Jeffery Klinefelter Wins 2012 Louisiana Duck Stamp Competition
OutdoorHub 11.04.11
Nov. 3, 2011 – Jeffery Klinefelter of Etna Green, Indiana, took home first place in the 2012 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Competition sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). The contest determines the image to be used on what is commonly known as the Louisiana Duck Stamp.
Klinefelter, who also won this contest for the 2008 Louisiana Duck Stamp, beat out 16 other competitors and was recognized at the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission’s Nov. 3 meeting as the 2012 winner. Tom Crain of Branson, Missouri, a first-time entrant, came in second place, and third place went to 2009 winner Anthony Padgett from Noblesville, Indiana. Last year, Wes Dewey of Kansas won the contest.
In addition to winning the 2008 contest, Klinefelter has previously won the Indiana Duck Stamp contest for 2011 and the 2011 Gamebird Stamp competition in California. His painting of a male and female American wigeon at a marsh edge will be featured on the 2012 Louisiana Duck Stamp.
“The department was happy with the quantity of entries this year, and we continue to be impressed by the quality of the paintings,” said LDWF Waterfowl Study Leader Larry Reynolds. “Klinefelter’s painting showed exceptional attention to detail with the features and scale of American wigeon and will make an outstanding duck stamp.”
For the third consecutive year, LDWF held an open contest that allowed the artist to choose any migratory waterfowl species known to winter in Louisiana for entry in the contest. Only northern pintails and wood ducks, which were featured on the 2010 and 2011 duck stamps respectively, were not allowed.
The Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp program was established in 1988 by the Louisiana Legislature to generate revenue for conservation and enhancement of state wetlands and other worthy programs that benefit Louisiana’s ducks and geese. This program has generated over $11 million for wetland conservation in Louisiana since 1989, with over $270,000 from last year’s stamp sales alone.
The 2012 stamp, featuring Klinefelter’s work, is expected to go on sale June 1, 2012. The artist will retain the original artwork and will have reproduction rights to the image for prints and other commodities after LDWF has used the image to produce the stamps.
Judges for the competition were Dr. Frank Rohwer, Dr. Tommy Michot, R.C. Davis, Tex Plumley, and Bonnie Camos. Rohwer is a Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the School of Renewable Natural Resources at LSU, and the Scientific Director for the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. Michot is a long-time wetland/waterfowl research biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S.G.S. National Wetland Research Center and is now a faculty member at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Davis, a professional artist from Amite, is a past winner of the Louisiana Duck Stamp contest for the 1998-99 stamp design. Plumley is the president of Billeaud Companies, a real-estate development company in Lafayette, and the current state chairman of Ducks Unlimited. Camos is an exhibiting artist, curator and art instructor in Lafayette who was an official Festival International de Louisiane artist in 2010.
For more information on the contest, contact Larry Reynolds at lreynolds@wlf.la.gov or 225-765-0456. To obtain a high-resolution digital image of the winning entry, contact Bo Boehringer at 225-765-5115 or bboehringer@wlf.la.gov.
The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/ on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ldwffb or follow us on Twitter@LDWF.
