When a winner is announced Saturday in Bloomington for the 2009 federal Duck Stamp contest, the artist will reap national attention and likely a financial windfall.

That's because wildlife art -- once obscure -- is a big business, thanks in part to Bill Webster of Frontenac, Minn., who was instrumental in whetting America's appetite for it. Webster, 83, founded Wild Wings gallery in Lake City in 1967, which started selling limited edition wildlife prints.

He has watched the evolution of wildlife art over the years and helped make Minnesota the leader in producing it. Fifteen Minnesota artists have won 23 federal Duck Stamp contests. Minnesotans have 40 of the 270 entries in this year's contest -- the most of any state.

The winner's art will be represented on nearly two million stamps sold to hunters and collectors, and will be reproduced as limited edition prints and sold nationwide. The stamps and prints probably will appreciate in value over time. The winning art likely will be stunning, and will realistically depict a duck or goose.

But that wasn't always the case.

"In the earlier days of wildlife art, the technical part of ducks and pheasants in flight was marginal at best," Webster said, "because people basically were painting scenery with a few ducks in it." There was little detail.

That changed beginning in the 1940s.

"Photography changed wildlife art," said Webster, who sold Wild Wings to Cabela's in 2002. Artists examined photos or film of ducks and replicated the details of a bird rather than painting it more abstractly.

"That's what people wanted, realism in wildlife art. That's when feather painting came into being instead of 'loose' art. The camera has made a significant difference in how wildlife art is painted today," he said.

Still, the wildlife art business was fledgling.

"When I started Wild Wings, there was no wildlife art, none, as far as flat art prints go. There was a void. We couldn't make prints fast enough. People wanted wildlife and sporting art."

The business exploded, and many artists enjoyed the boom. "We've sold more federal duck stamps and prints than anyone else," Webster said.

More artists came on the scene. But eventually, demand peaked, then dropped as the vacuum was filled.

"When prints first started being published, almost anyone could do a painting and reproduce it and sell X number of prints," said Dave Maass, 78, of Long Lake, a two-time federal Duck Stamp winner and acclaimed Minnesota wildlife artist. "It's just not that way anymore. The buying public is a lot fussier now. There aren't as many people collecting stamps and prints as there once were."

A factor that drove sales of wildlife art was that stamps, and some limited edition prints, could appreciate in value. The first federal Duck Stamp, painted by Jay (Ding) Darling, could be worth up to $18,000, in perfect condition, Webster said. A print of Frank Benson's 1935 stamp -- the second Duck Stamp -- might be worth $9,000. Only 100 were printed.

But wildlife art -- like other art -- isn't created equal. Some artwork appreciates in value, others might not.

"Good art is good art," Webster said. "I always tell people: Buy it because you like it. If it increases in value, you've gained twice."

There are no guarantees -- for either the artist or the buyer of a print from a federal Duck Stamp winner, Webster said.

"Some years, the artist really doesn't get the boost of winning, not because the art isn't strong, but because he's never found the success as an artist in wildlife and sporting art," he said.

Prints of those winning stamp designs might not grow much in value.

But that's generally not the case with well-established and highly acclaimed artists such as Maass or Minnesota's Hautman brothers -- Bob, Joe and Jim, Webster said.

"The Hautmans are good examples: They are very strong artists. They aren't winning by chance. Remember, each time there are five new judges. They win because their art is good."

Another factor affecting Duck Stamp sales, and probably wildlife art sales, is a decline in young hunters nationwide. Both Webster and Maass -- avid duck hunters -- are concerned that will hurt wildlife conservation efforts. Duck stamps have generated $760 million to purchase or lease 5.2 million acres of waterfowl habitat. Minnesotans bought 34,000 fewer federal Duck Stamps in 2006 (103,000) than they bought in 1999 (137,000).

"My biggest concern is that young people don't have the same interest, because of the lack of ducks," Webster said. "I used to look out over Lake Pepin and watch tens of thousands of canvasbacks and redheads migrate through twice a year. I don't see that anymore."

Said Maass: "We have to do something about it ... we have to keep young people interested."

Still, there's plenty of excitement this week over the Duck Stamp competition, being held in Minnesota for the first time.

"Wildlife art isn't going away," Webster said.

Doug Smith • doug.smith@startribune.com

See more photos with Bill Webster, and all 23 of Minnesota's winning duck stamps online at startribune.com/outdoors