Every waterfowl season, hunters buy a small piece of paper that has become one of the most successful conservation funding tools in the country. The Federal Duck Stamp is part license, part habitat investment, and for many people part collectible.
Who needs one
Anyone 16 or older who hunts migratory waterfowl must have a current Federal Duck Stamp, paper or electronic, on them. Each stamp covers July 1 of one year to June 30 of the next. One valid, signed stamp is good in every state, but you still need each state’s own licenses and stamps where you hunt. The stamp is personal: wildlife officers may compare it with your hunting license to confirm both belong to you.
Where the money goes
Since 1934, federal wildlife officials report, sales have brought in more than 1.3 billion dollars. That money has conserved more than 6 million acres of wetland habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Roughly 98 percent of what a hunter pays is channeled into buying or leasing wetlands and conservation easements.
Those wetlands do more than shelter birds. Wildlife officials note that they help purify water, reduce flooding, limit soil erosion and create places for outdoor recreation.
A pass for refuge visits
A signed stamp also serves as an entry pass to refuges that charge a fee. The system includes more than 570 refuges, with at least one in every state, and records millions of visits a year for hunting, fishing and wildlife viewing.
How to buy one
- Paper stamps are sold at most post offices, many sporting goods stores and some refuges, and can be ordered online.
- An electronic stamp, available through many state license systems, produces a temporary certificate immediately and a paper stamp arrives later by mail.
- Sign the stamp across its face in ink. An unsigned stamp does not count for hunting.
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