Louisiana Duck Stamp Program

Created in 1988, the Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) Program funds the creation, restoration, and enhancement of wetland habitat for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife in Louisiana. Through sales of licenses and collector stamps as well as contest entry fees, the program generates about $350,000 annually for projects including land acquisition, wetland development and management on wildlife management areas, and wetland enhancement on private lands via the Louisiana Waterfowl Project, a cooperative endeavor among LDWF, Ducks Unlimited, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Duck Stamp Contest

The featured species for the 2024 Louisiana Duck Stamp contest will be the ruddy duck. Artists are also reminded of the requirement for associated habitat.

This commonly overlooked diving duck is North America’s most common stiff-tailed duck, easily identifiable on water by its stocky build and thick neck. The tail is often held upright, stiff and wren-like, and is diagnostic of no other water bird in Louisiana.

Small-winged, appearing an awkward flier, it prefers to dive or swim away from danger, but when in flight, it is recognized by its fast, erratic flight and buzzy wingbeat. Most often found on large bodies of fresh to brackish shallow water, the ruddy duck primarily feeds on aquatic invertebrates, their larvae, and to a lesser extent, vegetation and seeds.

The core breeding range of the ruddy duck is the Prairie Pothole region of Canada where it usually nests in permanent wetlands with nests anchored to emergent vegetation. Its eggs are also the largest in proportion to body size of any North American duck, a complete clutch approaching 100% of the female’s body mass.  During courtship, male ruddy ducks beat their bill against their inflated neck causing swirls of bubbles on the surface of the water, followed by a characteristic belch.

2024 Entry Information

To enter, an artist must submit an original, unpublished work of art, along with a signed and notarized artist's agreement and a $50 entry fee to:

Entries will be accepted from October 16-24, 2023, with the contest to be held in the Joe Herring Louisiana Room at the LDWF Headquarters building, beginning at 10 am on October 25, 2023. The public is invited to attend. 

The contest is open to all artists 18 years of age and older. Employees of LDWF and members of their immediate families are ineligible. 

Please note the guidelines regarding the rules regarding the shipping of paintings implemented in 2020. LDWF wants to minimize the risk of damage during the shipping of contest entries.

Judging

A panel of judges with experience in waterfowl biology and/or artistic method will select the winning design based on the following criteria:

1. Accuracy of form, size, proportion, color, and posture
2. Level and accuracy of detail in all aspects of the waterfowl
3. Appropriateness, accuracy, and detail in depiction of the habitat.
4. Attractiveness and creativity in composition, subject, background, and lighting
5. Suitability for reproduction as stamps and prints.

2023 Louisiana Duck Stamp Winner

Buck Spencer of Junction City, Oregon, has won the 2023 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Competition sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).