The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission will consider changes to big game regulations March 20 at a meeting in Lexington.

The meeting begins at 8 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, 2605 Plum Creek Parkway. The public is invited.

Most significant of the recommended big game amendments is an increase in the River Antlerless Unit deer permit quota from 7,000 to 12,000. If adopted, this is expected to maintain hunting pressure on white-tailed deer in prime habitat on private land, where high deer herd numbers can develop the fastest. The permit allows for the harvest of two antlerless white-tailed deer with weapons legal for each season. The unit comprises land along many of Nebraska’s major rivers.

Another recommendation creates a system of preference points for draw unit deer permit applicants. To view other agenda items, visit our website. 

A Nebraska resident bull elk tag will be auctioned off April 9 at the Nebraska Big Game Society Dinner in Lincoln. The event will take place at Wilderness Ridge, 1800 Wilderness Woods Place.

Cocktails will be served beginning at 5 p.m. and a New York strip steak dinner at 6:30 p.m., followed by the auction. The cost for the event is $60 per person or corporate tables of eight for $500.

In addition, Sam Wilson, furbearer and carnivore program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, will present an update on the status of mountain lions in Nebraska.

RSVP by April 3 to Jon Thomas by email or at  402-430-9191. More information can be found online. 

Wine lovers, take note: the second annual Toast Wine Festival, highlighting wines from 19 Nebraska wineries from around the state, will once again be held at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park. This year’s event is scheduled for May 1 and 2. 

Guests are invited to sample wines while also enjoying music, food and conversation against the beautiful backdrop of Mahoney State Park. The weekend will also include a live entertainment line-up, amateur wine-making competition, cigar lounge, unique food pairings, art and jewelry vendors, wine education sessions and trolley tours through the park. A portion of proceeds will go to support the mission of the Heartland Big Brothers and Big Sisters programs. More information about this unique event is available on the Toast Nebraska website.

Any longtime resident of Nebraska knows there is no such thing as a “normal” spring.  This spring provides more evidence. The bitter cold snap of late February extended into the first days of March, and earlier this week, the mercury (at least in Lincoln) crept toward 90.  Longtime resident birders and birdwatchers know that weather in late winter and early spring will affect the arrival of the first waves of migrant birds. What effect did this year’s weather have on the arrival of Sandhill cranes? Visit the Nongame Bird Blog to find out. 

Since 1984, tax deductible donations to the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund have helped the thousands of species that call Nebraska home. Wildlife Conservation Fund projects help those species considered non-game, or those that are not hunted or fished. Donated dollars have big impact because Wildlife Conservation Fund dollars are matched with other grants.

This year, consider donating all or a portion of your tax refund to the Wildlife Conservation Fund through the Wildlife Checkoff on your state income tax form. You can also make a donation online any time of year, and right now those who donate online will receive one or more gifts. Visit our website to learn more about this limited-time incentive as well as about this important program.

Interested in what's happening at state parks close to where you live? Learn about family events, watchable wildlife opportunities, road races, special events and other state park happenings in your area by following our regional state parks pages on Facebook. Follow the link to learn more about these pages and the state parks in your area.