Natural Resources University

Getting big fish in your pond requires a strong pond management plan. Join us as we discuss steps to consider when managing the fish community in your pond including the importance of habitat diversity, fish genetics, and which fish you should consider harvesting from your pond if you want to catch some lunkers. Dr. Joe Gerken and Dr. Drew Ricketts are extension specialists and faculty members in...

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. (2024). Assessing wild turkey productivity before...

Brian Teeter, Prescribed Fire Coordinator at Nebraska Pheasants Forever, joins us to discuss prescribed fire on agriculturally dominated landscapes.    Resources: Nebraska Burn Associations Nebraska Prescribed Fire Council   Brian Teeter [ website ] Dr. Andrew Little [ academic profile , @awesmlabdoc] Nathan Pflueger [ website ] AWESM Lab [ website , @awesmlab ] Nebraska Pheasants Forever [ websit...

Dr. John Carroll, professor of wildlife ecology and management at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joins us to discuss predators and predator management in agriculturally dominated landscapes.    Resources: Wild Turkey Science Podcast: Habitat Managements = predator management Impacts of Predators on Northern Bobwhites in the Southeast The Pheasant: A Special Report by the Game Conservancy Trust Pr...

Welcome to the WildAg Podcast! WildAg is part of the Natural Resources University podcast network and serves as a connection point for natural resource professionals and landowners who want to integrate conservation with agriculture. Join our hosts, Dr. Andrew Little of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nathan Pflueger of Pheasants Forever, as they introduce themselves and WildAg.    Dr. Andr...

What distinguishes a forest, woodland, and savanna? How does wildlife and plant diversity differ between them? How do we restore woodlands and savannas? Join Jarred as he talks with Dr. Andy Vander Yacht about his research into restoring oak woodlands and savannas and the wildlife that thrive within in. This is a two-part series. In part 1, we discuss the historical context of forests, woodlands,...

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.   Resources: How Many Gobblers Should I Take? (Article)...

Over the past few years, brownspot needle blight and an assemblage of other problematic pathogenic species have garnered increasing concern in pine systems across the South. Join us as we discuss these along with current research efforts centered on this problem with Dr. John Riggins, Mississippi State University. For questions or comments, email us at timberuniversity@gmail.com Subscribe directly...

Bobwhite Translocation to Pennsylvania:   https://www.pgc.pa.gov/HuntTrap/Hunting/Documents/Letterkenny%20Army%20Depot%20Bobwhite%20Quail%20Focus%20Area%20Management%20Plan.pdf https://www.goerie.com/story/sports/outdoors/2024/02/28/where-do-northern-bobwhite-quail-live-in-pennsylvania-game-commisison-letterkenny-army-depot/72766192007/ https://www.dailyamerican.com/videos/sports/outdoors/2024/03/...

A recently published note in the journal Neurobiology describing potential human transmission of chronic wasting disease is getting quite a bit of attention. Join us as we discuss the recent publication, chronic wasting disease, and steps you can take to try to limit the spread of this important disease within and among deer populations. Dr. Joe Gerken and Dr. Drew Ricketts are extension specialis...

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. Krakauer, A. H. (2008). Sexual selection and the...

Anglers know that many fish species depend on the structure that trees provide. Habitat, such as standing timber, blow downs, snags, and cypress trees are popular places to fish in lakes and streams. But what about when the river leaves the riverbed and enters the bottomland forest? It turns out that this "flooded forest" habitat is critical for many fish species. Most lowland rivers used to seaso...

In this episode we visit with Dr. Natasha Ellison to review her findings relative to buck use of food plots during the hunting season.  How often are bucks visiting food plots pre-rut, peak-rut, and post-rut?  When are bucks spending more time on food plots?  How does hunting pressure affect these relationships?  Natasha is a Mathematical Ecologist and is helping the MSU Deer Lab dig deeper in the...

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-capped manakin bird   Dr. Dwayne Elmore Tall Timbers...

In this episode we visit with Luke Resop to discuss buck beds and bedding areas.  How often are they bedding?  What's their affinity to certain bedding areas?  What's the circuit time for returning to a bedding area?  Day beds and night beds are all discussed.  We also introduce our newest member to the MSU Deer Lab, Dr. Natasha Ellison.  She is a Mathematical Ecologist and is helping us dig deepe...

The latest Extension publication from the MSU Deer Lab is "Understanding Buck Movement: How, When, and Why Bucks Navigate the Landscape" is now available for viewing and download.  You can find the publication here: https://www.msudeer.msstate.edu/results.php?q=deer%20movement In Part 2, Steve and Bronson discuss more of the findings presented in the publication and explain how you can interpret t...

New EPA Standards https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-finalizes-stronger-standards-harmful-soot-pollution-significantly-increasing#:~:text=By%20strengthening%20the%20annual%20health,to%204%2C500%20premature%20deaths%20and   Tall Timbers Fire Research  https://talltimbers.org/research-at-tall-timbers/tall-timbers-research/fire-research/ A brief history of humans and fire in the Southeast: https://...

The Ogallala Aquifer is found underground in parts of 8 states. This vital resource provides groundwater for agricultural producers, wildlife, and citizens in these states. Water use practices have led to declines in the aquifer and recent trends in water use have led to depletion in water levels throughout this region. Join us as we discuss the current status of the Ogallala Aquifer, steps being...

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 Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund     Resource: B...

Ahead of a forthcoming mini-series on forest management for birds, Adam and Jarred discuss a paper reviewing the state of the science examining bird responses to forest management in the eastern U.S. The paper published last year by Michael Skresh and colleagues presents a compelling case for the importance of managed disturbances in eastern forests to benefit birds of conservation concern. Jarred...

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     Resources: Burning during nesting | #19 Nichols, R....

For more information on Dr. Treadwell's work:  https://sanangelo.tamu.edu/people/dr-morgan-russell-assistant-professor-extension-range-specialist/ Texas Prescribed Burn Handbook: https://agrilife.org/rxburn/ More information on the story of how prescribed burns saved the town of Borger, Texas: https://www.newschannel10.com/2024/03/08/prescribed-burn-saves-borger-windy-deuce-fire/ https://wildfiret...

Working Lands for Wildlife Bobwhite Conservation Pilot: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/crp-conservation-reserve-program/news/usda-launches-new-bobwhite-conservation Wildfires in Texas: https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/texas-wildfire-impacting-quail/  

In this episode, we discuss habitat management, and how common habitat management practices for a species in some regions may not be appropriate everywhere a species occurs.  Dr. Joe Gerken and Dr. Drew Ricketts are extension specialists and faculty members in the Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management Program at Kansas State University. Find out more about the program at https://hnr.k-state.e...

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 turkeys with lymphoproliferative disease virus of Nor...