Natural Resources University

Summer can be a nutritionally stressful period for deer. When bucks are growing antlers and does are gestating or lactating, there should be abundant high-quality food for them. In this episode we visit with Dr. Craig Harper from the University of Tennessee and discuss the important role of habitat and warm-season food plots during summer. Craig talks about the best summer food plot forages, and s...

This week we shift our inquiry from the U.S. Department of Agriculture into the Department of the Interior where we find a litany of wildlife biologists working to conserve wildlife habitat on private lands through various programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In this episode, Adam interviews biologist Gwen Kolb from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in New Mexico and Kraig McPe...

It's the 5th and final day of #WildTurkeyWeek, and to wrap it up we've brought on hunting lease manager and wildlife biologist Ryan Basinger of Westervelt Wildlife Services . This episode puts you in the shoes of a landowner managing a 25 year old loblolly pine stand. How do your strategies change depending on targeted species and what are the trade-offs involved? Tune in to find out this and more...

For Day 4 of #WildTurkeyWeek, we've brought on Ted DeVos, co-owner of Bach and DeVos Forestry and Wildlife Services . Ted has over 22 years of experience helping landowners as a consulting forester and wildlife biologist. In this episode, he breaks down the vital components of turkey habitat management, the resources and programs available to landowners wanting to use prescribed fire, and the resp...

For Day 3 of #WildTurkeyWeek, we've brought on Chipper Gibbes from Whitetail Properties to talk turkey habitat management. Join us as Chipper reveals how he uses fire in tandem with other land management strategies to create his ideal turkey habitat.  What is #WildTurkeyWeek? In celebration of turkey season 2022, we're bringing you a NEW episode EVERY day talkin' everything TURKEYS! Be sure to fol...

For #WildTurkeyWeek Day 2,  we're sitting down with turkey lover and fire enthusiast David Hawley of the  Wild Turkey Report . Hear from David on how he manages his land for wild turkey using prescribed fire, discusses how turkey habitat management has evolved over generations, and shares what future generations can do to help this beloved species. What is #WildTurkeyWeek? In celebration of turkey...

It's the first day of #WildTurkeyWeek and to kick it off, we've brought on Dr. Michael Chamberlain, leading wildlife ecology researcher and professor at the University of Georgia. In this episode, we dive into the latest science on wild turkey populations in the U.S., major problems they currently face, and what we as hunters, landowners, and conservationists can do to improve their habitat moving...

CRP, EQIP, WRE, ACEP, CP, SAFE, MA, FRPP.....OK you get the point –there are A LOT of acronyms when it comes to federal programs for conservation work on private lands in the U.S. The Natural Resources Conservation Service –NRCS –is integral in the implementation of many of these programs. So this week, Jarred and Adam visited with Indiana's NRCS State Wildlife Biologist Brianne Lowe to get the sk...

What interactions change in upland oak ecosystems when we expand the burn window into the fall? How does this change acorn preference of wildlife like deer and squirrels? In this episode of Fire University , Dr. Marcus Lashley sits down with deer biologist and old graduate student Moriah Boggess to discuss their recent study assessing the effects of fire on acorn consumer preference. Paper: Bogges...

A topic of much debate and argument is cull bucks. Do cull bucks exist?  Are they different from management bucks?  All good questions.  In this episode we review this terminology and discuss scenarios where harvesting cull bucks, or management bucks, makes a lot of sense. At the beginning of the episode we revealed a new Deer Management Online Seminar Series.  Below is the link to this program, a...

There is A LOT of private land in the U.S. and that means there are A LOT of challenges and opportunities for wildlife habitat conservation there! This season, Adam and Jarred will be joining guests from across the country to admire these challenges and opportunities thoroughly. In this first episode of Season 2 of Habitat University, they set the stage for the season and discuss what some of thes...

In this episode we discuss the anatomy and physiology of deer relative to making effective shots that result in a rapid recovery. Our guest is Dr. Joe R. Bumgardner, a retired surgeon who practiced abdominal and chest surgery in Starkville, MS for 28 years and took his expertise from the operating room and applied it to white-tailed deer.   Dr. Bumgardner explains how broadheads and bullets disrup...

How does fire regime affect seed production and dispersal in plants? In today's episode of Fire University, Marcus sits down with former graduate student Dr. Carolina Baruzzi and current PhD candidate David Mason, MSc to chat recent and ongoing research investigating how fire regimes affect plant investment in seed production and how wildlife responses to fire may be important for which plants col...

Not sure what to get the habitat manager on your list this holiday season? Have no fear! In this episode, Adam and Jarred chat about what's on their holiday habitat wishlist. Take a listen and you are sure to find the perfect gift idea. You will also get a sneak peek about what's coming up on Habitat University in 2022. You can find Adam and Jarred's wishlist below along with some helpful links. A...

In this episode we discuss a food plot system that integrates both cool season and warm season food plot forages in the same plot.  Mitt Wardlaw has been using this system for over 5 years with great success. During the hunting season, Mitt has both high-energy grains (soybean or corn) along with high-protein clovers in his food plots. Join us for this episode to learn how to make this food plot p...

A common concern people have when it comes to using prescribed fire is if it will result in the unwanted encroachment of invasive species. In this episode of Fire University, Dr. Marcus Lashley talks with Dr. David Coyle, assistant professor and extension specialist at Clemson University who researches the impacts of invasive species and forest health management. Join them as they dive into the re...

We've all heard time and time again that the biggest problem a landowner faces is their neighbor. But what if instead of competing with your neighbor, you joined forces? Join Dr. Marcus Lashley and Dr. Bronson Strickland, hosts of Fire University and Deer University, as they sit down to discuss the benefits co-ops provide and how working with your neighbor can give you a tangible return on investm...

Over the past couple decades Kansas has turned into a destination state for deer hunters chasing big whitetails. But what exactly about the Kansas landscape promotes the growth of large antlers?  Dr. Drew Ricketts is an Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist for Kansas State University and is an expert on habitat management in Kansas. In this episode Drew, Steve, and Bronson crack t...

Due to concerns of damaging tree productivity, most prescribed burning has become limited to the dormant season, a practice that is inconsistent with the historical pattern of lighting-initiated fire. How different are the effects of seasonal biennial burning and which factors play the biggest role in survival? In this episode, Dr. Marcus Lashley turns to experts Dr. Morgan Varner, Director of Fir...

Adam and Jarred are joined in this episode by award-winning instructor, Dr. Liz Flaherty, to chat about teaching undergraduate students all about habitat management. Dr. Flaherty is an Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology & Habitat Management at Purdue University. Take a listen to learn about the insights you can take from a college classroom and apply on your own property. Help us improve the...

Dr. Brady Self rejoins the Deer University team for their second installment of timber harvesting, this time focusing on hardwoods. Tune into today's episode to discover what you need to know for successful hardwood management on your land.

What do you do if you can't use fire on your land but want to improve your deer and turkey habitat? In today's episode, Dr. Marcus Lashley inquires upon what landowners can do when faced with prescribed burn limitations. He turns to wildlife experts Dr. Bronson Strickland of the MSU Deer Lab and Dr. Craig Harper of UT Knoxville to discuss the factors and techniques that will help you get around pr...

In this special 50th episode, the NRU team sits down with one another to share lessons they've learned over these last 8 months, reflect on their favorite episodes, and chat about what you can look forward to for the future.   Do you have a topic you want us to cover? Send us your feedback! Email: nrunetwork@gmail.com   Don't forget to cast your vote on your favorite NRU episode! https://twitter.c...

  Ask anyone what they're doing for wildlife habitat and you're sure to hear mention of the challenges of invasive species. From aquatic invasive species that restructure entire food webs of Great Lakes to carpets of exotic grasses changing fire regimes in the west, invasive species are everywhere. In this episode, Jarred and Adam first dig in on the science of invasive species and discuss the cha...

Dr. Angus Catchot and Dr. Bronson Strickland visit the Mossy Oak GameKeepers Podcast team to discuss management of armyworms in wildlife food plots and duck holes.  In this episode, you'll learn exactly what armyworms are and what you can do about them. Special thanks to Bobby Cole, Lannie Wallace, Dudley Phelps, and Toxey Haas for sharing this episode of GameKeepers with the Deer University podca...