Full size Goldeneye drake decoy by Capt. Jess Urie (1901-1978), Rock Hall, MD. Clean and dry all original paint. Not signed or dated. Retains original rigging. Cracks on bottom and a few rubs and scrapes from being used. Overall a great old working decoy for the Rock Hall collector. Additional pictures available upon request.

Captain Jess (Jesse) Urie was a respected Chesapeake Bay decoy carver and lifelong waterman from Rock Hall, Maryland. Known locally as “Captain,” Urie earned his living on the Bay as a fisherman and boat captain, carving decoys alongside his working life rather than as a full-time artist.

Urie produced traditional working decoys and later became especially known for his miniature decoys, which he made in increasing numbers during the 1960s and 1970s. His birds are solidly carved with classic Chesapeake forms and carefully painted, emphasizing realism over stylization. Species he carved include mallards, canvasbacks, black ducks, redheads, wigeon, scaup, goldeneye, pintails, and Canada geese.

Most examples are signed, often on the underside, with variations of “Capt. Jess Urie” and “Rock Hall, Md.” His work reflects the Rock Hall tradition and sits firmly in the mid-20th-century Chesapeake Bay school of decoy carving.