Westpex Retrospective

Chapter Four: State and Local
Waterfowl Stamps

 

The state and local chapter is the heart of the story. It is at the state level that the vast majority of licensing and regulation takes place. From a waterfowl management perspective, it is the state and local level where most species population data is gathered. This data is funneled to federal agencies in Washington and forms the basis for nation-wide hunting season lengths and bag limits. As a whole, this chapter also has the highest degree of difficulty of acquisition in the exhibit. There are many different individual stamps and even entire series of stamps used in relatively small areas that had minuscule numbers printed and issued. It can take a lifetime to acquire a first-rate collection of state and local waterfowl stamps. Chapter four of this exhibit includes nearly every major waterfowl rarity recorded and compares favorably to the waterfowl stamp representation in my Classic State and Local Fish and Game Stamps exhibit. Highlights:

 

Undated Pymatuning Lake Hunting Stamp on 1937 Ohio License. Arguably the single most important stamp usage in the entire hobby. The Pymatuning Hunting stamps were required solely to hunt waterfowl on Pymatuning Lake (actually a reservoir). This series has the greatest overall difficulty of acquisition in the hobby, with the least difficult stamp, 1945 (see Figure 5) having three confirmed examples recorded.

For over 50 years, the 1938 Pymatuning Hunting stamp was thought to be the first state-issued waterfowl stamp, and combined with the fact that it was unique, earned it the title of the “British Guiana” of the waterfowl stamp hobby. Starting in the 1990s, collectors became aware of the first of two recorded Pymatuning hunting stamps without a printed year date (both off-license). My research showed Ohio did in fact authorize the Pymatuning stamps just prior to the waterfowl seasons of 1937. However, there was no evidence to confirm the undated stamps were from that year. The 1937 Ohio license in this exhibit, bearing both the undated Pymatuning and 1937-38 federal waterfowl stamps, provides confirmation that the stamps were indeed issued in 1937 and are, therefore, the first state waterfowl stamps. In an exhibit featuring several Holy Grails, this is the biggest (see Figure 40).

 

 

 

 

1941 and 1942 Pymatuning waterfowl stamps used on license. Of the nine different Pymatuning waterfowl stamps that have been recorded, six are included in this exhibit. This represents incontrovertible difficulty of acquisition and is the second largest grouping of these stamps ever assembled (see Figures 41a and b).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1940 Marion County Fishing stamp on license. Although not issued for waterfowl hunting, this stamp is an integral part of the waterfowl license and stamp story in the U.S. When Marion County Park and Lake was originally conceived, waterfowl hunting was not in the plans. The lake was built and stocked for fishing, hence the red fishing stamp issued on opening day in May of 1940 (see Figure 42). The following winter migrating ducks spotted the lake and descended upon it in large numbers. Only then was it decided to allow waterfowl hunting.

 

 

 

 

1941 Marion County Water Fowl Stamp. The Marion County stamps are fascinating and have long intrigued collectors. The stamps were issued only to residents of Marion County, and were part of a discriminatory policy whereby non-county residents were charged more that ten times the resident fee to hunt on the lake. Since they were intended for a relatively small population of hunters, few were printed and even fewer issued. Combine that with a major flood in the early 1950s that destroyed virtually all paper items in the town of Marion, and the Marion County stamp series has the second highest difficulty of acquisition in the hobby. There are three recorded used examples of the 1941 stamp (the only stamp in the hobby to split “waterfowl” into two words); one on license and two off license. This is the finest of the latter, with the other example being badly creased and partially separated. The first local waterfowl stamp and the second-biggest Holy Grail in the exhibit (see Figure 43).

 

 

 

 

1945 Marion County duck stamp on license. Perhaps the greatest Ebay find in the history of the hobby, this license bears one of three examples recorded of this early Marion County stamp. One of the few flood survivors not to originate from the Jerry Mullikin find (see Figure 44).

 

 

 

 

Starting in 1954, remainders entered the collector market; however, the number of stamps printed remained low. Crude typesetting at the local newspaper office led to several notable errors, the most famous with “Duck” misspelled “Dusk” (Figure 46). In 1968, a new federal reservoir was constructed nearby which attracted the waterfowl flying through Marion County and offered the birds protection from hunting. By 1973, stamp sales had dropped 92%. Only 50 stamps were printed and five sold to hunters in 1973, the last year of issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1951 Illinois Daily Usage Stamp. When those in the military returned home from World War II (WW2), they needed a place to hunt that was affordable. At this time, many of the prime waterfowl hunting areas in the country were dominated by expensive private duck or goose clubs. Recognizing the need, states began to establish and operate public hunting grounds. The State of Illinois was the first to employ stamps at their sites. The exhibitor explains how the stamps were used. The key thing to note is that all stamps were required to be returned to the site supervisor at the end of the hunt. For this reason (although site compliance was not 100% and some persistent collectors had stamps given to them), the stamps have a fairly high degree of difficulty of acquisition. The highest number of examples recorded for any pre-1973 stamp is 36. For over 50 years the 1953 Illinois Daily Usage stamp was the earliest recorded, although records showed that the stamps were used in 1951. In the last ten years, two examples of the 1951 stamp have been recorded (see Figure 47).

 

 

 

 

1953 Illinois Daily Usage pair. For decades the 1953 stamp was the earliest recorded. It is still a fairly difficult stamp to acquire although the number of recorded examples has grown over time. My census now stands at 14 on this stamp. The interesting thing about the pair in this exhibit is that it has two diamond shaped hole punches. This is evidence the hunter’s blind was checked by a game warden for compliance. If two hunters were sharing the blind, their permit or stand by card needed two daily usage stamps to be affixed (see Figure 48).

 

 

 

 

1954 and 1955 Illinois Daily Usage stamps. The early Illinois Daily Usage section of this exhibit is one of its most powerful components and represents the the most complete assemblage extant. The daily usage stamps from 1954 and 1955 are the only recorded examples (see Figure 49).

 

 

 

 

1972 Illinois Daily Usage block of four. Fish and game collectors were given erroneous information in 1972. They were told that no daily usage stamps were printed for that year and that tickets, similar to theater tickets, were issued in their place (this actually started in 1973). The block of four of the $3.00 stamp in this exhibit includes four of the eight examples recoded (see Figure 50).

 

 

 

 

1975 Illinois migratory Waterfowl stamp pane of ten. While the first Illinois mgiratory waterfowl stamp is not especially difficult to acquire as an unused single, full panes are a different story. A beautiful and impressive showpiece (see Figure 51).

 

 

 

 

1956 Honey Lake Stamp. In 1956, California became the second state to employ adhesive stamps at their public hunting grounds. Stamps were issued for two areas in Northern California, Honey Lake and Madeline Plains. Only 18 stamps were issued for Madeline Plains” and no surviving examples have been recorded to date. At Honey Lake, 236 stamps were sold and three used examples have been recorded, one on license and two off. The stamp in this exhibit is the finest of the latter, the other copy having a sealed tear (see Figures 2 and  52).

 

 

 

 

1958 Honey Lake stamp on license. The first three Honey Lake stamps are very difficult to acquire. Of the total number of examples recorded for the three stamps combined, only two are on license; one from 1956 and the one in this exhibit from 1958 (see Figure 53).

 

 

 

 

1981 Honey Lake stamp on license. Following the 1974-75 waterfowl seasons, the California Department of Fish and Game decided to allow collectors to purchase unused remainders of the Honey Lake stamps at a discount. This practice continued until the stamps were discontinued in 1986. Following the 1981-82 season, a clerk made an egregious mistake and destroyed all the remainders immediately after auditing and before any collector could purchase one. For this reason, no unused examples of the 1981-82 stamp have been recorded. Further, less stamps were sold to hunters (251) than at any time since the 1950s and less than ten used examples have been recorded. Only one has been recorded on license and is featured in this exhibit (see Figure 54).