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. Gray Turnage, discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of aquatic plants. Don’t miss this discussion...
Dec 06, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 209
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 there a dominant gobbler? Status of turkeys in FL (Part 1/2) Status of turkeys in FL (Part 2/2) FL Wildlif...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 208
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.
Nov 28, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 207
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.
Nov 27, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 206
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.
Nov 26, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 205
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 challenge, or just want to learn more about critters, science, and the outdoors, then this is the podc...
Nov 22, 2023•10 min•Season 1Ep. 204
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 analysis. Plos one, 18(10), e0293270. DrDisturbance IG Reel Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Acade...
Nov 20, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 203
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 can take to make the best of a bad situation. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series ( here ) ...
Nov 15, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 202
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., & Zwolak, R. (2017). Effects of nitrogen deposition on reproduction in a masting tree: benefits of high...
Nov 13, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 201
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. For questions or comments, email us at timberuniversity@gmail.com Be sure to subscribe directly to ...
Nov 08, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 200
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 production are trumped by negative biotic interactions. Journal of Ecology, 105(2), 310-320. Dey, D. C., &...
Nov 06, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 199
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 understanding of why fish are the way they are will make you better at your fish-loving pursuits. In thi...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 198
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 Wild Turkey Symposium (Vol. 6, pp. 84-89). Byrne, M. E. (2013). Nesting ecology of wild turkeys in a b...
Oct 30, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Dr. Anthony Taylor, Associate Professor of Forest Management at the University of New Brunswick, joins Carolina to discuss the Canadian wildfires, the implications of climate change on our ecological and human communities, and what tools can help mitigate these effects moving forward. Resources: Wang, J., Taylor, A. R., & D’Orangeville, L. (2023). Warming-induced tree growth may help offset increasing disturbance across the Canadian boreal forest. Proceedings of the National Academy of Scien...
Oct 25, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Marcus and Will travel back in time with legendary turkey researchers Dr. Larry Vangilder and Eric Kurzejeski. Join as they discuss the early days of restocking and lessons learned, how hunting regulations changed as populations grew, initial assumptions impacting today’s regulations, challenges they faced as biologists, and thoughts on why we’re seeing declines today. Dr. Larry Vangilder , Eric W. Kurzejeski Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_g...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Will and Marcus launch our hardwoods series by discussing oak masting biology. They review studies assessing acorn production variation across and within oak species, discuss study results of wildlife acorn preference, and provide management tools to increase acorn productivity on your land. Resources: Brooke, J. M., Basinger, P. S., Birckhead, J. L., Lashley, M. A., McCord, J. M., Nanney, J. S., & Harper, C. A. (2019). Effects of fertilization and crown release on white oak (Quercus alba) m...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 194
Several surveys indicate that non-industrial private forest landowners own land for reasons other than timber production. These reasons include aesthetics, wildlife-related recreation, and other natural resource-based activities.The term multiple use in natural resource management is straightforward: it is the management of lands for more than one purpose. Inherently, this management approach is more complex and requires forest landowners to understand and assess each additional use for its comp...
Oct 11, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 193
We are joined this week by Matt Ross from the National Deer Association to chat about the importance of private lands and private land management for America’s favorite game species, the white-tailed deer. We discuss how whitetails can be a catalyst for private lands habitat management and all the work NDA does to assist private landowners. Resources discussed: National Deer Association – https://deerassociation.com/ 2023 Deer Report - https://deerassociation.com/2023-deer-report/ Deer Steward P...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 192
Marcus and Will wrap up our feeding series by reviewing global drivers of supplemental feeding and breakdown a study reporting positive effects on wild turkey populations from supplemental feed. Resources: Cox, D. T., & Gaston, K. J. (2018). Human–nature interactions and the consequences and drivers of provisioning wildlife. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 373(1745), 20170092. Malpass, J. S., Rodewald, A. D., & Matthews, S. N. (2017). Species-depen...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 191
Deep in the Sonoran Desert are various fish species that survive in the harshest of conditions. These extremophiles often live in water that is often much saltier than seawater, much hotter than a jacuzzi, much faster than a freight train, and with little or no oxygen. Where did they come from? How do they survive? What is their future? Wes chats with desert fish expert Dr. Scott Bonar of the University of Arizona to answer these and many more questions. So, grab a tall glass of water and your s...
Oct 04, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 190
While in Nebraska, Marcus and Will discuss the shared challenges they see across states when trying to integrate multiple objectives into working landscapes. Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_gulsby ) ( Academic Profile ) Turkeys for Tomorrow ( @turkeysfortomorrow ) UF DEER Lab ( @ufdeerlab ) ( YouTube ) Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Auburn Turkey Donation ...
Oct 02, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 189
Marcus and Will dive deeper into the literature surrounding the potential impacts of feeding on wild turkeys. Join as they discuss the data on risks of feeding across species, predation, pathogens, and contaminants and what we can do to mitigate these risks for turkeys moving forward. Resources: Cooper, S. M., & Ginnett, T. F. (2000). Potential effects of supplemental feeding of deer on nest predation. Wildlife Society Bulletin, 660-666. Dale, L. L. (2014). Potential for aflatoxicosis in nor...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 188
What is a deer signpost? In this episode Steve and Bronson visit with Dr. Karl Miller, the former professor and researcher of deer biology and management at the University of Georgia. Karl and his students and colleagues have studied white-tailed deer signposting behavior for decades and he shares key findings regarding the biology and ecology of this research, and how you can apply it to hunting. Check out the MSU Deer Lab’s online seminar series ( here ) and choose the Natural Resources option...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 187
Will and Marcus characterize the available data on wildlife feeding across the South and discuss the implications for wild turkeys. Resources: SC 2006 AK 2011 FWC 2019 Land Ethic Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Will Gulsby ( @dr_will_gulsby ) ( Academic Profile ) Turkeys for Tomorrow ( @turkeysfortomorrow ) UF DEER Lab ( @ufdeerlab ) ( YouTube ) Watch these podcasts on YouTube: Wild Turkey Science YouTube Donate to wild turkey research: UF Turkey Donation Fund , Au...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 186
After a casualty event, a forest landowner must make many difficult decisions. We discuss topics such as what to do immediately following a casualty event and proper steps to take as you move forward in the salvage process. For questions or comments, email us at timberuniversity@gmail.com Be sure to subscribe directly to Timber University and follow NRU on Instagram , YouTube , Twitter , and Facebook ....
Sep 13, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 185
Dr. Kelly Dunning, Associate Professor at Auburn University and Timberline Professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, joins Will and Marcus to discuss the complexities associated with conservation policy-making and how we can better integrate wild turkey research and political science moving forward. Listen to Part 1 of this episode here: https://naturalresourcesuniversity.libsyn.com/wild-turkey-science-can-conservation-governance-save-turkeys-part-12-182 Dr. Kelly Dunnin...
Sep 11, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 184
If you like to fish, you have probably caught Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass, and maybe you have caught Spotted Bass. But if you are on a quest to catch all the Black Bass (Micropterus spp.), you have a long way to go. In this episode, Wes chats with Steve Sammons, a researcher from Auburn University who has worked with many of the bass species. They’ll discuss the 14 described species of bass and where they can be found, as well as talk about 5 more potential species that may soon be descr...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 183
Dr. Kelly Dunning, Associate Professor at Auburn University and Timberline Professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, joins Will and Marcus to discuss the complexities associated with conservation policy-making and how we can better integrate wild turkey research and political science moving forward. Part 2 of this episode releases next Monday. Dr. Kelly Dunning ( Email ) ( Website ) ( @DrKellyHDunning ) ( Academic Profile ) Dr. Marcus Lashley ( @DrDisturbance ) ( Academi...
Sep 04, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Dr. Mike Byrne joins Marcus and Will to discuss the ongoing comprehensive private-land wild turkey research project in northern Missouri studying the effects of nest survival. They also cover important topics related to raccoon movements related to hen nesting and density dependence in turkey populations. Listen to Part 1 of this episode ( here ). Resources: Byrne, Michael E. Influences of landscape characteristics on the nesting ecology of female wild turkeys and behavior of raccoons. Louisiana...
Aug 28, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 181
Dr. Mike Byrne joins Marcus and Will to discuss the ongoing comprehensive private-land wild turkey research project in northern Missouri studying the effects of nest survival. They also cover important topics related to raccoon movements in relation to hen nesting and density dependence in turkey populations. Part 2 of this episode releases next Monday. Resources: Byrne, Michael E. Influences of landscape characteristics on the nesting ecology of female wild turkeys and behavior of raccoons. Lou...
Aug 21, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 180
