The 2018-19 Federal Duck Stamp went on sale today, Friday, June 29. The stamps, which cost $25, are valid from July 1 through June 30, 2018. Duck stamps are a required annual purchase for waterfowl hunters 16 and older, and a current duck stamp grants the bearer free entrance into any national wildlife refuge that charges an entry fee.
Painted by three-time winning Federal Duck Stamp Contest artist Robert Hautman of Delano, Minn., the new Duck Stamp featuring a pair of mallards will raise millions of dollars for habitat conservation to benefit wildlife and the American people.
Since the program’s inception in 1934, sales of the Federal Duck Stamp have generated more than $1 billion for the preservation of more than 5.7 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the United States. By purchasing a Duck Stamp each year, hunters continue to fund one of the most successful conservation programs ever created.
“The Duck Stamp program is just one of the many ways that sportsmen and women contribute to the conservation of our nation's wildlife and their habitat,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “The kick-off of the sale of these stamps every year lets us know that hunting season isn’t far off. I encourage everyone who spent time growing up in a duck blind, to get out and purchase their stamp and share that love with the next generation.”
The new 2018-19 Federal Duck Stamp is available for purchase online, at many sporting goods and retail stores, and some post offices and national wildlife refuges. For more information or to purchase your stamp, click here.