State officials unveiled Arkansas' 41st annual state duck stamp in Stuttgart on June 4.
Artist Clay Connor created the artwork for this year's Arkansas state duck stamp, one of many honors he has accomplished in his career through both camera and brush. The piece, "Sunlit Mallards at Slick's," depicts that moment of decision for hunters when the ducks are filtering through the flooded timber, illustrating Connor's favorite term from his friend Jim Ronquest of Drake Waterfowl, "boots down."
More than 100,000 state duck stamps have been sold annually in recent years, delivering more than $1 million for conservation in Arkansas. While the Federal Migratory Bird Stamp must be carried on a hunter's person and signed in ink across the face, Arkansas's state duck stamp no longer carries that requirement.
"When we talk about a duck stamp, it would be just as easy to convey that legal privilege as a license you could print out on your printer at home, so why do we go through the trouble of creating this stamp?" state Game and Fish Director Austin Booth said.
"To remind people that the real privilege is that we are Arkansans who enjoy not only the perfect waterfowl habitat, but also the knowledge that we live in a state where this resource is treasured."
Arkansas's annual waterfowl stamp costs $7 for residents and $35 for nonresidents. Hunters must carry proof of purchasing this stamp on their person in addition to a valid hunting license, Harvest Information Program registration and a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp to hunt waterfowl in Arkansas.