Duck stamps as stocking stuffers

Stymied for a gift idea? Consider these reasons, offered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to purchase a duck stamp for someone on your holiday shopping list.

Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as “duck stamps,” feature paintings and are not valid for postage. Originally created in 1934 as the federal licenses required for hunting migratory waterfowl, Federal Duck Stamps now are a vital tool for wetland conservation, according to USFWS.

10 reasons why the Federal Duck Stamp is the perfect holiday gift

A duck stamp is:

· Food and Shelter for the Needy
The lands purchased with Federal Duck Stamp revenue provide the necessary habitat for ducks, geese and other wildlife. While partridges and turtledoves might not necessarily frequent wetlands secured with your Duck Stamp purchase, it’s nice to know they could do so in a pinch.

· An Investment for the Next Generation
If you wish to help ensure a place for our nation’s children to watch birds, hunt, hike and spend quality time outdoors, giving duck stamps is a wise investment.

· A Ticket to Adventure
The stamp provides its owner free admission to any national wildlife refuge open to the public that normally charges an entrance fee. The stamp is required for waterfowl hunting.

· Inexpensive... and Meaningful
The $15 gift category is littered with trivial, throw-away contrivances. The duck stamp rises above them all.

· Collectible
Stamp collecting is an exciting “hobby of the future” according to many philatelists (stamp enthusiasts).

· Money Not Wasted
You can take pride in the fact that 98 cents of every dollar of the duck stamp program revenue goes directly to purchasing wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

· Easy to Buy
You can pick them up at your local post office, through the mail, even online. Call your local post office to check for availability before going there to mail your packages. Purchase them at major sporting goods stores that sell hunting and fishing licenses, through Amplex Corp. (the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service distributor) at 800-852-4897 or though United States Postal Service mail-order: 800-782-6724.

· Easy to Carry
Fruitcakes, while resilient, cannot be carried in your back pocket. The duck stamp is eminently portable.

· Easy to Wrap
If you buy enough of them, you can even plaster the self-adhesive version all over a gift box for a quick and unique festive wrap.

· Joy
The joy of doing good for people and the outdoor world they love. The joy of spreading holiday music: the honk of geese, the trill of blackbirds, the whisper of wind through the marsh-grass.