A gray fox photographed in Washington County by Todd Hawkins of Marietta will be the face of Ohio’s 2027 Wildlife Legacy Stamp. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife announced that Hawkins’ photo was selected from a field of 99 wildlife images entered in the 18th annual legacy stamp photo contest.
The contest theme this year was mammals, and entries were judged on originality, composition, technical excellence, and overall beauty. Diana Yatson of Strongsville earned second place with a photo of a river otter pair, and Troy Nemitz of Milan won third place with a red fox photo, according to the Division of Wildlife.
The gray fox is a carnivore found in Ohio’s forested regions — Washington County’s hills and woods, in Ohio’s southeast, are prime gray fox country. The species has a salt-and-pepper-colored coat and a distinctive black tip on its tail, which helps separate it from the related red fox, whose tail is tipped in white.
Gray foxes are also unusual among wild dogs for their ability to climb trees, a skill they use to escape predators and reach food. They typically eat a variety of small mammals, but also consume insects, birds, eggs, fruits, and nuts, according to the Division of Wildlife.
Buying an Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp is a way for people to directly contribute to the future management of Ohio’s wildlife, the division says. All of the stamp’s proceeds go to wildlife conservation, with most benefiting species of greatest conservation need through the Wildlife Diversity Fund, and the Division of Wildlife donates $1 from every stamp sold to the Southern Wings program, which protects the overwintering habitats of migratory birds that pass through Ohio.
The legacy stamp program is now in its 18th year of pairing Ohio wildlife photography with conservation funding. The current 2026 stamp, featuring a killdeer photographed by Jennifer Beck of Lyndhurst, remains on sale, and stamp holders can also receive a discount on stays at nine of Ohio’s state park lodges.
The 2027 stamp, featuring Hawkins’ gray fox, goes on sale March 1, 2027, priced at $15, and purchase includes a commemorative card. Each year, the stamp features a different species of Ohio’s diverse wildlife — and for 2027, that species was photographed close to home, in Washington County.