CDFW seeks artists for game bird stamp contest

Sep. 25—The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will be accepting entries next month for its annual California Upland Game Bird Stamp Art Contest, officials announced recently.

With entries accepted from Oct. 30 through Dec. 1, the winning design will be featured on the state's 2023/24 upland game bird stamp. The contest is open to all U.S. residents ages 18 and older, but excludes current and former CDFW employees.

This year's stamp will feature the wild turkey, officials said.

"First introduced to California in the early 1900s, the wild turkey is native to the central and eastern United States and parts of Mexico," the CDFW said. "Wild turkeys are the largest North American gamebird with males weighing an average of 20 pounds. Turkeys are social animals, intelligent with a detailed understanding of their surroundings and able to recognize each other by voice. Males puff their feathers and spread their wings and tails to appear larger to attract a mate. The head, neck and surrounding fleshy area can range from white to blue to red with increasing attraction, aggression or fear. Males have feathers that are red, green, purple, copper, bronze and gold while the females have softer shades of brown and grey. Their engaging behavior, accessibility on public lands and delicious taste make them one of the most popular hunted species in North America."

Officials said submitted entries must include at least one wild turkey, preferably in a habitat or setting representative of California. They will be judged by a panel of experts in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing on originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy, and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and print.

The winning artist will be selected during a judging event in December, officials said.

"An upland game bird validation is required for hunting migratory and resident upland game birds in California," the CDFW said. "The money generated from stamp sales is dedicated to upland game bird-related conservation projects, education, hunting opportunities and outreach. CDFW sells more than 150,000 upland game bird validations annually."

Any individual who purchases an upland game bird validation may request their free stamp by visiting wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/collector-stamps. For collectors who do not purchase a hunting license or upland game bird validation, or for hunters who wish to purchase additional collectible stamps, an order form is also available on the website, officials said.

For contest information and entry forms, visit wildlife.ca.gov/upland-game-bird-stamp.