Renowned artists add beauty to the annual
duck stamp license
BY CHRISTINE R. GONZALEZ
HUNTERS must purchase and sign a Federal Duck
Stamp to legally hunt waterfowl. The nearly
$40 million per year proceeds from the stamp
and artwork land in the Migratory Bird Conservation
Fund to preserve over 6 million acres of wetlands vital to migratory birds and
other species of animals.
Stamps are valid July through June and cost $27 for the 2022-23 season.
The original stamp cost only $1 to obtain hunting rights. That’s not really much
inflation for 86 years of conservation.
While hunters ages 16 and above are required to have them, anyone can
purchase a Duck Stamp. It is an easy way to help preserve waterfowl while
collecting a unique piece of art.
Early duck stamps were printed in basic one-color ink. Now the stamps show
vivid colorful birds about to fly off the
canvas.
The first duck stamp was a brush
and ink drawing of mallards by Jay N.
“Ding” Darling, a famous cartoon-ist
and conservationist. Darling
conceived the idea of using the stamps
to raise money for the purchase of
wetlands.
Since 1990, a family of Minnesota
brothers, James, Joseph and Robert
Hautman, have collectively won the
contest 12 times. James Hautman’s
winning image in 2017-18 portrayed
Canada geese in flight. His brother Joseph won the previous year
with a painting of graceful trumpeter swans. And Robert received a perfect
score for his image of mallards landing, the 2018-19 stamp winner.
The Hautman brothers were commissioned by the United Nations to
paint a series of endangered birds. The painting brothers are mentioned in
the movie Fargo, and were featured in the documentary The Million Dollar
Duck. Their work has appeared in national and international magazines
and has been displayed in the Smithsonian, the Oval Office of the White
House, the United Nations, and in private collections worldwide.
BALANCING NATURE
Top to bottom: Cartoonist Jay N.
“Ding” Darling drew mallards for the
first Federal Duck Stamp, released
for the 1934-35 season. A painting
of redheads by James Hautman
graces the 2022-23 stamp, made
available in July. Hautman’s brothers,
Joseph and Robert, have also paint-ed
winning images. The 2016-17
trumpeter swan artwork was created
by Joseph, and the 2018-19 mallard
artwork was created by Robert.
T H E A R T O F
Duck Hunting
Every hunter over the age of 16 must purchase, sign and carry a valid Federal Duck
Stamp to hunt ducks, geese, swans and other migratory birds.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com
STAMPS COURTESY OF US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
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WBM