Portsmouth Island, North Carolina, circa 1900, carved and painted wood, a unique ballast, a rigmate is published on pages 116 and 117 of Carteret Waterfowl Heritage by Jack Dudley.

Length 25 in.

From the Personal Collection of Dr. Jack Dudley

Tom Bragg (1878-1960) and Jodie Styron (1873-1964) operated the Bragg-Styron Hunting Lodge, a landmark on Portsmouth Island. Capt'n Tom never married. When Jodie Styron married his sister, the three lived together. Annie cooked for hunting guests while Tom and Jodie handled the guiding. Ben Salter writes of Tom Bragg, "Tom was well known for his markmanship and his imitation of the wild Canada Goose." Bragg and Styron maintained a rig of root head geese and brant. Most were made from juniper logs although some were made from spars and masts of wrecked ships. Pieces of broken glass were used for the smoothing of the wood.

Original paint worn to bare wood in most places, age checks in the body and head, roughness to edge of the bill.