Recruitment is down, decoys are up | Wild Turkey Science #440

In this episode, we review trending data across hunter age, hunter recruitment, decoy use, and reaping as Dr. Zach Steele, Post-doctoral associate and interdisciplinary ecologist specializing in human dimensions, walks us through his newest publication. 

Resources:

Harris, A. (2006). Turkey hunting in 2006: an analysis of hunter demographics, trends, and economic impacts. USFWS Report, 7.

Maryland Spring Turkey Hunter Survey – Results Summary. August 2017

Steele, Z.T., & M.A. Lashley. (2025). Reviewing human dimensions of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) hunting research and synthesizing future directions. Zenodo.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau. 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

We’ve launched a comprehensive online wild turkey course featuring experts across multiple institutions that specialize in habitat management and population management for wild turkeys. Enroll Now! 

Dr. Zach Steele Publications

Dr. Marcus Lashley @DrDisturbance, Publications

Dr. Will Gulsby @dr_will_gulsby, Publications

Turkeys for Tomorrow @turkeysfortomorrow 

UF Game Lab @ufgamelab, YouTube

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Produced & edited by Charlotte Nowak