DNREC Announces 2027-28 DE Waterfowl and 2027 Trout Stamp Winners
Image courtesy DNREC
DNREC has announced the winners of the annual Waterfowl and Trout Stamp art contests. Jonathan Milo of Monroe, Connecticut’s painting of a goldeneye duck will be featured on the 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp. Local artist George Bradford of Georgetown was awarded first place and his painting will be featured on the 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp. There were 13 entries for the Waterfowl Stamp and 8 for the Trout Stamp. The waterfowl stamp specified that it must include the motif of a goldeneye duck in the Delaware Bay. The Trout Stamp contest could depict a rainbow, brook or brown trout.
Additional information from DNREC:
“The artistic talent exhibited today made both stamp contests extremely competitive,” DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Pat Emory said after the competition. “The breadth of experience and perspectives in the artwork DNREC receives for the contests is always impressive, whether they’re coming from a federal duck stamp winner or an artist entering their first state competition. Which is to say we encourage artists of all skill levels whose work reflects these sporting and wildlife interests to keep ‘em coming.”
As the 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp contest winner, Milo receives a $2,500 cash prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited-edition print series of his first-place entry. The Connecticut native, a longtime professional illustrator and artist, specializes in wildlife and outdoor sporting art, with an emphasis on painting fish and fishing subjects. His work has been featured in Outdoor Life, Sporting Classics, Gray’s Sporting Journal and American Angler magazine.
As the 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp winner, Bradford receives a $250 cash prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp artwork. Bradford first entered both the Delaware trout and waterfowl stamp contests in 1993. While he has previously placed in the waterfowl stamp competition, including second place in 2021, he has fared far better in the trout stamp contest, placing among recognized entries seven times, including just missing the blue ribbon the last two years before winning his sixth career Delaware trout stamp competition this year. Bradford loves to paint all wildlife as well as landscapes.
Other artists recognized in this year’s Delaware contests were:
2027-28 Waterfowl Stamp
- Second place: Ryan Kniss, Johnstown, Pa.
- Third place: Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wisc.
- Honorable mentions: Richard Clifton, Milford, Del.; Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind.; Matthew Higgins, Kersey, Pa.
2027 Trout Stamp
- Second place: Christopher White, Port Deposit, Md.
- Third place: Trevor Dumaw, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- Honorable mentions: Jeffrey Klinefelter, Etna Green, Ind.; Christopher White, Port Deposit, Md; JB Basham, North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
The winning 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available for purchase July 1, 2027, with the winning 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp available for purchase Jan. 1, 2027.
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $4.2 million has been raised. A Delaware waterfowl stamp and hunting license are required for most waterfowl hunters.
Delaware began requiring trout stamps for anglers in the 1950s, and a Delaware Trout Stamp and a general fishing license are required for most anglers to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Funds from the sale of these stamps are used to purchase trout to stock in select streams in northern New Castle County and in two downstate ponds.
More information about Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp contest can be found on the de.gov/waterfowlstamp webpage. For more information about the Trout Stamp contest visit the de.gov/troutstamp webpage.