Chuck Black wins 2023 federal duck stamp art contest

By Linn’s Staff

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced Sept. 16 that Chuck Black of Belgrade, Mont., was selected as the winner of the 2023 federal duck stamp art contest held Sept. 15-16 in the Olmstead Center at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The announcement was made at an event at Drake University and via livestream.

Black’s oil painting of a northern pintail will appear on the duck stamp scheduled to be issued sometime in late June 2024, the Fish and Wildlife Service said.

This is Black’s first win in the national annual contest. At the state level, Black won the contests for California’s 2015 state hunting permit stamp (Scott 46) and Colorado’s 2013 state hunting permit stamp (24).

Of 199 entries submitted to this year’s competition, 24 entries (including Black’s) made it to the final round of judging. Eligible species for this year’s duck stamp contest were the snow goose, American black duck, northern pintail, ring-necked duck and harlequin duck.

Adam Grimm of Wallace, S.D., placed second with an acrylic painting of a northern pintail pair, and Gerald Mobley of Claremore, Okla., took third place with an acrylic painting of a northern pintail.

Serving as judges for the 2023 contest were Gail Anderson, MJ Davis, Rebecca Humphries, Rue Mapp and Karen Waldrop; the alternate judge was Jennifer Scully. This was the first time an all-female panel judged the federal duck stamp art contest.

Though not valid for postage, duck stamps are popularly collected and listed in the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers under the heading Hunting Permit Stamps.

Since the federal duck stamp was established in 1934, sales to hunters, bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts and collectors have raised more than $1 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife and provide countless opportunities for hunting and other wildlife-oriented recreation on public lands in the United States.

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