As J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel celebrates the latest Federal Duck Stamp Contest win for James “Jim” Hautman – the only seven-time winner and a long-time friend of the refuge – “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge looks at the long, entwined relationship between the duck stamp program and the refuge.
The refuge’s namesake, Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, was instrumental in creating the Federal Duck Stamp program in 1934 and designed the first duck stamp himself. As head of the agency today known as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Darling – also a Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist – championed the conservation of wetlands. Since its inception, the duck stamp program has preserved more than 6 million acres of fragile habitat across the U.S. and its territories.
Since that first duck stamp, which waterfowl hunters today are required to carry, a competition annually selects the winning duck stamp design for the following year July 1 to June 30. Ninety-two duck stamps through the years have become highly collectible entities. After the design first was selected by competition in 1949, winning the Duck Stamp Contest has become the top honor for wildlife artists. As part of their award contract, winning duck stamp artists agree to make a personal appearance at “Ding” Darling Refuge.
In October 2007, the FWS celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Duck Stamp Contest of the prestigious art competition on Sanibel Island to honor Darling. All contests were held in Washington, D.C., or Memphis, Tenn., before that time.
Joseph “Joe” Hautman won the 75th contest. Already by then, the three Hautman brothers, including Robert “Bob,” had made a name for themselves in the world of federal duck stamps. The three Minnesota brothers even made in into the script for the 1996 hit comedic movie Fargo.
To date, Jim has won seven contests, Joe has won six, and Bob three. Jim broke the tie with his brother, Joe, on Sep. 19, 2025, at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Md., with an acrylic painting of three bufflehead ducks. His artwork will become the 2026-2027 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, as it is formally known, which goes on sale in late June 2026.
“We are all so super excited for Jim and his family,” said DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman. “They are a huge part of our ‘Ding’ family, and we can’t wait to welcome Jim back in October 2026 for a special celebration of Darling’s 150th birthday. We’re hoping all three of them are able to make it, as they did in 2023 after Joe’s sixth win.”
Wildman has a special connection with the Hautmans. Her late husband, Don, a former DDWS board member, befriended the brothers early in their careers and encouraged them, along with their father, to enter the federal contest. At one time, he owned 13 original first place federals by the Hautmans, a collection recently housed in the Bruce Museum in Connecticut. He would often lend them to the refuge to display.
Former board president, the late Jim Sprankle, also became close to the family. An accomplished wildlife sculptor himself, Sprankle judged two duck stamp contests, including the one held on Sanibel in 2007.
“You can’t talk about the duck stamp program without talking about ‘Ding,’” said Wildman. “October 2026 will bring a whole lot of talking about both to Sanibel Island. Besides the Hautmans, we are planning appearances from Teddy Roosevelt reprisor Joe Wiegand and ‘Ding’ Darling reprisor Tom Milligan. Jim will be signing duck stamps, and we are envisioning a Hautman art exhibition and sale. I imagine ‘Ding’ would be plenty proud of our efforts to keep his artistic and conservation legacy alive.”