History of PFDA

The Pacific Flyway Decoy Association is a non-profit art association dedicated to the preservation of wildfowl art through education.  Decoy carving is an original American art form beginning with the hunting decoy.  What started out as functional art has evolved to include all North American birds.  The carvings and fine art have evolved to an artistic level where the bird appears alive.  There are carving associations all along the eastern coast of the United States but there are only three associations on the west coast…. Ours being the PFDA Classic held annually in Sacramento.  The show includes fine art from fifteen of the top wildfowl artists from the west coast.   Other parts of the show include traditional decoy carving as well as decorative life size sculptures and miniature carvings.  Antique decoys make up the third component of the show.

The Pacific Flyway Decoy Association began in 1971 after a couple of years as a swap meet for hunters who were carving their own decoys.  A couple of “get-togethers” were in parking lots in the town of Martinez and then the 1971 event in Berkeley became the origin of our competitive show.  The founders of our event are affectionately known as the “Tule Rats”.  This quickly became an annual show, slowly leaving the hunter behind and making way for the artists.  The association moved its show to Santa Rosa for about eight years, then moved to Sacramento, in 1982, where it continues to this day.   Profits raised by the association help support the California Federal Junior Duck Stamp competition, and the CWA Art Camp.  Aside from supporting these programs we provide museum displays, seminars for beginners and advanced carvers, and “artist in action” programs.  Our major objectives as a nonprofit are to host an annual art show in the Sacramento area emphasizing the beauty of our native bird population, and to educate the public about an original American art form…. decoy carving.

In 1999, U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson selected the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association as a “Legacy Project”.  These projects were snapshots of “Americana” at the end of the century.  Our project consisted of a club history focusing on the spin-off art shows and other competitions along the west coast that can be attributed to the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association.  Our club history is now in the archives of the Library of Congress.

In 2005, the association was approved as a 501 C 3 non-profit educational organization.