Every year, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) holds its annual Federal Duck Stamp Contest, the only federal wildlife art competition in existence. The event gives artists from across the country a chance to submit their work for judging, with one winner ultimately crowned. The winning artwork then becomes the Federal Duck Stamp for the following year, which all waterfowl hunters 16 and older are required to have. Since its inception in 1934, the Federal Duck Stamp has generated more than $1.3 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of wetlands, benefiting migratory birds and countless other wildlife species.
The contest, however, is not a free-for-all; contestants must follow specific rules for their submissions to qualify. For starters, in the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp Contest, contestants were given five eligible species to depict: the cackling goose, blue-winged teal, mottled duck, long-tailed duck, and king eider. Under the official rules, artwork must also contain no writing, including band numbers.
2026 Federal Duck Stamp Winners
The 2026 Duck Stamp Contest was held in Memphis this year at Ducks Unlimited Headquarters, where a panel of five judges evaluated the 331 submissions. After two days of deliberation, the contest came down to 15 final entries, with Robert Hautman being crowned the winner of the 2026 Federal Duck Stamp for his acrylic depiction of a drake and hen long-tailed duck. This marks the fourth time Robert Hautman has won the competition, and the 17th time a Hautman has won. Brother James Hautman has won it seven times and Joseph Hautman six times.
In this year’s competition, Madison Grimm of South Dakota took home second place with her depiction of a king eider standing along a bank. Third place went to Joseph Hautman for his depiction of a king eider swimming amongst a glass buoy. To check out the full list of 2026 entries, click HERE.
