It's the time of year when people get dressed up so as not to be seen. No, this has nothing to do with Halloween. This is all about duck season, which starts now. Unlike hunting for deer, pheasant and other game where hunters wear bright colors to avoid being accidentally shot, duck hunting requires that one wear serious camouflage, to hide from the eagle-eyed waterfowl.

The main indicator of this season is the design release from the new Federal Revenue Waterfowl design competition. The winning painting is by a renowned wildlife artist, and will appear on the next duck stamp.

Some nonhunters have viewed duck stamps as negative — sort of a "passport to death." Their viewpoint is based on the fact that in order to hunt waterfowl, one of the stamps must be on the hunting license. Anyone 16 years old or older who hunts without a license and duck stamp can get fined a large sum of money. However, the purpose of the stamps is actually not to find a way to fine hunters. And, unlike many government programs, duck stamps work like a charm.

Because of the stamps, over six million acres of wetlands and similar restricted areas have been purchased expressly for duck, geese and other waterfowl to mate, grow and thrive. Amazingly, 98 percent of the proceeds from the stamps go directly to conserving wildlife habitat vital to birds, fish, mammals and plants. Again, hardly any government programs are as successful.

Since their first appearance in 1934, hunters, wildlife enthusiasts, conservationists and stamp collectors have sought out the stamps. Cartoonist and wildlife fanatic Jay N. "Ding" Darling crafted the design for the first stamp. It was also his idea for the funds from the stamps to go towards the purchase of wetlands. Compared to today's detail-oriented artistic designs, Darling's image of two ducks landing in water was admittedly elementary. But it worked.

Although nearly every waterfowl stamp previously issued has featured huntable ducks and geese, the stamp released for 2016 contains a design that acts as proof of the stamp's true purpose. It depicts a pair of trumpeter swans, in flight, over a wetland prairie.

When it comes to trumpeter swans, shooting them is illegal. Ask any hunter and they'll attest that anyone with a brain will ardently avoid shooting one. One reason is that they are majestic. Conservationists and responsible hunters revere them. Another reason is that the penalty levied by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for killing a trumpeter swan is more than most people could afford.

As a waterfowl, the current population of trumpeter swans is proof of the stamp's success. Around 1900, about 70 of the swans were seen in the Greater Yellowstone area, where a flock was known to reside. Today, more than 3,600 swans have been reported to live there. Another 17,000 are said to be living in Canada and other parts of the U.S. Their numbers have grown so much that Canada has removed them from "at risk" status.

The artist behind the new stamp is Joseph Hautman. If the name is even vaguely familiar, it's because this is his fifth design that has won the federal competition. The familiarity may also come from the movie "Fargo." In the film, Marge Gunderson's husband, Norm, enters the Duck Stamp competition and is beat by Hautman. On top of that, Hautman and his brothers, James and Robert, are collectively responsible for a total of 11 Federal Duck stamps.

The new stamps will be sold in post offices, Wal-Mart and hunting stores early next year. One aspect that has differentiated duck stamps from regular collectible postage stamps is that the issuance is only available for a limited time. After two or three years, all unsold duck stamps are destroyed. As a result, they have become highly collectible and often hold or increase in value over time.

Until that time, they are clearly one of the most beautiful pieces of small art produced.

To find out more about Peter Rexford visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.