Winning photos will be featured on new hard-card hunting and fishing licenses

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites wildlife photographers to enter its new waterfowl photo contest. The winning entry will be the featured image on new DNR hard card hunting and fishing licenses that will be available later this year. Entries for this inaugural contest will be accepted through March 31, 2025.

DNR this year will offer hard card licenses as part of a new licensing and registration portal, scheduled to be rolled out in spring 2025. These collectable hard cards–which are similar in appearance to a credit card–will be limited editions and serve as a durable hard copy of state hunting or fishing licenses. In addition, the winning photo will also be featured on DNR’s 2026 calendar and potentially win prizes in DNR’s annual photo contest later this year, including the $700 grand prize.

The waterfowl photo contest is the successor to the Maryland Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest, which ended in 2023 as the physical waterfowl stamp is no longer required or produced.

The waterfowl photo contest entry fee starts at $10; contest rules and procedures are available on the DNR website. A ll photos will be entered automatically into the 2025 DNR Photo Contest and be eligible for prizes in that contest. For the waterfowl photo contest only, the deadline to submit is March 31, 2025. More information about the broader 2025 DNR photo contest will be released later this year.