The Outdoor Journal: Alabama Artist Wins Federal Duck Stamp Contest

( Information for this article was taken from the original story written by Vanessa Kauffman, )

After two days of competition, Eddie LeRoy of Eufaula, Alabama, emerged as the winner of the Federal Duck Stamp competition with his painting of a black-bellied whistling-duck pair. This is LeRoy’s first Federal Duck Stamp Contest win.

LeRoy’s acrylic painting will be made into the 2020-2021 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or “Duck Stamp”, which will go on sale in late June 2020. The Service produces the Federal Duck Stamp, which sells for $25 and raises approximately $40 million in sales each year. 

Eighty-five years after it was established, sales of the Duck Stamp to hunters, bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts and collectors have raised more than $1 billion to conserve over six million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife and provide countless opportunities for hunting and recreation on our public lands.

In addition to LeRoy, Cory McLaughlin of Wells, Texas, placed second with his oil painting of a black-bellied whistling-duck pair, and Frank Mittelstadt of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, took third place with his acrylic painting of a bufflehead pair.

Of 190 entries in this year’s competition, 13 entries made it to the final round of judging. Eligible species for this year’s Federal Duck Stamp Contest were the black-bellied whistling-duck, emperor goose, American black duck, bufflehead and northern shoveler. 

Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry the current Federal Duck Stamp. Many non-hunters, including birdwatchers, conservationists, stamp collectors and others also purchase the stamp in support of habitat conservation. Additionally, a current Federal Duck Stamp can be used for free admission to any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee.

Funds raised from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps go toward the acquisition or lease of habitat for the Refuge System. 

You can contribute to conservation and America’s great outdoors tradition by buying Federal Duck Stamps at many national wildlife refuges, sporting goods stores and other retailers, through the U.S. Postal Service, or online at http://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp/buy-duck-stamp.php.

You can view all the art submitted on the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s website.