
The above items were made out of tupelo wood. They showed fine detail. I especially liked the little mouse, not the price.
Skeet shooting took place over the lake.
It was difficult to believe these birds were not real.
Smokey the Bear always makes a welcome appearance, he just seems to grow bigger and bigger with age.
The title speaks for itself, it certainly is worth refreshing our thoughts about the above timeline.
Waretown is located in Ocean County, New Jersey. According to the 2010 census the population was 1569. It is the home to the Albert Music Hall and it is an active community offering events including October Haunted Hay Rides, winter events and older adult programs. This year hurricane Sandy slammed Waretown's water side leaving more than 100 houses in need of major repair. Like all other shore communities devastated by the hurricane, Waretown's goal is to recover from the chaotic storm. This year Wells Mills County Park in Waretown celebrated its 18th annual Pine Barrens Jamboree. It is a yearly event featuring scheduled activities and exhibits. "Piney" music fills the air, crafters share their creations, and exhibits feature the culture, industry and ecology of the Pine Barrens.
The park is a well maintained area and the Nature Center welcomes visitors with displays and lectures featuring the environment as the ultimate theme.
We were greeted by a family of bears and owls crafted by a gentleman using a chainsaw as his only carving tool. He periodically gave demonstrations and the wood chips went flying.
The fuzzy wool ornaments were soft to the touch and pleasing to the eye.
Chocolate dipped cranberries on a stick, pies and fresh cranberries were plentiful when we arrived, but scarce when we left. The chocolate cranberries melted in your mouth. Oh, so good!
The chickens were doing what chickens do. These two in particular were active but quite interesting to look at.
It appears every festival in the Pine Barrens has a display of tractors. Red, green or "rusty" they always seem to attract a population of mostly men.
This was not officially a bubble maker. It was a means to show how the machine works.
This Moonshine Still produced a potent beverage that would leave a few imbibers singing a happy "Piney" melody.
Never fool around with a Jersey Mosquito!
The NJ Forest Fire Service made a very impressive presence. Since Fire Prevention Week comes in October the children at the festival welcomed free hats, coloring books and other free- bees. Smokey the Bear (in costume) was seen walking around the park and he provided a photo opportunity for adults and children. I'm not a costume person so my Smokey is strictly a stand on shelf bear.
Members of the Albert Music Hall provided foot tapping music. There is a great history as to how this Piney music originated. Today hundreds of musicians have been a part of "Sounds of the Jersey Pines," Fiddles, guitars, mandolins, dobros, upright basses, dulcimers, spoons and wash tubs convey the history of this special type of music.
