LITTLE ROCK — The 2023 Arkansas duck stamp was unveiled Aug. 26 during the 32nd annual Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet. The unveiling was witnessed by a record-breaking crowd of 1,800 gathered at the Little Rock Convention Center.
Arkansas artist Justin Madding of Danville created the artwork for the stamp entitled “Pintails Over Penn Bay.” The scene depicts pintail ducks making their way to a small cove nestled in a bend of the treasured Cache River.
“Being asked to paint the Arkansas duck stamp is a dream come true for me,” Madding said. “To think that my art will benefit conservation efforts across the state I so dearly love is beyond thrilling. It was an honor.”
Madding’s art celebrates not only the legacy of hunting on Penn Bay but the Cache River Bottoms which has been as a sportsmen’s paradise for generations of Arkansans.
“The scene reminds me of my childhood and captures what the Arkansas outdoors is all about,” said TJ Lawhon, who chaired the banquet event with his wife, Mandy. “The Cache River is the lifeblood for communities across the region, supporting some of the largest contiguous bottomland hardwood forests remaining in North America. This area is vital to migratory birds and waterfowl and is a place we know well as a family along with thousands of hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts.”
This is Arkansas’s 42nd annual state duck stamp. In recent years, more than 100,000 state duck stamps have been sold annually, generating more than $1 million for conservation in The Natural State. The stamps and associated prints are an annual tradition for many hunting families and are prized by collectors in Arkansas and beyond.
“The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Foundation continue the tradition of the duck stamp to remind Arkansans of our waterfowl legacy and celebrate the connection between Arkansans, world-renowned habitat and ducks,” said Austin Booth, director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “The Cache River is a special place for so many Arkansans to enjoy and make lifelong memories. I am excited that it is featured on this year’s stamp.”
The unveiling was just one event on the banquet’s itinerary and also included recognition of this year’s Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees, silent auction, raffle and dinner. All told, the event raised $575,000 with which the AGFF supports AGFC initiatives as well as its own programming.
Everyone can support waterfowl conservation by visiting www.AGFC.com and purchasing a waterfowl stamp which is $7 for an Arkansas resident. The code on the license will suffice for any in-the-field checks by game wardens, and you’ll receive your stamp in the mail within a few weeks of your purchase.
Collectible duck stamp prints also can be purchased by visiting www.arduckstamp.com.