The 2024 Louisiana Duck Stamp winning entry.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has announced the rules and timeframe for the 2025 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp, or Louisiana Duck Stamp, competition, now in its 37^th year. 

“The featured species for the 2025 competition will be the black-bellied whistling duck,’’ said LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszack. “Colloquially referred to as ‘black-bellied tree ducks’ or ‘Mexican squealers,’ this waterfowl species is one of the few that has not previously been the subject of Louisiana’s duck stamp art competition.’’

The 2025 contest will be restricted to designs with black-bellied whistling duck(s) as the focal species. Artists are reminded of the requirement for associated habitat representative of Louisiana wetlands.

“The primary objective of this program is to provide revenue to create, enhance and maintain habitat for waterfowl and associated wetland wildlife,” Olszak said, “so a habitat component is required in each entry and is one of the five judging criteria.” 

To enter, an artist must submit an original, unpublished work of art, along with a signed and notarized artist’s agreement and a $50 entry fee. Entries should be addressed to: 

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Attn: Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Program
2000 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808 

Entries will be accepted from Oct. 14-Oct. 22, 2024, with the contest to be held in the Joe L. Herring Louisiana Room at the LDWF Headquarters building, beginning at 10 a.m. on Oct. 23, 2024. The public is invited to attend. 

To fill out the 2025 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp competition artist agreement and see the full list of rules, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/louisiana-duck-stamp.

Judging for the art competition will be 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. 

A panel of judges with experience in waterfowl biology and/or artistic method will select the winning design. The competition is open to all artists 18 years of age and older. Employees of LDWF and members of their immediate families are ineligible. 

About Whistling Ducks:
Classified in the waterfowl subfamily Dendrocygninae, the whistling or tree ducks, two of which are common to Louisiana (black-bellied and fulvous), are highly sociable and boisterous. They are neither true ducks nor geese, but exhibit traits and behaviors in common with both. Like geese, whistling duck plumage is identical among the sexes, both of which care for the young. They nest in both tree cavities, including artificial nest boxes, and on the ground, and have the propensity to be prolific nest parasites, laying eggs in the nests of other individuals, even other species.

Once considered a tropical species, black-bellies have expanded their range broadly in the last two decades. Before the end of the 20^th century, the species spanned northern South America, Central America, and Mexico up through southern Texas and were occasionally observed in southwestern Louisiana. Since that time, their range has expanded both northward and eastward to include observations in every Mississippi and Atlantic Flyway state and parts of southeastern Canada. Successful breeding populations now range as far north as Tennessee.

About the Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp):
The Louisiana Legislature authorized the Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp program in 1988. The program was created to generate revenue for conservation and enhancement of waterfowl populations and habitats in Louisiana. During the last 25 years, more than $15 million has been generated for wetland conservation with approximately $6 million spent on land acquisition. In addition, revenue has supported wetland development projects on Wildlife Management Areas and the Louisiana Waterfowl Project, a cooperative endeavor between LDWF, Ducks Unlimited, the Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide habitat for waterfowl and other wetland birds on private lands. 

All waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and older, even those who are not otherwise required to purchase a license, must have a Federal Duck Stamp. A current Federal Duck Stamp also serves as a free admission into any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee.

The 2024 contest was restricted to designs featuring ruddy ducks. Anthony Padgett, of Noblesville, Indiana claimed top honor with last year’s rendition of a single ruddy duck drake in a calm backwater setting. The Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp bearing that design will go on sale June 1, 2024.  Stamps can be purchased at:  https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Licenses_and_Permits/Files/state_duck_stamp_request_form.pdf

For more information, contact Jason Olszak at 337-735-8687 or jolszak@wlf.la.gov.