Information is starting to roll in regarding the 2001 state duck stamps. A number of states have selected the artwork for their stamps, others have at least determined the species that will be featured on the duck stamp. Alabama will feature a ruddy duck by H. Andrew McNeely, his first for the state. Illinois offers up another dog stamp, the third year in a row for Jim Killen. 2001 will feature a pintail and yellow lab. Indiana has selected hooded merganser by Jeffrey Klinefelter, who also won the South Carolina contest, painting mallards. His winning entry will be available for viewing at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, February 15-18, 2001. Michigan will picture a ruddy duck by Kim Diment, the first time a woman has done the artwork for the Michigan stamp. Of the 24 entries in the contest, 12 were submitted by women, a very pleasing total to contest coordinator, Bob Bissonette. Bob Hautman, who just won the federal contest, will offer a double-feature to Minnesota hunters, with his winning design of a black duck. This makes him the first three-time winner for Minnesota, after having also won in 1988 and 1992. This is also the first time that an artist has won both the federal and home state contest for the same license year. Hautman, an avid hunter, will certainly have a terrific collector item at the end of the hunting season. (Note: three other artist have had artwork featured on both the federal and their home state stamp in the same year, but in all case the state stamps were commissioned designs. These include Neal Anderson in 1994 - Nebraska; Wil Goebel in 1996 - New Jersey; and Robert Steiner in 1998 - California. Hautman’s double-play is the first time an artist has achieved this in an open competition.) In addition, the 2001 New Jersey stamp will feature a design by Bob Hautman, a tundra swan at Sledge Island, part of New Jersey’s Habitat 2000 Landmark series. Brian Blight will provide the artwork for Ohio, featuring canvasbacks; Keith Mueller is up again for Rhode Island also canvasbacks along with mallards. George Lockwood will paint an oldsquaw for Vermont and Brent Todd’s design of white-tail deer will be on the Wyoming conservation stamp. Maine will feature a wood duck, and Oklahoma a Canada goose, but the artist has not yet been chosen. It looks like an exciting year coming up for the state duck stamps, the good news being the continuation of so many state programs and what we are sure will be fantastic artwork by some of America’s best wildlife artists.