Purchased by millions of waterfowl hunters, wildlife enthusiasts and stamp collectors every year, duck stamps provide critical funding to purchase and protect wetlands and associated habitat for ducks, geese and other wildlife species.
“The Federal Duck Stamp is one of the many ways hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts contribute to conserving and protecting America’s waterfowl and wetlands. Whether you’re an avid waterfowl hunter, a birder, conservation enthusiast or a collector, you should support this vital program by purchasing a Duck Stamp,” said Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam. “Of every dollar spent on a Federal Duck Stamp, 98 cents of the purchase is used by our friends at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to acquire and protect waterfowl habitat. The First Day of Sale is our opportunity to celebrate another great season and say thank you to all those supporting and delivering wildlife conservation through their purchase of a duck stamp each year.”
The 2021-22 Federal Duck Stamp features a single lesser scaup drake, painted by Richard Clifton of Milford, Delaware.
A pair of hooded mergansers, painted by 18-year-old Margaret McMullen of Kansas, will grace the 2021-22 Junior Duck Stamp, which raises funds to educate and engage our nation’s youth in wildlife and wetlands conservation and outdoor recreation. More than 3,000 junior duck stamps are sold annually for $5 each to help promote conservation education through art.
The duck stamp, more formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, dates back to 1934. Since then, the program has raised more than $1 billion to help acquire and protect more than six million acres of habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
By purchasing Federal Duck Stamps and supporting Ducks Unlimited (DU), waterfowl hunters and other conservationists help ensure that farmers and ranchers can protect threatened wetlands and grasslands on working lands, which is essential to sustaining healthy waterfowl populations.
Ducks Unlimited has conserved, protected and restored more than 15 million acres—or more than 23,000 square miles—of habitat in North America. The impressive number could not have been reached without the tireless efforts of millions of DU supporters, volunteers, partners and staff members who have been a part of the organization over the past 84 years.
Waterfowl hunters age 16 and older are required to purchase and carry a duck stamp while hunting. A duck stamp also provides free admission to national wildlife refuges (NWRs) that are open to the public. Duck stamps are sold at post offices nationwide, at many NWRs and sporting goods stores. Electronic versions of the duck stamp can also be purchased online. Click here for more information.
