William Belote

William Scott Belote is an avid waterfowl hunter and carver. He was born in Nasawadox, VA, and has lived most of his life in Lewes, DE. William is a second generation carver, following in the footsteps of his father, Richard E. Belote. He has been carving decoys for over 44 years, starting at the age of ten. William decided to try to carve decoys as a young boy to be more like his father. Over the years, he has won numerous awards for his work, including several Best in Show awards. William won the Contemporary Antique Division in 2015 and 2016, Best in Show in the Champagne Waterfowl Division in 2011 and 2014, and in 2016 he was Best in Show for the Champagne Waterfowl Champion Division. He has also won the Ward Foundation’s Chesapeake Challenge in 2005, 2010, and 2011. William has won Best in Show at numerous other shows including the Havre de Grace Decoy Festival, the Rappahanock Decoy Show, the Toms River Show, and various others. In 2009, 2012, and 2014, William was selected as an instructor by the Ward Foundation for the National Endowment of the Arts, Carving Out the Future Program. He makes various styles of decoys including: gunning birds, contemporary gunning birds, cocktail or champagne decoys, shorebirds, contemporary antiques, and canvas decoys. William is a USCG veteran and a retired merchant mariner/barge captain where he traveled the east coast from Nova Scotia to Florida and was able to see wildlife in a way that most people never get too. He currently resides in Lewes, DE where he is a full time carver.