South Dakota artist wins Ohio duck stamp contest

Columbus — A wood duck painting by wildlife artist Tim Taylor will be featured on the 2027 Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp, according to the Ohio DNR (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Taylor’s painting of a wood duck was chosen as the winner by a panel of five judges during this year’s design competition at the Ohio Ducks Unlimited annual convention in Columbus.

Taylor, of Wallace, S.D., is a first-time winner of the competition. Second place was awarded to Jeffrey Klinefelter, of Etna Green, Ind., for a painting of blue-winged teal. Jocelyn Beatty, of West Middlesex, Pa., finished in third place with a painting of northern pintails. Klinefelter is a six-time winner of the Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp contest, and Beatty won in 2018.

This is the fifth time a wood duck or pair of wood ducks will be featured in the 46 years of the Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp. Taylor’s painting was selected from a field of 23 pieces of art. Eight of those entries were from Ohio artists, and 11 states were represented.

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The judges for this year’s event were:

Elliott Bohling, Lake Erie marsh conservationist; Terry Cosby, Ohio Wildlife Council member and former chief of Natural Resources Conservation Service; Tim Haab, dean of Ohio State University’s School of Environment and Natural Resources; Scott Nemecek, decoy carver and waterfowl hunter; and Benjamin Taylor, waterfowl hunter.

The Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp program has raised more than $11 million for wetland conservation since 1982. Proceeds from stamp sales help fund vital wetland habitat restoration projects. Those projects have restored or enhanced thousands of acres of waterfowl habitat. These habitats are important to many wildlife species, including ducks, swans, sandhill cranes, shorebirds, and amphibians, according to a release from the Division of Wildlife.

The Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp is $15 and is a required purchase for anyone 18 years or older looking to hunt waterfowl in the Buckeye State. The stamp is also purchased by many birders who want to contribute to wetland habitat. For more information, visit wildohio.gov.

The first Ohio Wetlands Habitat Stamp was designed in 1982 by well-known Ohio artist John A. Ruthven.

That painting featured two wood ducks. Since then, notable winning artists have included Harold Roe and Adam Grimm. In 2025, Gerald Putt won his first contest with his painting of three hooded mergansers. The stamp featuring that art can be purchased beginning in March through the Ohio Wildlife Licensing System.