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REFUGE/DDWS
Brothers Jim, Bob and Joe Hautman.
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REFUGE/DDWS
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As the 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 longtime friend of the refuge — the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge (DDWS) is taking a look at the long, entwined relationship between the duck stamp program and 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 and Wildlife Service (FWS), he — also a Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist — championed the conservation of wetlands. Since its inception, the program has preserved more than six million acres of fragile habitat across the United States and its territories.
The DDWS reported that since the stamp, which waterfowl hunters today are required to carry, a competition annually selects the winning design from July through June for the following year. Ninety-two duck stamps through the years have become highly collectible entities. After the design first was selected by competition in 1949, winning the contest has become the top honor for wildlife artists. As part of their award contract, the winners agree to make a personal appearance at the Sanibel refuge.
In 2007, the FWS celebrated the 75th anniversary of the contest of the art competition on Sanibel to honor Darling. All contests were held in Washington, D.C., or Memphis, Tennessee, before that.
Joseph “Joe” Hautman won the 75th contest. Already by then, the three brothers — including Robert “Bob” Hautman — had made a name for themselves in the world of federal duck stamps. The Minnesota brothers even made the script for the 1996 comedic movie, “Fargo.”
To date, Jim has won seven contests, Joe has won six, and Bob three. Jim broke the tie with Joe on Sep. 19 at the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland, with an acrylic painting of three bufflehead ducks. His artwork will become the 2026-27 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, as it is formally known, which will go on sale in June.
“We are all so super excited for Jim and his family,” DDWS Executive Director Ann-Marie Wildman said. “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.”
The DDWS noted that 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 contest. At one time, he owned 13 original first place federals by the Hautmans, 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, he judged two contests, including the one held on Sanibel in 2007.
“You can’t talk about the duck stamp program without talking about ‘Ding,’” she said. “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.”