John Gruchy is a Private Lands Biologist for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks and has been assisting landowners with habitat management for deer and other wildlife for over a decade. During that time, John has compiled a list of habitat management mistakes he sees over and over again. Join us as we review these mistakes with John and discuss how you can avoid these pitfalls.
Apr 09, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 30
In this episode, Dr. Lashley sits down with his previous graduate students to talk about what they learned about fire, wildlife habitat and wildlife behavior, and how that’s prepared them for their careers now. ▬▬▬▬▬ NRU Social Media ▬▬▬▬▬ ►Twitter: https://twitter.com/NR_University ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nr_university ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NRUniversity ▬▬▬▬▬ UF DEER Lab Social Media ▬▬▬▬▬ ►Twitter: https://twitter.com/UFDEERLab ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/...
Mar 30, 2021•56 min
Through large expanses of the U.S., wildlife live alongside, or are strongly influenced by, the footprint of crop production practices; what Leopold was referencing when he spoke of ‘the plow.’ In this episode, Adam talks to Ryan Heiniger from Pheasants Forever about the challenges and opportunities for wildlife habitat conservation with ‘the plow’ and how a more precision imagining of its utility and place can be good for the farmer AND wildlife. Ryan is the Director of Agriculture and Conserva...
Mar 23, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Should we be burning while turkeys are nesting? To cover this controversial topic, Dr. Lashley sits down with Dr. Mike Chamberlain of the University of Georgia and David Hawley of the Wild Turkey Report to discuss in detail the potential risks and benefits of burning during this time frame. Also, we cover burn window, scale of application, and influence on poult survival. Relevant Papers: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42408-020-00087-9 https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/ep...
Mar 18, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In this episode ft. Pond University, we talk with Bob Rode, the manager of Purdue’s Aquaculture Research Laboratory. Bob has 30 years of experience in aquaculture and pond management. In this episode, Bob talks about the things to consider when stocking new fish into ponds, as well as some interesting ways to produce fish for food in your pond, including growing fish in cages. Also, please consider taking our anonymous listener survey so that we can improve the podcast and include topics that yo...
Mar 16, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 26
How can the axe – or forestry – be used as a habitat management tool? Jarred talks with Jordan Nanney, a Wildlife Forester with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, about how he uses forestry to creatively manage wildlife habitat. As you’ll learn in the episode it can really be a balancing axe {act}. << Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey >> Resources discussed during the episode: Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment - https://heeforest...
Mar 11, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Dr. Mick Hellickson joins Deer University again to compare deer management in South Texas and the Midwest. Mick was born and raised in Iowa and grew up hunting in that agricultural environment, but then moved to South Texas for graduate school and now works there managing deer herds. Mick will review the most important limitations he faces managing deer in these very different environments.
Mar 09, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Taking the first steps into using prescribed fire can be daunting – Which tools are needed? How do you develop a plan? Where you can find help and consultation? Look no further! In this week’s episode of Fire University, Dr. Marcus Lashley sits down with John Stivers and John Gruchy, both with years of experience helping private land owners get started with using prescribed burning, to discuss the basic tools and resources landowners need to begin burning. From drip torches to ATVs to contractor...
Mar 02, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Everything from grasshoppers to a bison graze and can have drastic impacts on vegetation on which many other wildlife species depend. Unsurprisingly, many wildlife managers are therefore interested in understanding and using grazing animals to create the unique places where animals, or in the case of the blowout penstemon, unique plants, thrive. In this wide-ranging discussion, Adam talks to The Nature Conservancy’s Marissa Ahlering about how grazing impacts wildlife and how we can creatively us...
Feb 23, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 22
In this episode of Pond University, we talk with Amie Robison, an Aquatic Ecologist from Robison Wildlife Solutions in Oklahoma. Amie, who is also known as “The Pond Lady”, has over 20 years’ experience helping landowners and homeowner communities manage their ponds. Amie provides invaluable advice on how to start planning now for management that you should consider in the spring. She discusses everything from dams and sediments, to vegetation and fish. She also shares some interesting stories a...
Feb 16, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 21
We get asked all the time “what’s the best food plot forage to plant for deer?” Well, as hunters and managers, we were interested in that question too. Bronson, Steve, and Marcus discuss a food plot forage selection project conducted by former graduate student, Jacob Dykes. Cereal grains, clovers, and brassicas all have different growth rates and maturation dates, making their quality and nutrient profile change over the hunting season. What’s more, the availability of certain nutrients in the n...
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 20
Fire was playing an important role in upland hardwood ecosystems when the current mature oaks germinated a century ago. While those mature oaks are still common in the overstory, the next generation of oaks to replace them are not present across much of the central hardwoods and Appalachian regions. Instead, fire exclusion over the last several decades allowed mesophytic (moisture-retaining) species like sweetgum and red maple to get established and begin a transition to non-oak dominance in the...
Feb 02, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 19
How can prescribed fire be used creatively to create and enhance habitat for wildlife? Dr. Marcus Lashley , Assistant Professor and Extension Wildlife Specialist at University of Florida and host of Fire University, joins the podcast to tackle this question, and we take a deep dive into prescribed fire as a habitat management tool. << Help us improve the Podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey >> Resources discussed in the episode Fire University Episode 3 ...
Jan 26, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this episode of Pond University, we talk with Scott Wagner, a Certified Agricultural Engineer with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Scott has worked on pond construction and maintenance (among many other things) for over 18 years. Scott discusses the importance of proper planning and permitting for pond construction, and conducting annual inspections for maintaining your pond. He also provides a bunch of useful information and resources for pond management, including potenti...
Jan 19, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 17
We may have more acres to burn than we have time, personnel, and resources to burn it. It is imperative that our tools become more efficient especially with ever-growing societal constraints and considerations. In this week’s episode of Fire University, Marcus Lashley sits down with Kevin Robertson, Morgan Varner, and Kevin Hiers at the Tall Timbers Research Station where they discuss the socio-ecological complexities of fire ecology and delve into the upcoming technological revolution leading u...
Jan 12, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Most hunters and managers are aware of the benefits of prescribed fire on deer habitat. Fire can be used to set back plant succession (reduce the woody vegetation) and stimulate the growth of forbs (increase the herbaceous vegetation). In the Southeastern US, deer nutrition is often limited during the summer when bucks are growing antlers and does are producing fawns and lactating. Often limitations in summer nutrition is addressed with warm-season food plots, but what about addressing this need...
Jan 05, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Welcome to the third episode of Pond University! In this episode, we talk with Sandy Clark-Kolaks, the Southern Fisheries Research Biologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Sandy has worked on fisheries management projects for over 13 years, including improving fish habitat in reservoirs and lakes. Today, Sandy talks about the importance of fish habitat and describes the different types of fish habitat you can add to your pond or lake. Plus, building fish habitat structur...
Jan 05, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 14
For as long as people have been interacting with wild animals, they have been manipulating the places where wild animals live. So, is habitat management the oldest job in the world? Join Adam and Jarred as they chat about the history of wildlife habitat management, dig deep into the central premise of habitat management – plant succession – and introduce the five tools for habitat management that Aldo Leopold described in his 1933 book, Game Management. Learn more about plant succession and its ...
Dec 29, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Fire and herbivory have always been important disturbances in grasslands and their interaction may be particularly important for wildlife habitat. In this week’s episode, we talk to Dr. Sam Fuhlendorf of Oklahoma State University and Bob Hamilton of The Nature Conservancy about using patch-burn-grazing to mimic that natural process. Strategic use of prescribed fire and cattle may lead to habitat improvements for wildlife while increasing cattle production. Related peer-reviewed papers: https://j...
Dec 22, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Knowing where to get information, training, experience, and help is critical to success in prescribed burning. In this episode of Fire University, Marcus Lashley talks with fire professionals Zach Prusak and Andy Rappe to discuss the tools and resources available to fire practitioners and private landowners no matter where you are and why collaboration throughout the fire community is imperative to everyone’s success.
Dec 15, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Some hunters think Chronic Wasting Disease is no big deal, some hunters even think CWD is good for a state wildlife agency because the disease will bring with it an abundance of federal funding. Our interview with Jason Sumners of the Missouri Department of Conservation, and Cory Gray of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will fully explain the issues this disease brings to wildlife management agencies.
Dec 15, 2020•48 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this episode of Fire University, Dr. Marcus Lashley visits old friends and colleagues Dr. Craig Harper, John Gruchy, and Jordan Nanney and discusses burning in upland hardwoods. The conversation focuses on habitat improvement for white-tailed deer and wild turkey, as well as implementation strategy to maximize success. Enroll now in our free wildland fire course . Available to all! This podcast is supported by listener donations - thank you for being a part of this effort. For more informatio...
Dec 08, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 9
What do you picture when you hear “habitat”? Habitat is one of the most important concepts in wildlife management, but what does it actually mean? Join Adam and Jarred as they define “habitat” and discuss why its use is a “panchreston problem.” We’ll explain what the heck “panchreston” means and discuss why we should be careful about how we talk about habitat to minimize confusion and clarify objectives. Jarred and Adam will also explore why defining and using habitat correctly is important in h...
Dec 08, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Welcome to the second episode of Pond University! In this episode, we talk with Purdue Extension Educator David Osborne. Dave has been helping landowners manage their ponds for over 20 years and has a wealth of knowledge on many pond management topics. Today, he talks about how your pond changes during winter and things that you can do to prevent negative impacts on fish populations. Please see below for useful links: Dave’s profile page: https://extension.purdue.edu/Ripley/profile/osbornda Dave...
Dec 08, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Just when are deer most attracted to acorns? You might think - all the time! And hey, you may be right. In this episode with former MSU Deer Lab graduate student Moriah Boggess, we review his research where he monitored deer acorn use throughout the year and see that deer can be attracted to acorns much later in the year than you might expect. This can have important implications when hunting during the post rut.
Dec 08, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Where do bucks go during hunting season? Does hunting pressure change where bucks spend time? In this episode Bronson, Steve, and former MSU Deer Lab graduate student Colby Henderson, review research findings from a 2-year study where about 50 bucks were marked with GPS-enabled collars and we monitored their movements throughout a hunted landscape over the hunting season. First, what is habitat “selection”? Selection is a measure of how much time an animal spends in a particular vegetation type ...
Dec 01, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Welcome to the very first episode of Pond University! Pond University is hosted by Mitchell Zischke and Megan Gunn from Purdue University and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. In this first episode, we talk with Purdue Aquatic Sciences major Logan Halderman about all the different parts of the pond ecosystem. Please see below for useful links: Mitch’s profile page: https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/Pages/Profile.aspx?strAlias=mzischke&intDirDeptID=15 Megan’s profile page: https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/Pages/P...
Dec 01, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Welcome to Habitat University! In this introductory Episode, Habitat University co-hosts Jarred Brooke and Adam Janke discuss the vision for the podcast and how it fits into the new collaborative science-based podcast series called Natural Resources University. Jarred and Adam share information about their background, what they do as state wildlife extension specialists, and where they plan to take this new podcast exploring the in’s and out’s out of wildlife habitat management and conservation ...
Dec 01, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Fire University is a science-based podcast covering the latest research in fire ecology and how it relates to management of wildlife and plant communities. In this first episode, Dr. Marcus Lashley sits down with communications specialist Charlotte Nowak to introduce this series on fire ecology. Twitter: https://twitter.com/UFDEERLab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ufdeerlab/ Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/ufdeerlab YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5orPZezH2fNGe97ZHAb9Hg...
Dec 01, 2020•33 min•Season 1Ep. 2
In this first episode, meet the team of researchers and extension specialists that make up the Natural Resources University network! Subscribe to NRU for all episodes or join an individual series on its respective podcast feed. Fire University | Dr. Marcus Lashley Deer University | Dr. Bronson Strickland & Dr. Steve Demarais Habitat University | Adam Janke & Jarred Brooke Pond University | Dr. Mitchell Zischke & Megan Gunn Twitter: https://twitter.com/NR_University Instagram: https:/...
Dec 01, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 1
