Hunting theme no longer mandatory in US duck stamp contest

By MICHAEL PHILLIS
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Artists will no longer have to incorporate hunting imagery to win a spot for their work on the federal duck stamp, reversing a Trump-era requirement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says eliminating the requirement from its annual Federal Duck Stamp contest will give artists more flexibility. Stamp sales help fund conservation efforts, and the Trump administration said requiring hunting imagery acknowledged the role of hunters in those efforts. But the National Audubon Society and others said the move unnecessarily stirred up political controversy. Waterfowl hunters have to buy the $25 stamps to hunt. Others including collectors also buy them.