Mission Statement
The Loon Lake Decoy Company is nestled along the banks of the Upper Mississippi River Valley in Minnesota's oldest city, Wabasha. Made famous as the home of the hit movie "Grumpy Old Men", Wabasha is noted for its Mississippi River "River Rats" and "Old World Craftsmen". This combination of love for the outdoors and skilled craftsmenship is what sets Loon Lake Decoy Company sculptures apart from all the rest.
The Loon Lake Decoy Company is committed to providing all our customers with the best possible quality products and service. Be sure to check out the Decoys to see exactly what we mean.
A tradition of craftsmenship ...how
each decoy is created
All Loon Lake Decoy Company
Waterfowl Decoys, Upland Bird Sculptures and Framing Cameos start as
an original solid Tupelo Gum or Basswood wood carving by Master
Carver Sam Nottleman. From each original, a mold is made which the
hand-cast reproductions are then pulled.
A variety of casting mediums
along with a resin binder are used to individually hand cast each
sculpture. After casting and curing, each sculpture is subject to
many more hand operations to remove any seam lines or casting
blemishes. This work insures each sculpture captures every detail of
Sam's original.
After finishing the raw
sculpture, our staff of talented artists hand paints each one using
heavy-body acrylic paints. These paints are fade resistant, insuring
your Loon Lake sculpture will become a treasured family heirloom.
Next, the glass taxidermy eyes are added to many of the sculptures,
then the ultra suede base and the Certificate of Authenticity.
The Certificate of
Authenticity adds to each decoys collectability.
Each sculpture requires hours
of hand work by the combined skills of the carver, craftsmen and
artists before it is complete. We are proud of this attention to
detail and hope you will enjoy your new Loon Lake sculpture as much
as we have enjoyed creating it for you.
Our goal at Loon Lake Decoy Company is to provide you with the
finest hand-crafted, hand-painted limited edition waterfowl decoy
and upland bird wildlife sculptures available today along with the
best customer service possible. We UNCONDITIONALLY stand behind
every item we sell. If you are ever unhappy with any Loon Lake
product for any reason we will make it right with you without delay.
A simple call on our eight hundred number is all it takes.
Biographies
Sam Nottleman: Born along the banks of the Mississippi River in Southeastern Minnesota, Sam's appreciation and love of the outdoors began literally at birth. Fascinated by the annual migrations of waterfowl and songbirds along the Mississippi corridor, Sam expressed his love of the birds through his skills as an artist. From drawing and pottery to wood carving, even as a young man his art reflected the deep respect he continues to have today for the beauty and conservation of our natural resources.
Graduating from Winona State University in 1972 with a BA in Art, Sam had already begun a 33 year career as a professional musician. At first the music and the road served as a distraction, keeping Sam from his drawing and carving. However it was not long before his passion for the birds again made it's presence known and Sam began carving as a way to unwind after an exhausting performance on stage. It was during this period of time Sam's carving skills really developed. From his personal observations and an extensive collection of mounted birds as a reference, his carvings became ever more detailed and unique. Now known throughout the country for his anatomically correct positions and lifelike details, today he continues to push the carving envelope with new lifelike sculptures in fascinating poses.
Sam joined Loon Lake Decoy Company as Master Carver and business partner in the spring of 1992. Retiring from the music industry in 1996, carving is now both his passion and profession. With his studio on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River he carves fulltime and promises "even more unique and interesting sculptures to come". Check back often to see his latest work.
Mike Lidgerding and Gary Sobotta: A couple old diehard hunters, fisherman and conservationists. We first met more then 20 years ago while working together on a local conservation fundraising committee. We have hunted and fished together ever since. Mike approached me with the idea of starting a decorative decoy company in early 1991 and as they say the rest is history. Now not only do we work, hunt and fish together, we watch and help each other raise our respective teenage daughters. An even bigger challenge then Loon Lake. Regarding our products and service, our belief is simple, you reap what you sow. Try our sculptures and we know you will agree our quality and service are second to none.
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