Grayson Chesser
Grayson Chesser epitomizes the carving traditions of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The son of a game warden and hunter, and with family roots on the Eastern Shore dating back to the mid-1600s, he spent much of his childhood duck hunting in the marshes around the Chesapeake Bay and collecting hand-carved decoys.
- Decoy Carver
- Sanford, Virginia
Grayson Chesser epitomizes the carving traditions of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The son of a game warden and hunter, and with family roots on the Eastern Shore dating back to the mid-1600s, he spent much of his childhood duck hunting in the marshes around the Chesapeake Bay and collecting hand-carved decoys. Today he is one of the most respected decoy carvers of his generation, having learned carving at the feet of masters Cigar Daisy and Miles Hancock. “The kids I went to school with,” Grayson often tells, “they all wanted to grow up to be the next quarterback for the Baltimore Colts. Me, I always dreamed of being a decoy carver and goose guide.” Today he makes a living by carving decoys and running Holden Creek Gun Club with his wife, Dawn. Chesser’s decoys are highly valued on the collector’s market, but his preference is still to carve decoys for hunting purposes. In 1995, Chesser wrote the definitive guide to decoy carving, Making Decoys the Centuries-Old Way. He became a game warden himself and has a lifetime of experience both hunting and regulating the hunting grounds of the region. Chesser has paid homage to those who taught him in his youth by participating in the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. His interest and commitment to teaching the nuances of this tradition are what make him such an invaluable part of the carving community and are part of the reason why he was honored with the first-ever Virginia State Heritage Award in 2009.
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