Wild Turkey Science is a science-based podcast bringing you the latest research on wild turkey ecology and management. This podcast is part of the Natural Resources University podcast network and made possible by Turkeys for Tomorrow.
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Podcast by Charlotte Lashley
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Want to join the team? We are recruiting a videographer to focus on developing video content to help wild turkeys. Apply here!
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In this episode, we begin with a more philosophical discussion evaluating outcomes rather than techniques in turkey management. Then, we jump into details of our upcoming studies addressing current gaps in turkey research. Finally, we finish up with an exciting announcement that will enhance our understanding of turkey populations across the state …
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In this episode, we respond to audience questions around fire management for turkeys. We discuss the importance of timing diversification, dive into general guidelines and parameters for fire regimes, dig into the details on why fire return interval is the primary filter influencing vegetation outcomes from your wild turkey management, and deliver …
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In this episode, we review a recent Wisconsin study focused on restoring native woodlands and introducing fire to promote higher insect abundance, species richness, and plant and bird biodiversity. We highlight key points of the study and infer how the same methods can be used to promote high insect abundance at the time that poults need it most. D…
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In this episode, we boil down the key areas of focus for improving turkey habitat and connectivity on your property. Which grasses to target, when, and with which herbicides; how to ensure connectivity across your property for brooding and nesting cover using road systems with daylighting; how much sunlight is needed; how frequent of a fire return …
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Managing poult habitat & monitoring success | #88
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In this episode, we discuss the various ways in which landowners can estimate poults per hen, monitor trends in reproductive success, and improve turkey habitat on their property. From standardized data collection using trail cameras to back-dating incubation for specific management practices, this episode will give you a sneak peek into our everyd…
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Heather Keane Thomas joins us to shed light on her non-traditional upbringing with her father and renowned turkey researcher Dr. Lovett Williams. From childhood experiences imprinting poults on their family farm to attending national turkey conventions for family vacations, this is a story time you won’t want to miss. Resources: Lovett Williams (We…
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We sit down for a second time to answer questions from our listeners and followers - ranging from topics on upcoming turkey research, mid-summer land management recommendations, how to increase gobbling on your property by 10-fold, and more! Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Brooding an…
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What we learned at Turkey Working Group 2024 | #85
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In this episode, we recap our recent trip to the annual Wild Turkey Working Group and share major findings from research projects across Southern states. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Byrne, Michael E., et al. (2022). "Nest site fidelity and nesting success of female wild turkeys." …
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Food plotting in nature’s image | #84
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In this episode, we take a step away from the scientific literature to ask a regen ag practitioner about their experiences and glean some interesting observations for future study. Jason Snavely, wildlife biologist and founder of Drop-Tine Wildlife Consulting, joins us to dive deep into the microbiology of soil health, trade-offs between convention…
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Does water on a hen make it more susceptible to predation? In this episode, we comb through the literature on olfactory camouflage, dissecting studies assessing correlations between nest survival, weather, and environmental conditions, and divulging into the complicated web of ecology dynamics. Strap on your science boots for this one, it’s gonna b…
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Brent Rogers, wild turkey historian and collector extraordinaire, joins us to break down wild turkey history through the eyes of early naturalists and literature.. Learn how the culture and conservation concerns surrounding the wild turkey developed over time since the 17th century, what impacted transitions in knowledge and observation of wild tur…
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SD Research Update: Major constraints and BMPs | #81
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Today we are joined by Dr. Chad Lehman, senior biologist for the South Dakota Department of Game Fish and Parks, and Dr. Chris Rota, associate professor of wildlife and fisheries resources at West Virginia University. We discuss their previous and ongoing research investigating harvest declines across South Dakota, major variables impacting hen sur…
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Managing pine rotations for turkeys | #80
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Ted DeVos, co-founder of Bach and DeVos Forestry and Wildlife Services, walks us from ground zero through the various ways in which to manage pine plantations for turkeys. Whether your goal is to increase turkey or timber productivity, this episode is jam-packed with information you don’t want to miss. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Dona…
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Conventional vs. Regenerative Ag | #79
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Dr. Bronson Strickland, co-director of the MSU Deer Lab and founder of the Deer University podcast, joins us to explain regenerative agriculture and break down their new experiment testing the differences in nutrient density and deer use between conventional and regenerative food plots. Deer University Podcast Food plot experiment (Jacob Dykes) Rye…
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If not the season, what’s the reason? | #78
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After much feedback from our latest episode, we sit down to review through recent episodes and lay out the available data known to us. Covering season timing and reproduction to the predator-habitat complex, there’s no tiptoeing around the controversy in this one. Isabelle, J. L., et al. (2018). Considerations for timing of spring wild turkey hunti…
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Season timing doesn’t affect reproduction | #77
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Dr. Craig Harper and Dr. Dave Buehler from the University of Tennessee join us to discuss results from their seven-year, robust before-after control-impact study assessing the role of experimental season date delays on turkey reproduction. Spoiler alert: Season delays had no effect on any of the 8 vital rates they measured. Quehl, J. O., et al. (20…
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Adam Butler, Wild Turkey Program Coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks, joins us to discuss the turkey trends seen across Mississippi and the Southeast, what may or may not be influencing these cyclical patterns of productivity, and a general rule of thumb for how many gobblers to harvest on your property. Resou…
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Do dominant gobblers dominate breeding? | #75
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Dr. Alan Krakauer joins us to dive into his research on turkey kin selection and breakdown the many strategies gobblers use to pass on genes. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Krakauer, A. H. (2005). Kin selection and cooperative courtship in wild turkeys. Nature, 434(7029), 69-72. Krak…
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Do turkeys lek and does it matter? | #74
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Dr. Dwayne Elmore, Director of the Game Bird Program at Tall Timbers Research Station, joins us to breakdown the reproductive ecology and behavior of wild turkeys, how and why they lek, and if this impacts spring hunting. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Honeycomb Custom Calls Red-capp…
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Marcus and Will sit down under one roof to review the available literature on declining insect populations. They pull from studies across the globe to discuss the implications of insect declines on terrestrial, ground-nesting birds and how we can help mitigate these effects for the wild turkey. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fun…
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Fire timing in upland hardwoods | #72
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Mark Turner, PhD candidate in Dr. Craig Harper’s lab at the University of Tennessee, joins us to disclose results from their recent study assessing the effects of canopy reduction and fire seasonality on turkey habitat quality and use in upland hardwoods. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resource…
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Dr. Mike Chamberlain, Terrell Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management at the University of Georgia, re-joins the podcast to walk us through the various life stages of a gobbler. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resources: Goodwin, C. C., et al. (2024). Experimental infection of domestic turk…
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Dr. Rick Gerhold, Associate Professor of Parasitology/Wildlife Diseases at the University of Tennessee, joins us to breakdown common diseases among turkeys and their symptoms, pathways of transmission, and infected biological effects. He also discusses histomonas and how you can get involved in cutting-edge egg research. Dr. Rick Gerhold (rgerhold@…
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Up close and personal with wild turkeys | #69
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Tes Randle Jolly, award-winning professional wildlife and turkey photographer extraordinaire, joins Marcus and Will to share her deep insight and perspective into wild turkey behavior from over 25 years of photographing our favorite bird. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Tes Jolly (@jovtes) Dr. M…
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Longer the snood, bigger the brood | #68
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Dr. Richard Buccholz, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Research at the University of Mississippi, joins Will and Marcus to shed light on the fascinating world of wild turkey behavior. Learn of the interplay between displayed traits and biological fitness, which traits influence sexual selection, and how this information can …
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Gobbler survival across the south | #67
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Dr. Patrick Wightman, Research Scientist at UGA, joins Marcus and Will to reveal results from a recent region-wide collaborative project - across 4 states, 8 study sites, and with over 900 banded birds - assessing the effects of hunting pressure on male survival. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund …
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Habitat management = predator management | #66
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New data brings to light more pieces of our habitat-predator puzzle. Join as Marcus and Will pull from recent studies to discuss the multifaceted effects of fire on wild turkey survival and how a new approach could knock off two objectives with one flame. Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund Resource…
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Snoods, feathers, and the Turkey Brotherhood | #65
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Dr. Geoff Hill, professor of Biological Sciences at Auburn University, joins Marcus and Will to break down the unique evolutionary biology of our favorite bird. Learn which characteristics hens select for, what make decoys effective, if gene selection is impacted by hunter harvest, the intricacies of the turkey brotherhood, and much more. Donate to…
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Marcus and Will explain why our current data on turkeys supports both sides of this ongoing debate and what is needed to determine whether habitat or predation is to blame. They also discover another interesting link between supplemental feeding and predation, and discuss four studies that would answer most of our questions related to the current d…
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Will and Marcus discuss why they and other biologists are more likely to endorse habitat management, versus predator control, to increase turkey populations. They also cover a study showing trapping can effectively reduce raccoon populations by up to 90% and discuss why that may or may not translate into more turkeys on the landscape. Donate to wil…
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Mark Hatfield, National Director of Science and Planning for NWTF, joins Marcus and Will to discuss how their organization has helped wild turkeys through research involvement, areas of focus throughout the decades, and ongoing programs and events. Resources: Habitat for the Hatch Women in the Outdoors Wheelin’ Sportsman JAKES Program Save the Habi…
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Science-based solutions for long-term sustainability | #61
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Jason Lupardus, Director of Business Operations and Partnerships for Turkeys for Tomorrow, joins Marcus and Will to reveal TFT’s vision, solution, and strategies for addressing some of the biggest challenges facing the wild turkey. Learn how you can get involved with Turkeys for Tomorrow's citizen-science land management today. TFT: Facebook, Insta…
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Marcus calls Will from the road to reflect upon and breakdown their recent site visit to a landowner managing for deer and turkey, the primary factors weighed when juggling multiple objectives, and when to use which strategies. Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey - Thank you! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0 Dr…
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What we’ve learned and where we’re going | #59
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Marcus and Will wrap up our first year of production by reflecting upon the most memorable moments from recording, favorite segments from the season, unexpected feedback from listeners, and our plans for the show moving forward. Please help us by taking our (QUICK) listener survey below. Thank you in advance! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3…
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Managing bottomland hardwoods for turkeys (Part 2/2) | #58
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Duck Locascio, Forestry Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, joins Marcus and Will to demystify and provide actionable steps to managers interested in improving turkey habitat in bottomland hardwood forests. Resources: Desired Forest Conditions document Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Dr. Marcus Lashley (@D…
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Managing bottomland hardwoods for turkeys (Part 1/2) | #57
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Duck Locascio, Forestry Program Manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, joins Marcus and Will to demystify and provide actionable steps to managers interested in improving turkey habitat in bottomland hardwood forests. Resources: Desired Forest Conditions document Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Dr. Marcus Lashley (@D…
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Dr. Andy Little joins Marcus and Will to break down the study design and year 1 results from his research assessing wild turkey habitat needs across the state of Nebraska. Then, how landscape changes may be impacting population trends and which potential factors are bottlenecking brood survival. Turkey Newsletter 2023 Dr. Andy Little (Publications)…
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Findings from AL and upcoming research | #55
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Will provides us with updates on his ongoing, hunter-led AL project quantifying fertility indexes in wild turkeys and how it relates to behavior and disease. Then, an update from Marcus on the FL genetic study assessing habitat connectivity and gene flow made possible by hunter-donated feathers. And finally, a look into Will’s next project inspired…
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Marcus and Will kick off the holiday season by reviewing a newly published predator-prey diet selection study, discussing fall diets for turkeys during poor oak masting years, and touching upon the American tradition of fall turkey hunting. Resources Youngmann, et al. (2023). Assessing springtime vertebrate prey of sympatric mesopredators in the so…
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Managing hardwoods for turkeys (Part 2/2) | #53
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Marcus and Will pull from the literature to discuss the science-based management strategies across fire, silviculture, herbicide, and more, that can help turn your hardwoods into turkeys. Listen to Part 1 of this episode here: https://sites.libsyn.com/453219/WildTurkeyScience/managing-hardwoods-for-turkeys-part-12-52 Resources: Bogdziewicz, M., Cro…
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Managing hardwoods for turkeys (Part 1/2) | #52
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Marcus and Will pull from the literature to assess various management strategies across fire, silviculture, herbicide, and more, that can help turn your hardwoods into turkeys. Part 2 of this episode releases next Monday. Resources: Bogdziewicz, M., Crone, E. E., Steele, M. A., & Zwolak, R. (2017). Effects of nitrogen deposition on reproduction in …
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How important are hardwoods to turkeys? | #51
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Will and Marcus comb through the available literature to analyze the relationships between hardwood forests and wild turkeys. Resources: Alexander et al. (2021). Mesophication of oak landscapes: Evidence, knowledge gaps, and future research. BioScience, 71(5), 531-542. Burk et al. (1990). Wild turkey use of streamside management zones in loblolly p…
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Marcus and Will travel back in time with legendary turkey researchers Dr. Larry Vangilder and Eric Kurzejeski. Join as they discuss the early days of restocking and lessons learned, how hunting regulations changed as populations grew, initial assumptions impacting today’s regulations, challenges they faced as biologists, and thoughts on why we’re s…
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Managing hardwoods: Oak biology | #49
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Will and Marcus launch our hardwoods series by discussing oak masting biology. They review studies assessing acorn production variation across and within oak species, discuss study results of wildlife acorn preference, and provide management tools to increase acorn productivity on your land. Resources: Brooke, J. M., Basinger, P. S., Birckhead, J. …
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Marcus and Will wrap up our feeding series by reviewing global drivers of supplemental feeding and breakdown a study reporting positive effects on wild turkey populations from supplemental feed. Resources: Cox, D. T., & Gaston, K. J. (2018). Human–nature interactions and the consequences and drivers of provisioning wildlife. Philosophical Transacti…
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While in Nebraska, Marcus and Will discuss the shared challenges they see across states when trying to integrate multiple objectives into working landscapes. Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow) UF DEER Lab (@ufdeerlab) (YouTube) Watch …
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What we know about the effects of feeders on wild turkeys | #46
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Marcus and Will dive deeper into the literature surrounding the potential impacts of feeding on wild turkeys. Join as they discuss the data on risks of feeding across species, predation, pathogens, and contaminants and what we can do to mitigate these risks for turkeys moving forward. Resources: Cooper, S. M., & Ginnett, T. F. (2000). Potential eff…
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Will and Marcus characterize the available data on wildlife feeding across the South and discuss the implications for wild turkeys. Resources: SC 2006 AK 2011 FWC 2019 Land Ethic Dr. Marcus Lashley (@DrDisturbance) (Academic Profile) Dr. Will Gulsby (@dr_will_gulsby) (Academic Profile) Turkeys for Tomorrow (@turkeysfortomorrow) UF DEER Lab (@ufdeer…
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Can conservation governance save turkeys? (Part 2/2) | #44
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Dr. Kelly Dunning, Associate Professor at Auburn University and Timberline Professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, joins Will and Marcus to discuss the complexities associated with conservation policy-making and how we can better integrate wild turkey research and political science moving forward. Listen to Part 1 of this…
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