History


The beautiful colors of Autumn, compounded by the brilliant colors, markings, different shapes and sizes of the wonderful birds known as waterfowl, are many of the reasons behind my passion for carving and painting the wooden bird.

I started waterfowl carving in 1982. I became serious about competition and competed from 1988 -1999. After competing for eleven years, I realized that some of my best carvings were the ones that I did for fun, with no pressure and with just a carefree attitude. As a result, competition is not as important to me as it once was.

My goal as a carver is to leave something special behind in the form of a woodcarving that people will enjoy viewing for many years to come, long after I am gone.

-- Ronald E. Cleveland II

Awards


1988 World Carving Championship: Ocean City, Maryland. Novice Class. Decorative life-sized floating waterfowl. 3rd in species, Canada Goose.

1988 24th Annual International Decoy Contest: Davenport, Iowa. Novice Class. 2nd place competition grade decoys Pintail. 2nd place in species competition grade decoys Canada Goose.

1989, Masters Class Championships: Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Intermediate Class: decorative life-sized decoys 1st place in species Canada Goose. Best in category Canada Goose.

1989 25th Annual International Decoy Contest: Davenport, Iowa. Intermediate Class. 2nd place competition grade decoys, Canada Goose

1990 World Carving Championship: Ocean City, Maryland. Intermediate Class. Decorative life-sized floating waterfowl, 1st in species Blue Goose.

1990 Nebraska Hunting Decoy Show: Omaha. Pro-Class. Best marsh duck 2nd place Mallard Drake.

1990 25th Annual International Decoy Contest: Davenport, Iowa. Intermediate Class. Competition grade decoys, Geese/Brant/Canada 1st place Blue goose.

1991 World Carving Championship: Ocean City, Maryland. Intermediate Class. Decorative life-sized floating waterfowl, 2nd in species.

1992 Northern Nationals: Bloomington, Minnesota. Pro Class. Decoy Division, 2nd place.

1993 World Carving Championship: Ocean City, Maryland. Pro-Class. Shooting Stool, 2nd in species. Decorative life-sized floating waterfowl, 3rd in species.

1994 World Carving Championship: Ocean City, Maryland. Pro-Class. Shooting Stool, 3rd in species.

1996 Northern Nationals: Bloomington, Minnesota. Pro Class. Hunting decoy division, 1st in species and Best Goose, Whitefront.

1998 World Carving Championship: Ocean City, Maryland. Pro-Class. Shooting Stool, 3rd in species.

1999 Northern Nationals: Bloomington, Minnesota. Pro Class. Decorative life-sized floating waterfowl, 1st in species Mallard Drake; Hunting Decoy division, 1st in species Buffle Head Drake.