Natural Resources University

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. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic...

Hide your dog, hide your kids, stay indoors! Monster fish are taking over! Well, not quite. In this episode, Wes talks with the biologist who was at ground zero of the Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) invasion in Virginia. John Odenkirk tells the story of the first detection, subsequent expansion, and the system-level impacts that snakehead fish have had in the two decades since they were first d...

In this episode, we discuss coyote biology and management and how hunting, trapping and other forms of harvest can be used as lethal control measures to manage livestock losses.   Resources: How to trap a coyote extension publication:  https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/c660.pdf Coyote trapping video series:  https://www.youtube.com/@KSREWildlife/playlists

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_3VR10xcKOMTvZH0   Resources: I lease land…what ab...

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 1, Steve and Bronson discuss some of the findings presented in the publication and explain how you can interpret t...

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 ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will...

Carolina and Marcus sit down with Ciera Rhodes of Quail Forever to discuss the importance of using fire when managing for gamebirds, programs and agencies available to assist landowners with management practices and funding, and best fire practices for maximizing quail on your property.   Resources: NRCS EQIP Quail Forever   Dr. Carolina Baruzzi ( wildlandmgmt ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Marcus Las...

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 ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will...

We're excited to announce the second season of Working Wild U: Imperiled. This season we're exploring community and landowner-led wildlife conservation on working and tribal lands across the West. From grizzly bears to lesser-known species, join us as we discover the challenges and successes of how communities are working together for common-ground solutions. We'll dive into the action, meeting in...

Pine regeneration efforts often deviate from work in hardwoods due to genetic advances we have made in available planting stock choices. For this reason, artificial regeneration is typically chosen by land managers wishing to regenerate pines. Join Shaun and Brady, along with their guest speaker, Dr. Michael Blazier, Dean of College of Forestry, Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Arkan...

In this episode, we discuss the dos and don'ts of providing habitat for fish and their prey in ponds, and why the title of this episode may or may not fit the correct definition of habitat…

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 ) ( IG ) ( X ) AWESM Lab ( Website ) ( IG ) (...

Every water body has them. Plants. Sometimes they're good, like phytoplankton that for the base of the food chain or a patch of American Pondweed that holds a 10-pound bass. Sometimes they are bad, like Naiad that blocks your boat ramp. And sometimes they are just plain ugly, like Giant Salvinia that suffocates waterways with mats that might be 3 feet thick. In this episode, Wes and his guest, Dr....

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 by our listeners.   Resources: AL Update: Is ther...

In this episode, we discuss the consequences of moving problem critters around on the landscape, and reasons why wildlife biologists do not recommend translocation of wildlife as a humane option when removal is needed.

In this episode we discuss the effects of drought on ponds in the Great Plains. We cover some of the concerns related to drought and best practices for pond construction to help mitigate these concerns. We also talk about wildlife disease and some of the reasons that disease might increase during drought conditions.

We discuss the biology, benefits, and concerns of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog populations. We cover how overlap between wildlife and producers in the Working Landscape that exists in a private land state. Discussions include pesticide methods and things to consider when considering whether to use various pesticides.

Fins, Fur, and Feathers is the fish and wildlife management podcast of K-State Research and Extension. It is hosted by Dr. Joe Gerken and Dr. Drew Ricketts, two lifelong hunters and anglers, and current K-State Research and Extension Specialists. Join them as they cover topics to help citizens with their fish, wildlife, and pond managemet needs. If you have ever had a wildlife or pond managment ch...

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 southeastern United States using metabarcoding an...

The Deep South and other parts of the whitetail's range are experiencing severe drought and many cool-season food plots are struggling or failing.   In this episode we visit with Dr. Erick Larson, an Agronomist and Extension Specialist at Mississippi State University, that works with many of the forages hunters and managers plant for deer.   Erick will discuss when is too late and what steps we ca...

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://naturalresourcesuniversity.libsyn.com/wild-turkey-science-managing-hardwoods-for-turkeys-part-12-199   Resources: Bogdziewicz, M., Crone, E. E., Steele, M. A., & Zwo...

Timber trespass, is the unauthorized removal of trees, and can occur unintentionally where property boundaries are unmarked, unmaintained, or remote. Join us as we discuss this far reaching topic with Dr. Eric McConnell, an associate professor of forest business at Mississippi State University to talk with us about how to mitigate trespass and theft and actions a landowner may take after the fact....

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 a masting tree: benefits of higher seed producti...

Living in a water world comes with challenges that are markedly different than those we air breathers face, and fish have developed unique and creative ways to face these challenges. Understanding fish biology and physiology is not only interesting, but also useful to us fish-loving air breathers.  It doesn't matter if you are an aquarist, and angler, a pond manager, or a researcher, a greater und...

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 pine plantations. In Proceedings of the National...