Support Ohio's Wildlife!

The 2023 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp is available for purchase.

Buying an Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp allows wildlife enthusiasts the opportunity to directly impact the future of Ohio’s native animals. For $15 you’ll receive a collectible stamp, window cling, and commemorative card.

Fourteen dollars of every $15 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp sold are invested in the state’s Wildlife Diversity Fund. This fund supports habitat restoration, wildlife and habitat research projects, creation of wildlife educational materials, and efforts that restore and conserve endangered and threatened species. No state tax dollars are contributed to this fund.

The stamp proceeds support:

• habitat restoration, land purchases and conservation easements
• keeping common species common
• endangered & threatened native species
• educational products for students and wildlife enthusiasts
• wildlife and habitat research projects

Purchasing Options

Online 

Order a stamp for $15 through the Ohio's Wildlife Licensing System at home or at any store that sells hunting and fishing licenses. At home, follow the prompts, select this license year and your residency, then continue through the purchase. The Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp is at the bottom of the license list. At the store, tell the clerk you'd like to purchase a Legacy Stamp. You will receive your stamp in the mail in about four to six weeks, whether you buy from home or at a store. 

Mail-in Form

To order the current Legacy Stamp or a past stamp for $15, print and send the Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp Mail Order Form. Ordering bulk purchase of 25 or more stamps reduces the cost to $13 each. Discount is available by mail order only.

Get State Park Discounts with Your Stamp!

Eight Ohio State Park Lodges are supporting the state’s outdoor enthusiasts by offering room discounts to anyone with valid Ohio fishing, hunting or trapping licenses and to those holding an Ohio Wildlife Legacy stamp.

• Burr Oak State Park Lodge 
• Deer Creek State Park Lodge 
• Hocking Hills State Park Lodge
• Hueston Woods State Park Lodge
• Maumee Bay State Park Lodge
• Mohican State Park Lodge 
• Punderson Manor State Park Lodge
• Salt Fork State Park Lodge
• Shawnee State Park Lodge

Those holding the Wildlife Legacy stamp receive a 25% discount, and those with a fishing, hunting or trapping license receive a 10% discount off their lodge room or cabin. Valid licenses or stamps must be presented upon check-in. The discount is available for advance reservations and those walking in to the lodges. Some blackout dates and restrictions apply.

To make advance reservations, call 1-800-282-7275 or book online and use the promo codes LICENSE or LEGACY.

Visit the Discounts on Camping & Lodging page  and the Great Ohio Lodges page for more information. 

Enter the Legacy Stamp Photo Contest

CONTEST ELIGIBILITY

The Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp Photo Contest (OWLSPC) is open to amateur and professional photographers who are residents of Ohio and who are at least 18 years of age. - Employees of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate. - The winning photographer will not be eligible to enter future OWLSPCs for two years after winning. The ODNR Division of Wildlife reserves the right to verify, in its sole judgment, winner eligibility. Entrants must not submit images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife or damage to the environment by the photographer, or infringe on the rights of any other photographer or person.

WHAT is the Subject of the 2023 Competition?

We are looking for photos of a Cedar Waxwing.

TO ENTER

Complete two entry forms that include your: name, address, telephone number, email address and photo information, and submit with your photo entry in accordance with the instructions below. All photos must be color prints. Entries can be 8x10 or 8x12 in size, and must be securely mounted on white foam core or similar material. Entries must be presented in a horizontal format. Mail entries to: ODNR Division of Wildlife Attn. Tim Daniel 2045 Morse Road, G-1 Columbus, OH 43229 Each entry must include two completed entry forms.

• The first form should be securely attached to the back of the mounting board.
• The second form should be included with a non-refundable submission processing fee of $12 made payable to: Wildlife Diversity Fund.

Only personal check or money order can be accepted – NO CASH please! Cash entries are subject to disqualification. There is no limit to the number of submissions a contestant can make; however, each submission must be made using separate entry forms and include a separate submission fee of $12. Submissions that are made without the proper forms and/or payment will be disqualified and contestants may not be notified. Contest administrators retain the right to refuse any entry that does not meet specified requirements. Submitted images will not be returned to the photographer. The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the OWLSPC entrant. By entering the OWLSPC, entrant represents, acknowledges and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, right of privacy/publicity or intellectual property right of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the photograph. Disqualifying factors include: oversized or undersized photo paper, omission of two completed entry forms, lack of entry fee, submission prior to or after stated postmark dates.

PHOTO SUBMISSION DATES

The photo contest submission period begins August 2, 2023 and ends August 13, 2023. Only entries postmarked during these dates will be accepted! JUDGING Photographs will be judged on technical excellence, composition and overall impact. All decisions by the judges will be final and binding. Winners will be notified by email or telephone by October 1, 2023. One entry will be selected as the winning photo to appear on the 2024 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp.

YOUR RIGHTS

Your photographs help support the Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp, a program that funds wildlife and habitat conservation efforts in Ohio. Thank you for helping native wildlife and plant species through your photography. You will retain all rights and ownership to any photograph you submit. By submitting a photo/s, you grant the ODNR Division of Wildlife a nonexclusive right in perpetuity, as it relates to wildlife conservation efforts, to: - Feature the images on the division’s website and social media. - Use the images in the division’s publications or presentations, such as newsletters, brochures, fundraising appeals, public service announcements, grant proposals, reports, awards, thank-you cards, displays, mailings and invitations. - Use the images in connection with the photo contest. - Keep the files provided, and to archive the images on CD or in other electronic forms, so that your photos can be used to support our mission and be properly credited. As conditions of this permission, the ODNR Division of Wildlife shall credit all images with the photographer’s full name.

LEGAL CONDITIONS

By entering this competition, you agree to these entry rules and the following legal conditions: - Participants warrant that his or her entry materials are original, do not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that participant has obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party’s property appears in the photograph. - The ODNR Division of Wildlife reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it finds in its sole discretion that any of the foregoing warranties are not true. Decisions of the ODNR Division of Wildlife shall be final and binding. By entering, participants release and hold harmless the ODNR Division of Wildlife, its affiliated organizations, and each of their directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents and representatives (collectively, the "Companies") from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or related to the OWLSPC, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by the ODNR Division of Wildlife, the warranties participants make, any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, participation in any OWLSPC-related activity, or participation in the OWLSPC. The contest is governed by the laws of the United States and is subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. All federal, state, and local taxes, fees and surcharges on prize packages are the sole responsibility of the winners. Winners may be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Release of Liability/Prize Acceptance Form. Return of any prize and/or prize notification as undeliverable or failure of any entrant to comply with any official rules may result in disqualification. If, for any reason, the OWLSPC is not capable of completion as planned, the ODNR Division of Wildlife reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the OWLSPC.

HOW TO CONTACT US

Questions and inquiries regarding the contest and its rules can be emailed to wildinfo@dnr.ohio.gov or by calling 1-800-WILDLIFE. The ODNR Division of Wildlife is not responsible for lost, damaged, late or misdirected photographs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does my money fund?

• Habitat restoration – 95% of Ohio is privately owned and we work with landowners to enhance and improve their habitat for wildlife. The Division also implements projects on a continuous basis that improves the 200,000 acres we own, as well as the additional 800,000 acres that we manage.
• Habitat acquisition – We will focus our acquisition efforts in the following manner:
• Facilitate conservation easements on riparian corridor where endangered species live.
• Purchase the most critical pieces of the landscape to complement existing high-quality habitat
• Add contiguous pieces of land to existing wildlife areas
• Educational materials – Produce materials for the public including our award-winning bird CDs and booklets, field guides, and materials for teachers.
• Without research, wildlife management would be like a ship without a rudder. Wildlife biologists use field data they collect to better understand the habits, needs and issues of Ohio’s native animals. Research is the foundation for sound wildlife management decisions.

How much does the stamp cost?
The stamp is $15. Of that amount, $14 goes to the Wildlife Diversity Fund in the ODNR Division of Wildlife, and $1 is the writing fee for handling the transaction that is kept by the license outlet. A bulk purchase of 25 or more stamps reduces the cost to $13 each. Discount is available by mail order only.

Is the stamp required to enter state wildlife areas?
No, but your purchase of this stamp will help to ensure that these areas continue to be properly managed for wildlife and that new lands can be purchased and protected from development.

Can I buy it as a gift for someone?
Yes! The stamp makes a perfect gift for your family and friends who appreciate wildlife.