Delaware Waterfowl and Trout Stamp Art Winners Chosen

Richard Clifton, a wildlife artist from the Milford area, won the Delaware waterfowl stamp contest for the 10th time with his painting of a wood duck in bottomland swamp. /DNREC photo

 

Two accomplished artists have again won top honors in Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp art contests, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Best in Show in the DNREC-sponsored contests went to a painting of a wood duck in bottomland swamp by Richard Clifton of Milford, Del., which will grace the 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp, and to a painting of a brown trout by Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind., to be featured on the 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp.

The annual stamp art competition drew 13 entries for the 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and 12 entries for the 2023 Trout Stamp. The Waterfowl Stamp contest specified that submitted artwork must include the motif of a wood duck in bottomland swamp. Trout Stamp artwork entries could depict a rainbow, brown or brook trout.

Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind. Won the state trout stamp contest for the seventh time with his painting of a brown trout. /DNREC photo
Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind. Won the state trout stamp contest for the seventh time with his painting of a brown trout. /DNREC photo

As the 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp winner, Clifton receives a $2,500 cash prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited edition print series of his first-place entry. Clifton, who resides on an historic family farm in the Milford area near Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, is an avid hunter and self-taught wildlife artist who works in acrylics, with waterfowl among his favorite subjects. He has painted 53 winning duck/waterfowl stamps, including 10 Delaware Waterfowl Stamps, the 1996 Australian Duck Stamp, and the 2007/08 and 2021/22 Federal Duck Stamps. Clifton’s work has appeared on magazine covers, a commemorative beer stein, engraved on shotguns for Ducks Unlimited, which named him 2018 International Artist of the Year, and has been displayed at top wildlife art shows throughout the country, including the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition and the Easton Waterfowl Festival.

As the 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp winner, Klinefelter receives a $250 cash prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp artwork. Klinefelter, a graduate of Indiana University’s Herron School of Art, has painted professionally for more than 20 years, and has won numerous stamp art contests – including three Delaware Waterfowl Stamp Art contests and seven Delaware Trout Stamp Art contests. Klinefelter also received an honorable mention in the 2023 state trout stamp contest for his painting of a brown and rainbow trout, and an honorable mention in the 2023/24 waterfowl stamp contest.

Other winners were:

  • 2023/24 Waterfowl Stamp – Second place: Guy Crittenden, Richmond, Va.; Third place: Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wisc.; honorable mentions: Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind.; Frank Dolphens, Jr., Omaha, Neb.; and Jonathan Milo, Monroe, Conn.
  • 2023 Trout Stamp – Second place: Dennis Arp, Box Elder, S.D., rainbow trout; Third place: Tory Farris, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, brown trout; honorable mentions: Tory Farris, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, rainbow trout; David Weaver, Gettysburg, Pa., brook trout; and Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind., brown and rainbow trout.

Artwork in each contest was judged by a different set of five judges, with each judge separately evaluating and scoring the respective contest artwork in person.

The winning 2023/24 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available for purchase July 1, 2023, and the winning 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available for purchase Jan. 1, 2023.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $3.6 million has been raised. A Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and hunting license are required for most waterfowl hunters.

Delaware began requiring trout stamps for anglers in the 1950s, and a Delaware Trout Stamp and a general fishing license are required for most anglers to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Funds from the sale of the stamps are used to purchase trout to stock in select streams in northern New Castle County and in two downstate ponds.

Delaware hunting and fishing licenses along with state waterfowl and trout stamps are sold online through the DNREC e-permitting system and by license agents statewide. Agents who sell hunting licenses also sell state waterfowl stamps that are required in addition to a license for hunting ducks and geese in Delaware. Agents who sell fishing licenses also sell trout stamps required in addition to a license to fish for trout in Delaware.

To learn more about Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp contest, visit de.gov/waterfowlstamp. More information about the Trout Stamp contest can be found at de.gov/troutstamp.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announces Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp winners

DOVER – The results are in, and two artists have won top honors in Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp art contests. A painting of an American wigeon and a chocolate Labrador retriever by Guy Crittenden of Richmond, Va., will grace the 2020/21 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp. A painting of a rainbow trout by Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind., will adorn the 2020 Delaware Trout Stamp. Both contests are sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.

The annual stamp art competition, held April 4 at the Dover Public Library, drew 19 entries for the 2020/21 Waterfowl Stamp and 11 entries for the 2020 Trout Stamp. The Waterfowl Stamp contest specified that submitted artwork must include an American wigeon and a chocolate Labrador retriever. Trout Stamp artwork entries could be of a rainbow, brown, or brook trout.

As the 2020/21 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp winner, Guy Crittenden receives a $2,500 prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited edition print series of his first-place entry. A naturalist with an interest in ornithology, Crittenden began drawing and painting at an early age based on his experiences with nature. He has won the Virginia Migratory Waterfowl Conservation Stamp competition seven times, including the 2019/20 contest in March. This is his first Delaware Waterfowl Stamp win. In addition to Delaware and Virginia, Crittenden has won waterfowl stamp contests in nine other states. The artist also owns a commercial photography and video production company in Richmond, Va.

As the 2020 Delaware Trout Stamp winner, Jeffrey Klinefelter receives a $250 prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp artwork. After developing an interest in drawing and painting at a young age, Klinefelter graduated from Indiana University’s Herron School of Art. His interest in wildlife art came a few years later when he entered the Federal Duck Stamp and Indiana Duck Stamp contests. Since then, he has won numerous stamp contests, including three Delaware Waterfowl Stamp contests and five Delaware Trout Stamp contests. He has also won the 2016/17 Ohio Wetland Habitat Stamp competition and the 2015 Connecticut Duck Stamp contest.

Other winners were:

  • 2020/21 Waterfowl Stamp: Second place, Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind.; Third place, Mark Thone, Shakopee, Minn.; Honorable mentions: Scott Calpino, Bernville, Pa.; Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wis.; and Karin Snoots, Harbeson, Del.
  • 2020 Trout Stamp: Second place, Eric Jablonowski, Suwanee, Ga., rainbow trout; Third place, Ryan Rickaby, Green Bay, Wis., brown trout. Honorable mentions: Micah Hanson, St. Charles, Minn., brown trout; Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind., brown trout; and Ryan Peterson, Jackson, Wyo., brown trout.

The winning 2020/21 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available for purchase July 1, 2020, and the winning 2020 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available for purchase Jan. 1, 2020.

Waterfowl and Trout Stamp entries will be on display Monday, April 15 through Friday, April 26 in the Licensing Office at DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. For more information, please call 302-739-9918.

The 2020/21 Waterfowl Stamp judges were: Nathan Hudson, member of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish; Raymond Harp, Delaware Ducks Unlimited representative;
Ken Reynolds, retired wildlife professional; Jim Hall, hunter and cultural historian; and Justyn Foth, wildlife biologist.

The 2020 Trout Stamp judges were: Cathy Martin, retired fisheries professional; Ian Park, fisheries biologist; Roy Miller, angler; Noel Kuhrt, art collector and angler; and Capt. Nick Couch, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp (formerly known as the Delaware Duck Stamp) and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $3 million has been raised. A Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and hunting license are required by most waterfowl hunters.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife began requiring trout stamps for anglers in the 1950s, and a trout stamp and a general fishing license are required by most anglers to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons, with the funds from the sale of the stamps used to purchase trout to stock in two downstate ponds and selected streams in northern New Castle County.

Delaware hunting and fishing licenses, as well as Waterfowl Stamps and Trout Stamps, are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase licenses or stamps online, visit Delaware Licenses. For additional information on Delaware hunting and fishing licenses, call 302-739-9918.

For more information on Delaware’s Waterfowl and Trout Stamp art competitions, please call DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife at 302-739-9918, or visit Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and Delaware Trout Stamp.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 49, No. 84

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DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife sets judging of Delaware Waterfowl, Trout Stamp contests for April 4

The 2019 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp, above, features a black Labrador retriever and long-tailed ducks.

The 2020 stamp image will be chosen April 4.

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife invites wildlife art enthusiasts, stamp and print collectors, waterfowl hunters, birdwatchers, wetland conservationists, working retriever fans, and anglers to gather at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 4 for the judging of Delaware’s annual Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp contests, which will be held at the Dover Public Library, 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, DE 19901. Following the competition, entries will be on display at DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building from April 15-26.

Sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, the annual waterfowl stamp contest draws entries by renowned and emerging artists from across the country. The winning artwork will be reproduced on a stamp that must be carried by most waterfowl hunters. Waterfowl stamps are also purchased by collectors and other conservation-minded citizens.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp contest, which began in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $3 million has been raised from the purchase of Delaware Waterfowl Stamps. The new Waterfowl Stamp, which will go on sale for the 2020/21 hunting season, will feature artwork that must include an American Wigeon and chocolate Labrador retriever.

For the 2020 Trout Stamp contest, artists from across the nation submitted paintings of rainbow, brown, or brook trout for consideration. The winning artwork will be reproduced on a stamp that is required for most trout anglers. Some 6,500 trout anglers and stamp collectors support this program annually, generating funds to purchase trout for stocking in seven northern New Castle County streams, Tidbury Pond in Kent County, and Newton Pond in Sussex County.

Delaware’s 2020/21 Waterfowl Stamp will be selected by a panel of five judges, including a Ducks Unlimited designee and a member of the state’s Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish, with the remaining three judges randomly selected by the director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife from a judging pool that includes conservationists, biologists, and artists.

The 2020 Delaware Trout Stamp will be selected by five judges, including a member of the Delaware Trout Association and a member of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish, with the remaining three judges randomly selected by the director of the Division of Fish & Wildlife from a pool that includes anglers, biologists, and artists.

For more information on Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp programs, please contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife at 302-739-9918, or visit http://de.gov/waterfowlstamp or http://de.gov/troutstamp.

Follow the Division of Fish & Wildlife on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DelawareFishWildlife.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 66


Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Aug. 13-19

Reminder for the week: Purchase your 2018/2019 Delaware hunting license, waterfowl stamps now

DOVER – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Aug. 13-19 made 2,995 contacts with anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 32 citations. Officers responded to 79 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

  • On Aug. 18, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers, answered hunting, fishing, and boating questions, and displayed The Operation Game Theft trailer during Middletown’s Peach Festival.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Possession of undersized blue crab (4), possession of undersized summer flounder (4), no F.I.N. (2), possession of undersized striped bass (1), and unlicensed fishing (4).

Boating and Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (1), no life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (4), failure to observe slow no wake (2), and no boater safety certificate (2).

Public Safety: Clamming in a prohibited area (1).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (6) and failure to stop at a red light (1).

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters to purchase their 2018/2019 Delaware hunting licenses and waterfowl stamps.

Resident hunters younger than 13 or 65 and older are not required to purchase a Delaware hunting license. Non-resident hunters 13 and older are required to purchase a Delaware hunting license.

To hunt waterfowl in Delaware, residents age 16 through 64 are required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl stamp. Non-resident waterfowl hunters age 16 and older need a Delaware waterfowl stamp. Resident and non-resident hunters age 16 and older also need a federal migratory bird stamp to hunt waterfowl.

Hunters who are exempt from purchasing a license must obtain an annual, free License Exempt Number (LEN). Both exempt and non-exempt hunters of migratory gamebirds, including waterfowl, dove, woodcock, and rail must also obtain a free Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Both are available online or by calling 855-335-4868 toll-free.

Delaware hunting licenses and waterfowl stamps are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Dover office at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating hunting license agent, purchase a Delaware hunting license or waterfowl stamp or obtain a HIP or LEN number online, click Delaware Licenses & Permits. For additional information on Delaware hunting licenses, call 302-739-9918. Federal migratory bird stamps may be purchased at U.S. Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges, and online. For more information, call 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click 2018-2019 Delaware Hunting & Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk, and from license agents throughout the state.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell 302-382-7167, or Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police 302-739-9913