The Hunt for Ducks is Expanded
State and Local Issues
It soon became evident that the federal government could not hope to run an effective waterfowl management program without the cooperation of state and local conservation agencies. State and local officials were receptive to accepting joint responsibility for the restoration of waterfowl. However, they were lacking well-trained personnel to accumulate the data necessary for adequate management and also funding to purchase and develop their own waterfowl management areas.
It was not long before some state and local governments began requiring hunters to purchase waterfowl hunting stamps. In this way, additional revenue could be generated for their own water fowl programs. For many years the state and local conservation agencies that used stamps did not have collectors in mind when designing their stamps. The stamps were solely intended to serve in licensing roles. For this reason, the vast majority of early state and local waterfowl stamps featured printed text only.
In 1937, Ohio became the first state government to issue waterfowl stamps. Ohio residents wishing to hunt on Pymatuning Lake, a large reservoir straddling the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, were required to purchase a special Pymatuning hunting stamp in addition to the federal waterfowl stamp and affix both to their state hunting license (see Figure 2). This series was discontinued prior to the start of the 1946 season.
Figure 2. This undated Pymatuning waterfowl stamp was issued during the 1937 seasons.
In 1941, Marion County, Kansas became the first local government to issue waterfowl stamps. County residents were required to purchase a stamp and affix it to their state hunting license before hunting waterfowl on Marion County Lake (see Figure 3).
Figure 3. In 1941 marion County, Kansas became the first local government to require the purchase of a stamp to hunt waterfowl. Shown here used on license with 1941-42 federal waterfowl and Kansas quail stamps.
The 1943 Marion County hunting stamps were the first issued by any level of government In the U.S. to bear the inscription “Duck Stamp.” Although discontinued following the 1973 season, the Marion County stamps rank second only to the federal stamps as the longest consecutively issued series of waterfowl stamps in the U.S. (see Figures 4 and 5).
Figure 4. In 1943 Marion County issued the first true duck stamp in the world.
Figure 5. Only 50 stamps were printed and five sold in 1973. This brought to an end the longest running series of state or local stamps in the 20th Century – second overall to the federals.
Following WWII, another major waterfowl crisis developed in the U.S. The simultaneous return of thousands of American soldiers led to an unprecedented hunting boom across the country. For some regions, the Increased hunting pressure caused waterfowl populations to decline dramatically.
During this time. South Dakota received much national attention for its ability to maintain a large net production of ducks. This placed pressure on South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks officials to maximize duck production. Duck production is related to the amount of suitable habitat available for breeding. In the late 1940s an added drought brought about a full blown crisis. Therefore, in 1949 South Dakota became the first state government to issue waterfowl stamps which were required statewide (see Figures 6 and 7). The revenue obtained from the sale of these stamps in 1949 and 1950 was used to purchase and develop additional waterfowl habitat for the “Duck Factory.”
Figure 6. In 1949 South Dakota issued the first waterfowl stamps required statewide.
Figure 7. After 1950, the crisis subsided and the stamps were discontinued.
The waterfowl crisis of the 1940s subsided in the early 1950s. However, the demand for public hunting grounds, which also arose following WWII, continued to increase. In large part to satisfy this demand,many state conservation agencies purchased and developed additional waterfowl management areas at this time. While some portions of these served as refuge and feeding areas, other portions were opened to public hunting at appropriate times of the year. In the 1950s, California and Illinois began issuing stamps which they required hunters to purchase when using such areas. In California, waterfowl stamps were issued for the Honey Lake and Madeline Plains Waterfowl management areas. Illinois issued “daily usage” stamps which were used at various public hunting grounds throughout the state (see Figures8 and 9). Through the 20th Century, the Honey Lake stamps were the longest consecutively issued series of waterfowl stamps by any state government (1956 to 1986). The daily usage stamps are still being used today and have been issued over an even longer period of time, although not consecutively (1953 to the present).
Figure 8. 1956-57 Honey lake waterfowl stamp, formally in the Vanderford collection.
Figure 10. The earliest Illinois Daily Usage stamps recorded are from 1951 and imperforate. Starting in 1952, the stamps were perforated and remained similar through 1972.