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 37th 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To enter, an artist must submit an original, unpublished work of art, along with a signed and notarized artist’s agreement and a $50 entry fee.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/
Judging for the art competition will be based on the following criteria:
- Accuracy of form, size, proportion, color and posture.
- Level and accuracy of detail in all aspects of the waterfowl.
- Appropriateness, accuracy and detail in depiction of the habitat.
- Attractiveness and creativity in composition, subject, background and lighting.
- 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.
