Page 6 - January/February 2023 Outdoor Oklahoma

GREEN-WINGED TEAL TO GRACE 2023-24 WATERFOWL STAMP

The smallest of North America’s dabbling ducks, the
green-winged teal, was the selected subject for this
year’s Oklahoma waterfowl stamp art competition.
A painting created by Scott Calpino of Bernville, Pa.,
was selected the winner, and it will be featured on
Oklahoma’s waterfowl stamp for the 2023-24 hunting
seasons. Calpino’s creation appears on the cover of this
magazine. His win earned him a $1,200 award.
Calpino’s artwork was among 18 entries submitted
this year by hopeful artists from across the nation.

Honorable mention: Dennis Arp of Box Elder, S.D.

Winner: Scott Calpino of Bernville, Pa.
Artists who received honorable mention are Shea
Meyer of Stratford; Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind.;
and Dennis Arp of Box Elder, S.D.
The Wildlife Department has held the Oklahoma
waterfowl stamp art contest annually for 42 years. The
program was designed to fund activities to ensure qual-
ity habitat for the hundreds of thousands of ducks and
geese that migrate through the state each year. Oklaho-
ma’s art contest features portraits of the diverse water-
fowl species that migrate through the state by some of
the best wildlife artists from across the nation.
The program generates funding for waterfowl conserva- Honorable mention: Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Ind.
tion projects through the sale of waterfowl licenses, required
of most waterfowl hunters, and the sale of stamps, many of
which are purchased by collectors. The state duck stamp
formerly served as Oklahoma’s waterfowl hunting license.
The program has helped the Wildlife Department
acquire about 12,000 wetland acres and to enhance,
create, restore and maintain critical waterfowl habitat.
Wetland development units such as Hackberry Flat Wild-
life Management Area in southwestern Oklahoma and
the Red Slough Wildlife Management Area in McCurtain
County have benefited from state duck stamp funding.
To support waterfowl habitat conservation in
Oklahoma, buy an Oklahoma duck stamp in the online
Outdoor Store at https://license.gooutdoorsoklahoma.
com/Shop/Inventory.
Next year’s art contest will feature the
gadwall. Entries will be due Aug. 1, 2023.
For complete rules, scan the code.
Honorable mention: Shea Meyer of Stratford.

4 OFF THE BEATEN PATH