Blazin' Grazin' And Other Wild Things

Summer deer nutrition can shape what hunters and landowners see in the fall. In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph. D., and Mark Turner Ph. D. explain what white-tailed deer really eat and why forbs, fresh browse, sunlight, and prescribed fire matter for deer health. The crew talks through practical habitat management for Oklahoma and the Southern G...

Stocking rate is the grazing decision that affects nearly everything else on the land — cattle performance, native pasture health, wildlife habitat, prescribed fire options and long-term ranch profitability. In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , John Weir talks with Laura Goodman Ph. D. and Mark Turner Ph. D. about what stocking rate really means, why timing matters, and why g...

Wild turkey numbers rise and fall for a lot of reasons, but better brood habitat may be one of the most practical things landowners can influence right now. In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , Dr. Mark Turner, Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist, joins John Weir and Dr. Laura Goodman to talk through what turkeys need after nesting season. They cover poult...

Eastern redcedar control is becoming one of Oklahoma’s biggest land, water, and wildfire issues—and this episode explains how the Oklahoma Conservation Commission is turning concern into action. John Weir, Laura Goodman Ph. D., and Mark Turner Ph. D. visit with Trey Lam and Trampas Tripp about the Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Restoration Pilot Project, a program designed to reduce invasive...

What does the Oklahoma Conservation Commission actually do, and how does it work with local conservation districts across the state? In this episode, Trey Lam and Lisa Knopf-Owen join the Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things crew to explain how Oklahoma’s conservation system grew from Dust Bowl-era roots into a locally led network supporting landowners, communities, and natural resources. The con...

This episode is made possible by support from the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Wildfire preparedness isn’t just a checklist — it’s a resilience plan for your ranch, your family, and your community. In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , hosts John Weir and Dr. Mark Turner talk with OSU Extension Agriculture and Food Policy specialist Amy Hagerman, Ph. D., about what to do...

Dr. Karen Hickman sits down with John Weir, Dr. Laura Goodman, and Dr. Mark Turner to talk invasive plants across the Great Plains—what’s here, what’s coming, and why our best defense often starts with a clean pickup, a better plant choice, and a tighter contract.  We walk through Callery/Bradford pear’s “overnight” takeover, Old World bluestem’s misnamed reputation, and how sericea, Johnson grass...

Dr. Esben Kjaer joins the Blazin’ Grazin’ hosts to talk fire, forage, and the fine art of managing rangelands for both cattle and wildlife.  His work from Kansas to North Dakota reveals how prescribed fire and strategic grazing shape biodiversity—from plant and insect communities to nesting birds.  He shares what happens when conservation meets production, and how landowners can use grazing withou...

In this episode of Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things , Noble County rancher Grady Parmley joins the team to share how prescribed burn associations empower landowners to use fire as a powerful tool for grassland management. Grady recounts his own journey from being intimidated by fire to leading burns on thousands of acres through the North Central Range Improvement Association. With insights f...

What do grasshoppers, prescribed fire, and peer pressure have in common?  In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jason Harmon, the new head of Oklahoma State University’s Natural Resource Ecology and Management department, to find out.  From his early days counting insects in Wisconsin to leading research on pollinators and rangelands in North Dakota, Dr. Harmon brings a wide-lens perspective to la...

In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , we hear from Kayla Moss, Extension Assistant at Oklahoma State University, about her groundbreaking research in Oklahoma.  Moss shares how she tackled the invasive sericea lespedeza using a combination of fire, herbicide, and grazing.  She discusses how growing-season burns, when followed by a well-timed herbicide application, delivered th...

The New World Screwworm, once thought gone from U.S. pastures, is creeping north again—and it’s bad news for both livestock producers and wildlife enthusiasts.  In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , Dr. Jonathan Cammack of OSU Extension walks listeners through the pest’s history, the landmark sterile fly eradication program, and the sobering reality that it’s now only 300 mile...

In this episode, John Weir, Dr. Laura Goodman, and Dr. Mark Turner sit down for a conversation about Forest Stand Improvement (FSI) and how it plays a big role in shaping better wildlife habitats for deer, turkey, and quail—especially right here in Oklahoma.  They swap stories and share how FSI differs from Timber Stand Improvement (TSI), and why even folks without marketable timber can still bene...

In this episode of Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things , hosts John Weir, Dr. Laura Goodman, and Dr. Mark Turner dig deep into the value of growing season burns.  They discuss how summer fires, often underused due to misconceptions about safety, can be the most effective tool for land managers dealing with eastern redcedar, poor forage quality, and wildlife habitat degradation.  Drawing on years...

Oklahoma’s public lands don’t stay healthy by accident. In our latest episode, Jeff Pennington—Central Region Supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation—details how his team shepherds more than 125,000 acres of WMAs with a heavy dose of prescribed fire, targeted grazing, and common-sense biology.  Deer now headline the habitat bill, but everything from quail coveys to moist-so...

In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , Josh Richardson from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation unpacks the challenges and triumphs of managing wildlife habitat on the state’s overwhelmingly privately owned lands.  With a background in both private and migratory species work, Josh brings a wealth of experience to the table—from quail tracking with GPS to helping la...

In this episode of Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things , we travel through the story of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve with Bob Hamilton from The Nature Conservancy.  Bob shares how this iconic Oklahoma landscape transitioned from a failed federal park plan to a flagship private conservation project.  He recounts the acquisition of the land, the reintroduction of bison, and the development of a...

In this fiery new episode of Blazin' Grazin' and Other Wild Things , we bring the heat with special guests from Quail Forever—Tanner Swank and Adam Ray.  They join host John Weir and Dr. Mark Turner to discuss how fire, community collaboration, and science-based management are revitalizing Oklahoma's native grasslands and Cross Timbers.  Learn how Quail Forever's landscape-level work benefits not...

In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , we’re honored to host Dr. Dave Engle, Regents Professor Emeritus at Oklahoma State University and a pioneer in fire ecology.  From wildland firefighting in New Mexico to building OSU’s fire program with just two torches and a vision, Dave shares an incredible career rooted in science, stewardship, and some good ol’ fashioned trial and erro...

What do a gas can, a helicopter, and a barrel of napalm have in common?  They’re all part of Dr. Terry Bidwell’s wild (and true) stories from decades of rangeland management in Oklahoma.  In this episode of Blazin’ Grazin’ and Other Wild Things , Dr. Bidwell — emeritus professor and longtime OSU Extension specialist — shares how prescribed fire, patch grazing, and a deep understanding of native pl...

In this episode, we're joined by Cole Fagen, the coordinating biologist for the Oaks and Prairies Joint Venture, and Ken Gee, a conservation delivery specialist. Together, they work with landowners to implement wildlife habitat management, focusing primarily on upland and grassland birds in southern and northern Oklahoma and central Texas. In this episode, we dive into how technical and financial...

We discuss Ken's extensive background, from his early experiences with prescribed burns and wildlife research to his insights on deer behavior and habitat management, offering listeners a blend of practical knowledge and entertaining anecdotes. Key Insights - The importance of Bois d'Arc or Osage Orange as a year-round deer food plant, with dried leaves maintaining high protein content even in win...

Turkey populations are not doing as well as we would like.  Many states have noticed declines in various metrics, including poults per hen.  Oklahoma has seen similar trends, with reduced poults per hen numbers and some evidence of reduced harvest. Five Essential Key Takeaways Turkey populations are declining: Across the southeastern U.S., turkey populations are not thriving as they once did, prom...

Key Takeaways From This Episode - Fire is Essential for Healthy Grasslands: I realized that without fire, grasslands transition into woodlands and eventually forests. Fire is a natural and necessary component for maintaining these ecosystems. - Oklahoma's Plant Diversity is Astounding: I was fascinated to learn that Oklahoma is the second most diverse state in the nation for plant species, ranging...