CDFW Seeks Artists to Enter Annual California Duck Stamp Art Contest

This is a press release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife:

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) invites artists to submit their original artwork to the 2026-27 California Duck Stamp Art Contest. Submissions will be accepted May 11 through June 19.

Since 1971, CDFW’s annual contest has attracted top wildlife artists from around the country. All proceeds generated from stamp sales go directly to waterfowl conservation projects throughout California.

The artwork must depict the species selected by the California Fish and Game Commission, which is the greater white-fronted goose for the 2026-27 hunting season. White-fronted geese are brownish-gray with barring on the belly and a white forehead, often referred to as “specklebellies”.  Whitefronts breed in the Arctic tundra and migrate to two main wintering regions – the Central Valley of California and the Mid-Continent Gulf region. They are often found in large flocks with other geese on wetlands and agricultural fields. Whitefronts leave roost areas before sunrise to feed in agricultural fields and can be seen (and heard) flying overhead at dawn.

Winning artwork will be reproduced on the 2026-27 California Duck Stamp. Top submissions are traditionally showcased at the Pacific Flyway Decoy Association’s art show, which is scheduled to take place in July.

The contest is open to U.S. residents 18 years of age or older as of April 1, 2026. Entrants need not reside in California. Current and former CDFW employees are ineligible. All entries must be accompanied by a completed participation agreement and entry form. These forms and the official rules are available online at wildlife.ca.gov/duck-stamp/contest.

The design is to be in full color and in the medium (or combination of mediums) of the artist’s choosing, except that no photographic process, digital art, metallic paints or fluorescent paints may be used in the finished design. Photographs, computer-generated art, art produced from a computer printer or other computer/mechanical output device (air brush method excepted) are not eligible for entry and will be disqualified. The design must be the contestant’s original, hand-drawn creation. The entry design may not be copied or duplicated from previously published art, including photographs, or from images in any format published on the internet.

Entries will be judged in June. The judges’ panel, which will consist of experts in the fields of ornithology, conservation and art and printing, will choose first-, second- and third-place winners, as well as honorable mention.

In past years, hunters were required to purchase and affix the stamp to their hunting license. Now California has moved to an automated licensing system and hunters are no longer required to carry the physical stamp in the field (proof of purchase prints directly onto the license). However, CDFW still produces the stamp, which can be requested by interested individuals. More information and a link to the order form can be found on CDFW’s Collector Stamps page.