HYDE COUNTY — Residents were treated to the best of decoy carving and hunting gear last weekend, as part of the eighth-annual Mattamuskeet Decoy & Waterfowl Festival.

Organized by the Hyde County Waterfowl Association, the festival featured a gunning decoy contest, tours of the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, retriever demonstrations and a duck and goose calling competition, spread out over the course of Saturday and Sunday.

Friday night, guests also attended a banquet, which included barbecue chicken, shrimp and oysters, as well as an auction.

Chase Luker, chairman of the festival committee, said the overall number of attendees was in the high hundreds, possibly nearing 1,000.

“It was the second highest turnout ever,” Luker said. “It exceeded our expectations. A lot of new faces.”

The festival hosted 26 artisans from North and South Carolina selling wildlife art, hunting-related products and clothing. Luker said the festival’s organizing committee also sold out of event T-shirts, even though it ordered more than in the past.

“All the vendors were pleased with the turnout and with the commerce,” he said.

In the decoy-carving contest, Jerry Talton placed first and third, and Graham White placed second, according to Luker. In the calling competition, Dylan West took home first place in both divisions.

The Waterfowl Association also works to keep the proceeds from the festival local, Luker said.

He said proceeds have been used toward conservation-related causes, including a nesting program for wood ducks and scholarships for summer camps. Most recently, organizers have tossed around the idea of using some money toward accessible hunting blinds.

“We try and put it back into the county,” Luker said.

With another successful year in the books, the Waterfowl Association can now look toward next year’s festival and banquet.

“We appreciate everybody coming out, and we appreciate all our sponsors,” Luker said. “It’s always a challenge when something kind of exceeds your expectations, but it’s a good challenge.”