Hunting Decals, Turkey Decals And Auto Decals

Driving bumper-to-bumper on the interstate is a very anonymous activity, one car among thousands inching along, brake lights flashing, windshields opaque in the early morning light. Sitting in traffic waiting, one might wonder who are all these other people who are so close and yet so unknown. Then there is a flash of recognition on that pickup ahead, a sign of a kindred spirit in the flock. A hunting decal in the window! A turkey decal on the bumper! There is someone familiar in that truck, there is a turkey hunter!

Hunting decals are one way people express who they are in a big, busy, fast moving world where nobody has time to get to know anyone. Decals are shorthand, a way to advertise likes and dislikes, a sort of pop-up resume or personal ad. Some hunters like hunting decals because they open conversation with other hunters. Non hunters are not likely to appreciate them but when a turkey hunter sees hunting decals on a truck, they will likely strike up a conversation given half a chance.

The word decal comes from the French word, decalcomania. Decals originated back in the 19th century when the art form was first started in Russia. Obviously auto decals were not made back then, so a decal involved the transfer of a print or an engraving to some other material such as canvas. Hunting decals today are sometimes referred to as stickers.

Some hunting decals are made by silk screening the image onto vinyl with an adhesive backing that can be glued onto a surface. Hunting decals are more commonly made today electronically using computers and printers. Turkey decals are colorful and durable. There are even turkey decals for hunting decals large enough to wrap an entire vehicle. Camo wraps for vehicles are popular turkey decals because turkeys, despite their reputation, are very alert and cautious prey and are not easy to sneak up on.

Manufacturers offer a wide variety of turkey decals for sale. These hunting decals often use a simple silhouette design of turkey heads or turkey tracks. These hunting decals usually sell for $5 or less, so expressing a love for turkey hunting is inexpensive. Hunting decals are not limited to those that can be put on the bumper of a pickup either. Ceramic decals are also made for designing custom porcelain ware such as plates or even vases. The decal is released to the porcelain by water and can be kiln-fired right onto the object. So why not serve that delicious wild turkey breast on plates with turkey decals?

Hunting decals commemorate the beautiful wild turkey Benjamin Franklin suggested should be the national bird of the U.S.A. It turned out that the turkey got the feature role in the Thanksgiving feast rather than the photo-op on the back of the dollar bill. Still, there are a lot more trucks with turkey decals than there are with bald eagle decals, so that is some consolation. Turkey hunters will attest to the beauty and cunning of these wild birds and they proudly display hunting decals to express the excitement of hunting these misunderstood fowl.


Sources:
"History and Lore." urbanext.uiuc.edu. 2007. University of Illinois Board of Trustees. 2 August 2007. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/turkey/history.html.< br />
"Wild Turkey Ceramic Decal 2-3/4" (5 decal lot)." Ebay.com. 1995-2007. 2 August 2007. http://cgi.ebay.com/Wild-Turkey-Ceramic-Decal-2-3- 4-5-decal-lot_W0QQitemZ200135489315QQcmdZViewItem. />
"Wild Turkey Silhouette Decals." Identicards.com. 2 August 2007. http://www.identicards.com/productcart/pc/viewCate gories.asp?idCategory=486.

"Turkey Shoppe." Nwtf.org. 2 August 2007. http://turkey-shoppe.nwtf.org/product243.html.

"LVE Hunting Decals." LVE Hunting Decals, LLC. 2001-2007. 2 August 2007. http://www.lvedecals.com/.

"Decalcomania." Reference.com. 2007. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 2 August 2007. http://www.reference.com/search?q=decalcomania.

"Decalcomania." Dictionary.com. 2007. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 2 August 2007. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=decalcoma nia.