Press Release

Eddie LeRoy’s Canada Geese Chosen for Waterfowl Stamp

March 03, 2004

Flying Canada geese painted by Eddie LeRoy of Eufaula is the winner of the 2004 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp Art Contest. The winning artwork will adorn the 2005-2006 Alabama Waterfowl Stamp. LeRoy previously won the competition with a painting of redheads, which was on the 1999-2000 stamp.

First runner-up in the competition was a pair of flying mallards by Steven Burney of Town Creek. Second runner-up was a green winged teal by Clarence Stewart of Brewton. Third runner-up was a pair of American wigeons by David Nix of Cottondale, and fourth runner-up was a flying canvasback by Everett Hatcher of Birmingham.

Entries were judged on suitability for reproduction as a stamp, originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy, and general rendering. The designs were limited to living species of North American migratory ducks or geese, and winning species from the past three years – pintail, wood duck and ringneck – were not eligible subjects for the 2004 contest.

The artwork was publicly displayed and judged by a panel of experts in the fields of art, ornithology, and conservation. Representing the field of art was Richard Mills, a professor of art at Auburn University at Montgomery. Dr. David Thrasher of Montgomery, who is past president of the Alabama Wildlife Federation and currently serves on the board of directors of Buckmasters, represented the field of conservation. Representing the field of ornithology was Danny R. Hartley, a wildlife biologist with the Corps of Engineers in Columbus, Mississippi.

The law requires that any waterfowl hunter 16 years of age and older must carry a valid Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp – or duck stamp – signed in ink across the face. Like the federal migratory waterfowl stamps, state issued stamps are popular with collectors.

The artwork competition for the Alabama Migratory Waterfowl Stamp design is held each year in February and is open to Alabama residents only. For additional information, call the Wildlife Section at 334-242-3469.

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