Wild Turkey Science

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 turkey management, how restocking efforts have shifte...

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 survival and nest incubation, best management practic...

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 Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation Fund     Bac...

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) Ryegrass is not good   Donate to wild turkey resea...

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 hunting seasons in the southeastern United States. J...

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 an...

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)...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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@utk.edu ) ( Academic Profile )   Donate to wil...

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. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academi...

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 help us strategize research for better management...

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     Resources: Wightman, P. H., et al. (2024)....

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   Resources: Boone, W. W., et al. (2024). Frequent prescr...

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 wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund ,...

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 decline in wild turkey populations. Donate to wild...

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 wild turkey research:  UF Turkey Donation Fund , Aubu...

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 Habitat. Save the Hunt. Cocktails and Conversation...

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 , Instagram , Twitter   Please help us by taking our...

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...

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...

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...