Finding Minnesota: Master Wildlife Artist
Tens of thousands of hunters will head out to the lakes and duck marshes next weekend, for Minnesota's waterfowl opener. It's an annual tradition for many families.
David Maass is one Minnesotan who gets more out of his hunting trips than most. While a few of his close friends and family members know of his talent with a gun, there are people around the world who know Maass's name because of his talent with a brush.
He is one of the most prolific wildlife artists in the world.
"I try to make them look the way they look to me," said Maass, "and apparently they may look that way to some other people too, because it's been a successful business."
In more than 50 years of commercial painting, nearly half a million David Maass prints have been sold -- in books, calendars and private commissions.
He's won multiple duck stamp contests, and three times has been named Ducks Unlimited's International Artist of the Year. In 1997, U.S. Art honored Maass with the title of Master Artist.
"I certainly enjoy being out," he said. "I enjoy seeing -- just seeing a flock of geese go over, it still gives me a big thrill."
But the more years he spends outdoors, the more concerned Maass gets about all the development encroaching on Minnesota's lakes.
"They want to clear everything between them and the lake," he said, "and then they fertilize their lawns and all of the runoff goes into the lakes and causes problems."
Maass has been quietly doing something about it. He's helped raise tens of millions of dollars for waterfowl habitat, by letting wildlife groups such as Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited and The Rough Grouse Society use his artwork for fundraising.
"Each one that I do, I try to do better," he said.
Maass has now painted every species of waterfowl that's native to North America, and he's hoping to keep up the interest in hunting.
"There are not near as many young people doing it now," he said, "and of course it's the hunters that pay for conservation."
While Maass is out hunting next weekend, some of his artwork will be on sale at the Wild Wings Fall Festival in Lake City. It's an event featuring artwork from 30 wildlife artists -- from the United States and Canada.
