Tom Matus was born in 1962 and went on his first duck hunt at age 5. His father instilled a respect for a wildfowl and a love for the hunting sport through many trips along the Connecticut River and the Colchester Fish and Game club. He continued until joining the Navy in 1980, when he started hunting the Back Bay and James River areas while stationed in Newport, VA. While in Virginia, Matus gained an interest in local decoy carvers and their craft. In 1982 he carved his first decoy with his father’s band saw, a Green Wing Teal, and stained it with color instead of painting it. As he continued carving Matus drew inspiration from working with other notable carvers like Don McKinlay, Al McCormick, and Keith Mueller. Since the 1980’s, he has entered many competitions and won several awards for his work. Matus is also an author on how-to books on decoy carving and acts as a mentor for beginners in the craft.
Matus has won over 125 Best of shows nationwide and his most prestigious being named as a Ward Foundation Living Legend, class of 2024. He has also won 3 World Championship titles, Shootin’ Rig Worlds in 2000 with Red Breasted Mergansers, and in the new World Gunner, 2023-Brant, and in 2023-Wood Duck. His passion and focus is on working decoys. Matus has also authored two carving publications through Fox Chapel, carving a Drake Mallard and Antique Style Duck Decoys which has sold over 20,000 copies. He continues to pursue his love of duck hunting and has recently taken on photography, shooting more images than shells. He is also the owner/moderator of Decoycarvingforum.com on Facebook (est. 1998) with over 8000 members helping spread techniques and guidance to new carvers. He currently resides in Kuna, Idaho, and works for Builders First Source as a Fleet Manager for the Mountain Region.