Dave in a layout, surrounded by MLB decoys.
| Dave Hussey |
Vice President of the Northern Indiana Chapter; Dave, an avid waterfowl and deer hunter, began carving decoys with Tom 20 years ago. His induction into the MLB two years ago immediately thrust him into the mainstream of MLB activities. Member of Ducks Unlimited and currently a chapter committeeman, and a member of Delta Waterfowl, and Isaac Walton League. |
| Greg Bires |
President of the Central Indiana Chapter; founding member of the MLB, Greg and Mark started hunting ducks together 30 years ago. As avid and dedicated a Waterfowler as has ever lived. Great goose hunter as opportunities abound in his Central Indiana locale. Part owner of a large plot of land that he and co-owner Carroll Henneke have developed into productive waterfowl habitat. Greg is a member and past committeeman of Ducks Unlimited, a member of Quail Unlimited, and of the Rocky Mountain Elk Association. |
Tom Reder | President of the Northern Indiana Chapter and founding member of the MLB. Began waterfowl hunting and pheasant hunting with Mark along the marshes near their neighborhood in the East Glen Park section of Gary, Indiana. His first double, killed from a layout boat over 24 seasons ago, was a banded Drake Greater Scaup and a Drake Redhead. He was immediately hooked. First member to carve cork decoys, and over the past 20 years he's made a most impressive rig of his own corks. Tom is an active member and past committee member for Ducks Unlimited. |
| Mark D. Rongers |
Future CEO of the MLB (he who has the most toys wins) and son of Mark M. Rongers, he's been around all aspects of Waterfowling since his birth 26 years ago. He could identify every species of Duck or Goose since he was 3 years old. He offered his talents as BB gun technician at age 8 when he accompanied the MLB on their weekend trips to Hutchins Lake in Fennville, Michigan, and shared a bunk with his dad at the cabin the MLB rented there from 1975 until 1987. He also stands to inherit arguably one of the largest collections of Waterfowling equipment ever assembled. |
| Doug Reder |
Future President of the Northern Indiana Chapter and son of Tom Reder, he's been heading into the marsh with dad ever since he was big enough to get a piggyback ride across the beloved Oxbow marsh where Tom and Mark raised their sons and taught them the ways of the Waterfowler.
A crack shot ever since his early teens, he's a busy college student these days, and he's currently caught up in the one activity that has sidelined the efforts of many a waterfowler at his age... Girls! We anticipate his active return to waterfowling soon after he marries and begins a family. |
| Wes Reder |
Resident artist of the MLB and brother to Tom, Wes designed the MLB logo and is a stalwart member. Since his induction into the MLB several years ago, he has invested both the time and the money to hone his talents in the field. A great contributor to the MLB, his considerable talent as an artist will assist the MLB for years to come. The thing Mark likes about him the best.. he'd rather hunt out of a layout boat on the Broadwater than hunt in a marsh any day. |
| Eric Patterson |
Southern Regional Director; Eric came on board earlier his year. His keen intelligence and sincere devotion to all things Waterfowl... boats and boat building, decoys and their creation, calling, etc. Not to mention the best Webpage in the entire Internet... the Duck Hunter's Boat Page. For the past 4 years the MLB has taken the late season trips to the South (where the best duck callers in the country reside) to get a feel for what sort of person who typically hunts that portion of our great Country should represent the MLB's presence there, and also who would even want to be associated with a bunch of Yankees in the first place. Make no mistake; Eric Patterson's keen intelligence, his ambitious nature, and his sincere devotion to this sport has truly qualified the MLB's presence in this magnificent part of the USA. |
| Ian Feir |
Maritime Provinces Regional Director. From the land of Black ducks and Eider.. Teal and Scoter, comes a man truly cut from the same cloth of the MLB. Ian's dedication to the resource and his intense love for all that is held sacred to a Waterfowler is evident in this most noble individual. As a decoy maker, his work with Scoter and Eider stool have garnered him a spot in the MLB Organization alone. But it is Ian's sincerity and devotion to the sport that have most enamored the MLB and we are richer for his presence. |
| Steve Sutton |
Pacific Northwest Regional Director. What can be said about this Waterfowl hunting Guru that hasn't already been said? If there has ever been a more knowledgeable individual in terms of the sport of Waterfowling, the MLB hasn't met that person. Steve is the consummate Waterfowler. His International travel destinations... all hunting related, his absolute willingness to help anyone who seeks more knowledge of this sport, and his larger than life personality and sense of humor have enriched the MLB significantly. Not to mention his considerable talents as a cork decoy carver and boat builder, his personal stool of blocks and his fleet of boats (Barnegat Bay Sneakbox owner extraordinaire) leave the onlooker speechless. How truly fortunate of the MLB that Steve DEMANDED the position of Pacific Northwest Director. |
| Sean Peters |
Mid Atlantic Regional Director of the MLB; Sean's considerable talent as a web page designer has brought the MLB to the doorstep of the millenium. A very serious waterfowler who currently resides in the cradle of North American Waterfowling Tradition has lent his considerable talents to assist the MLB with the business venture and with developing a new membership in this most revered region. Sean is a member of Ducks Unlimited and the Gun Owners of America. |
| CAPT Jeff "Pitboss" Coats |
Hailing from Maryland's eastern shore, Jeff exemplifies the finest traditions of the Chesapeake. An accomplished decoy carver and hunter, he rounds out his skill list with talent as a Webmaster. His page, Gunnin the DelMarVa, puts all these talents on display. We are fortunate to count Jeff as one of our own. |
| Rev. Lawrence Eckart, MLB Chaplain |
Not long after we got online, Larry joined our happy group and has generously offered to serve as MLB chaplain. He grew up in Southern Illinois hunting the flooded timber of Carlyle Lake. For 15 years he's been in Michigan, where he's hunted Harsen's Island WMA for puddlers. Divers take him to Lake St. Clair and the Upper Peninsula. He and his hunting buddy Dale Kuehn have a flotilla that includes a Sportpal canoe, a Carsten's Mallard marsh/lay out boat, and an 18' Starcraft with a custom made Pop-Up Blind for heavy water. In his "other life" he is a Lutheran pastor serving a congregation in Linden, Michigan.
Larry conducts a "blessing of the fleet" ceremony at some point prior to each season. Watch the MLB web site for details. |
| Other members |
Finally, over the years, the MLB have taken on many members. Bill Heitmann, Jim Quirk, Jeff Cooper, Carroll Henneke, Paul Broderick, Jamie Shea, Ramsey Russell, Jack Bucko, John Vucko, Keith Glidewell, Tom Reed (posthumously.. it was better than asking him while he was still living), Larry Reynolds, Randy Breitenfeldt and the entire Big Lake Billy Blasters Association (BLBBA), Jim Madison, Herb Lovell, Charles Olsen, and chief cook and bottle washer.. our mentor and oldest member at 88 years of age and still going strong, Mike Rongers.. Mark's dad. All are revered members of this great organization.
Are you a member of the MLB? You know in your heart if you are. It is in the heart of the sincere waterfowler that the MLB was conceived. Please join the membership. The price? A costly one. Your devotion to the resource.. God's creation. The splendor of a new dawn on windswept waters, of a well conceived decoy spread. Of friendships that will last a lifetime. We know you're out there. Just drop us a line and tell us about yourself. We will gladly include you in the Mighty Layout Boys. |