GEORGETOWN, Del. - Georgetown artist George Bradford has won Delaware’s trout stamp art competition for the sixth time, while Connecticut artist Jonathan Milo took first place in the state’s annual waterfowl stamp contest.
Bradford’s painting of a rainbow trout will appear on the 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp. Milo’s painting featuring a goldeneye duck will be featured on the 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp.
“The artistic talent exhibited today made both stamp contests extremely competitive,” DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Pat Emory said. “The breadth of experience and perspectives in the artwork DNREC receives for the contests is always impressive, whether they’re coming from a federal duck stamp winner or an artist entering their first state competition. Which is to say we encourage artists of all skill levels whose work reflects these sporting and wildlife interests to keep ‘em coming.”
Bradford first entered Delaware’s trout and waterfowl stamp contests in 1993. He has earned recognition seven times in the trout competition and narrowly missed first place during each of the past two years.
This year’s victory marks Bradford’s sixth Delaware trout stamp competition win, 27 years after he earned his first blue ribbon. Bradford has also placed in the waterfowl competition, including a second-place finish in 2021.
As the 2027 trout stamp winner, Bradford receives a $250 cash prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of his artwork.
Milo, of Monroe, Connecticut, will receive a $2,500 cash prize and 150 artist’s proofs from the limited-edition print series featuring his winning waterfowl entry. A longtime professional illustrator and artist, Milo specializes in wildlife and outdoor sporting art, particularly fish and fishing subjects. His work has appeared in Outdoor Life, Sporting Classics, Gray’s Sporting Journal and American Angler magazine.
The competitions drew 13 entries for the 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and eight for the 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp. Waterfowl entries were required to feature a goldeneye duck in the Delaware Bay, while trout artists could depict a rainbow, brook or brown trout.
Ryan Kniss of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, finished second in the waterfowl competition, followed by Caleb Metrich of Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Honorable mentions went to Richard Clifton of Milford, Delaware; Jeffrey Klinefelter of Etna Green, Indiana; and Matthew Higgins of Kersey, Pennsylvania.
Christopher White of Port Deposit, Maryland, placed second in the trout competition, while Trevor Dumaw of Colorado Springs, Colorado, finished third. Honorable mentions went to Klinefelter, White and JB Basham of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Five judges separately evaluated and scored entries in each competition in person. The waterfowl judges were Elio Battista of the Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish; DNREC biologist Jessica Paoletti; Delaware waterfowler and stamp collector Drew Clendaniel; Delaware artist Heather Swyka; and Keith Windsor, state chair of the Ducks Unlimited Delaware chapter.
Trout stamp judges were White Clay Fly Fishers Club members Ed O’Connell and Sam Palermo; State Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish member Garry Grier; retired Delaware State University art professor Roberta Tucci; and DNREC Fisheries Section environmental scientist Steven Luell.
The 2027 Delaware Trout Stamp is scheduled to go on sale Jan. 1, 2027. The 2027-28 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp is expected to become available July 1, 2027.
Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and print program began in 1980 through a partnership between the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife and Ducks Unlimited. The program has raised more than $4.2 million for waterfowl conservation, including the acquisition and improvement of wetland habitats used by migratory waterfowl.
DNREC said the First State has required trout stamps for anglers since the 1950s. Money generated through trout stamp sales helps purchase trout that are stocked in selected streams in northern New Castle County and two ponds downstate.
