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The Wild Duck Chase: Inside the Strange and Wonderful World of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest
Competitive duck painting "borders on . . . obsession," making this book about the Federal Duck Stamp Contest "a surprisingly compelling read" (Los Angeles Times).
The basis for the documentary film, The Million Dollar Duck, Martin J. Smith's The Wild Duck Chase reveals the peculiar world of the only juried art competition run by the US government. Hatched during the Great Depression, the Federal Duck Stamp Program requires hunters to buy stamps to validate a hunting license, with proceeds going toward wetland conservation. Though the first stamps were designed by noted wildlife artists, a contest for new illustrators opened to the public in 1949. Over the years, the competition has attracted artists from across the nation and the stamp has generated more than $1 billion to purchase or lease more than 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the United States.
Smith takes readers behind the scenes of the contest to discover personalities like the Hautman brothers of Minnesota, painters with a success record that rivals that of the New York Yankees. Smith additionally probes the intense debate between rural hunters and the urban conservationists who condemn shooting wildlife for sport. There's also the high-stakes drama between the artists competing and the judges who decide which work will be awarded the honor of appearing on the coveted, collectible stamp.
A front row seat to an arcane realm where talent, environmental activism, and migratory waterfowl come together to create big money and not a few controversies, The Wild Duck Chase gives this fascinating, little-known piece of Americana its due.
"Smartly written, wonderful. . . . Highly recommended!" ―Douglas Brinkley, author of Wilderness Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
The basis for the documentary film, The Million Dollar Duck, Martin J. Smith's The Wild Duck Chase reveals the peculiar world of the only juried art competition run by the US government. Hatched during the Great Depression, the Federal Duck Stamp Program requires hunters to buy stamps to validate a hunting license, with proceeds going toward wetland conservation. Though the first stamps were designed by noted wildlife artists, a contest for new illustrators opened to the public in 1949. Over the years, the competition has attracted artists from across the nation and the stamp has generated more than $1 billion to purchase or lease more than 6 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the United States.
Smith takes readers behind the scenes of the contest to discover personalities like the Hautman brothers of Minnesota, painters with a success record that rivals that of the New York Yankees. Smith additionally probes the intense debate between rural hunters and the urban conservationists who condemn shooting wildlife for sport. There's also the high-stakes drama between the artists competing and the judges who decide which work will be awarded the honor of appearing on the coveted, collectible stamp.
A front row seat to an arcane realm where talent, environmental activism, and migratory waterfowl come together to create big money and not a few controversies, The Wild Duck Chase gives this fascinating, little-known piece of Americana its due.
"Smartly written, wonderful. . . . Highly recommended!" ―Douglas Brinkley, author of Wilderness Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America
- GenresNonfictionArt
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
About the author
Martin J. Smith
34 books28 followersAuthor Martin J. Smith was editor-in-chief of the monthly Orange Coast magazine from 2007 to 2016, and a former senior editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine. He wrote three crime novels, "Time Release," "Shadow Image," and the Edgar Award-nominated "Straw Men," before turning his writing energy to nonfiction books, including "Oops: 20 Life Lessons from the Fiascoes That Shaped America," "Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions and Lore That Shaped Modern America" (both with co-author Patrick J. Kiger), and "The Wild Duck Chase," upon which the award-winning documentary film "The Million Dollar Duck" is based. Diversion Books published his fourth series novel, "The Disappeared Girl," in March 2014, and released his first stand-alone suspense-thriller, "Combustion," in September 2016. Globe Pequot published his collection of journalistic essays about the people, places, and peculiarities of the American Southwest, "Mr. Las Vegas Has a Bad Knee," on Nov. 1, 2017. His latest nonfiction book is "Going to Trinidad: A Doctor, a Colorado Town, and Stories from an Unlikely Gender Crossroads," which Bower House and Tantor Media will publish in April 2021. Smith lives in Granby, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 19, 2026
I've slowly become aware of the duck stamp program. And now I'm a big supporter after reading this. My earliest spark is actually the IG wildlife artist that Smith mentions in the PostScript. Through them, I found out about this book and here I am! Ready and willing to go see the documentary now & go see the judging in-person.
It was really fun to learn about this niche world of duck stamp art. I enjoyed learning about the history, the artist's creative process, and the competition itself. I just needed a little bit more juicy gossip and this would've been perfect. I loved all the drama that *did* make it into the book, though.
This desperately needs a podcast series. My coworker is right.
My biggest takeaway is that the duck stamp is not just for hunters. Conservationists and "Non-consumptive" recreationists can also support wildlife refuges by buying the duck stamp AND you can own a really beautiful piece of ducky (& other waterfowl) art.
Smith is a good writer although there were like times when he made a jarring choice of words like "inefficient government" & mentioning how many undocumented people are in California.
It was really fun to learn about this niche world of duck stamp art. I enjoyed learning about the history, the artist's creative process, and the competition itself. I just needed a little bit more juicy gossip and this would've been perfect. I loved all the drama that *did* make it into the book, though.
This desperately needs a podcast series. My coworker is right.
My biggest takeaway is that the duck stamp is not just for hunters. Conservationists and "Non-consumptive" recreationists can also support wildlife refuges by buying the duck stamp AND you can own a really beautiful piece of ducky (& other waterfowl) art.
Smith is a good writer although there were like times when he made a jarring choice of words like "inefficient government" & mentioning how many undocumented people are in California.
October 6, 2025
This was suggested to me from an instgramer who has submitted to the Duck Stamp Contest, and I wanted to learn more . This is really interesting, and loved it!
November 12, 2025
Interesting look into the world of the federal duck stamp contest. It's definitely made me want to purchase duck stamps regularly in the future.
If you are conservation-minded, look into the value of purchasing a stamp. Beyond that, there's just an interesting history/tradition associated with the stamps and they operate extremely well as a government agency.
If you are conservation-minded, look into the value of purchasing a stamp. Beyond that, there's just an interesting history/tradition associated with the stamps and they operate extremely well as a government agency.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews